Vintage Holiday Shopping Guide: Gifts for Home Decor Lovers

While most people enjoy the ongoing act (and art!) of decorating their personal space, be it a bachelor apartment or a sprawling villa, in a way that brings them both joy and contentment, some take this part time hobby and turn into an ongoing passion that consumes their thoughts and shopping trips. No matter where on the scale the home decor lover in your life fits, chances are they’d welcome a wonderful, thoughtful gift for their house.

The items below have an inherently old school feel to them, some are whimsical others are resplendently chic, all are likely to be type of decor pieces that would bring a giant smile to the face of anyone on your holiday shopping list who loves to adorn their home with elements that speak to their adoration of vintage.


~ Gifts for Home Decor Lovers ~



{Hidden beneath her gracefully sweeping, crimson hued stoneware skirt, this immensely adorable lady hides a stick or small tub of your favourite spread from freshly churned butter to vegan margarine, apple butter or a cheese log, ready to add pep to one's table through the holiday season and well beyond. Also available in marigold yellow, this cuter than cute butter dish can be yours for $28.00 (US) from Anthrologie.com.}



{Your gift recipient can inject a rainbow of cheerful colour and vintage style to any room in their home, from the den to the boudoir, with this chicly beautiful metal starburst clock which retails for $59.99 (US) from ModCloth.com.}



{Who amongst us doesn’t adore the pleasure of sifting through flea markets, estate sales and thrift stores in the hopes of find just the right treasures for our wardrobes and homes alike? If this sounds like you or someone you know, then The Find: The Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details by Stan Williams, may be exactly the book to turn to for inspiration when it comes to how best to put those newfound (old) treasures on display. Released in 2009, this charming, photo filled, 240 page book is $18.50 (US) from Amazon.com.}



{Generously sized cabbage roses in a tranquil pallet of coral pinks and dusty yellows adorn this beautiful cotton duvet cover, telegraphing a wonderfully feminine feeling that would work marvelously in any bedroom or guestroom in the house. Queen (full) sized “Tea Rose” duvet cover, $68.00 (US) from UrbanOutfitters.com.}



{This darling vintage inspired box and the elegant pastel hued tea set it houses are both equally lovely items for a special someone on your holiday list to decorate their kitchen with. Set of four (one each pink, green, blue and yellow) “Piccadilly” bone china tea cups and saucer with gift box, £34.95 (UK) from Dotcomgiftshop.}



{Who wouldn’t delight at the prospect of gathering everything from holiday cards to the more mundane mail (like December’s credit card bills!) of everyday life from this immensely quaint white mail box (letter holder) with black enamel finish. Measuring in at 7.75 inches wide by 9 inches long and 4 inches deep, this wonderfully elegant receptacle would add a marvelous vintage touch to the outer decor of any home, and can be purchased for $24.00 (US) from Painted White.}



{Muted tones of aquamarine and teal lend this patriotically lovely thrown pillow a hefty dose of aged appeal. Measuring in at 30cm wide by 40cm long the wool and cotton “Britannia” cushion featuring a classic Union Jack flag in “duck egg” can yours to give (or keep!) for £35.00 (UK) from Laura Ashley Home.}



{This delightful tea towel is almost too pretty to use – all the more reason it deserves to go out on display proximately a turquoise kitchen, buttercup yellow bathroom, or snow white hued laundry room, for all who enter to admire. Embroidered and appliquéd wrens and doves who are immersed in a darling tea party cover this generously sized cotton tea towel (28 inches long by 21 inches wide) which is available for $24.00 (US) from Anthropologie.com}



{If there’s someone on your gift giving list who swoons at that mere thought of all things vintage French decor or antique shabby chic related, then The Paris Apartment: Romantic Decor on a Flea Market Budget by Claudia Strasser (published in 1997), $19.76 (US) from Amazon.com, may just be the perfect present to bestow upon them – and their beautiful home –this holiday season.}



{This gorgeous sea foam green storage bench is a real multitasker! At once it’s both an extra seat and a stylish place to stash anything and everything you might not want cluttering up a room all the time; it can be an ottoman, coffee table, or collect all for coats and bags. Upholstered in vintage inspired vinyl, sporting a plush tufted and piped cushion top, set upon tapered mid-century style legs, and measuring in at 38.5 inches wide by 18 inches high and 18 inches deep, this smart and stylish bench is available for $240.00 (US) from UrbanOutfitter.com, and would make an incredible gift for someone really special in your life.}



{Instantly transform any vanity table, bathroom counter or dresser top into the sort of glamorous spot one might expect to see in a vintage Hollywood starlets’ home with this incredibly pretty, ever so slightly rococo, hand painted cream and gold pedestal mirror. Measuring 34.5cm high by 18.5cm wide, this sophisticated looking glass is available for £28.00 (UK) from Laura Ashley Home.}



{An elegantly dressed woman in an enchanting gown holds a delicate paper lantern up to light the evening’s activities in this wonderful print that's stretched across a 12 by 14 inch canvass. Ready to instantly infuse added beauty to any vintage fan’s wall, this attractive print is $30.00 (US) from Plasticland.}



{Stock up on this magnificently pretty glass transferware holder and candle set to use as a stocking stuffer, hostess present or strikingly attractive gift on its own. This 4.75 inch tall by 3 inch wide peacock bedecked, shabby chic Victorian looking holder with a nine ounce white hued candle (45 hour burn time) is $19.50 (US) from Touch of Europe.}



{Dazzle your holiday giftee with a book they’ll be thrilled to keep out on the coffee table (or night stand), browsing and daydreaming over all year round, such as this amazing collection of over 600 magazines covers all featuring the eternally graceful Audrey Hepburn. This fashionable tomb, Audrey Hepburn” International Cover Girl (by Scott Brizel), was just released in November of this year and can be found on Amazon.com for $29.70 (US).}


This bevy of gorgeous home decor items has me itching to both give gifts from this list and add a few treats to my own home! I hope that amongst the ideas suggested here you’ll find oodles of inspiration for all those on your list who love to deck their halls (and every other room!) in vintage style.

Joyful holiday wishes to one and all as we count down these last ten (shopping) days until Christmas! :)

Five for Friday {November 6, 2009}

...Wild hail like a barrage of BB gun pellets hurled itself, intermixed with a peppering of snowflakes at our building for a few minutes yesterday afternoon, which means that I was entirely spot on when my husband and I placed our "when would it snow first this year bets"! He guessed October 25th, I pondered for a while and settled on November 5th, which, just happened to be yesterday. There’s no prize to be won, other than a huge smile, but that’s still more than enough to jump start my weekend on a cheerful note. With the coming of temps swinging below zero now and the looming prospect of more snow any time, I find myself thinking about mugs of cocoa, like pint sized hot springs for the taste buds, as well as all manner of snugly blankets, sweaters and scarves – anything that serves to warm the heart, mind and soul...


♥ ♥ ♥


{To keep your fingers and imagination busy all winter long}


{Whether you churn out a groundbreaking novel, write correspondence to friends near and far, or just enjoy it for the stunning piece of art it is, this alluring, sleek, gorgeous typewriter is sure to take pride of place in any office. Turquoise “Royal” vintage typewriter in good working order, $390.00 (US), from etsy seller Poetic Home.}


{To add a delightful touch of rustic, vintage charm to even the most modern of kitchens}


{Dyed so as to take on the look of something that could have been unearthed from your great grandmother’s hope chest in the attic, these three piece sets of French linen tea towels are just the ticket instantly increase the vintage vibe in your kitchen, laundry room, utility room, or anywhere else hands – or dishes – may need to be dried. Three towel set available in red or blue, $19.99 (US) each from Touch of Europe.}


{To help you survive that low period of sucrose activity between Halloween candy and holiday cookies}


{A modern melding of ancient flavours comes together in this lusciously rich dessert that is sure to become a classic the moment it reaches the table. Pomegranate chocolate mousse cake recipe on, and beautiful photo from, Dessert First.}


{To help make the ever-increasingly longer nights a little brighter}


{I adore a well lit room, whether the luminosity stems from the sun, candles or bulbs, I find my mind often feels sharper when I have a solid supply of light at hand, and what more gorgeous way to ensure you too are never short of light than with one of these stunningly pretty flower shaped clip on lamps. Available in thee hues (pink, green and ivory white), these darling lights use a 40 watt chandelier bulb and can clipped to a variety of surfaces, from chair backs to headboards. Aside from being practical, they just happen to be immensely gorgeous, too! “Bloom Clip Light”, $29.00 (US) per light, from Urban Materials + Accessories (UMA).}


{To inspire a season’s worth of kitchen remodeling and design projects}


{Did your heart skip a beat when you gazed upon this understatedly incredible kitchen, its pallet of mint-married-with-turquoise, fire engine red, and crisp white, just as mine did? Ripe with vintage styling and original 50s pieces (like the Formica table), this room is a joy to behold and no doubt even more fun to try and duplicate – or pull decor inspiration from – yourself. Image via Country Living.}


Wishing you each a delightfully wonderful, serenely lovely weekend bursting with fun and relaxation!