Like any area of human activity, if you want to get good at it you need to practice. Finding a gem among piles of other less appealing objects takes skill and a determined willingness to get dusty. The great thing about vintage picking is that there truly is something out there for every taste and budget. Here are some items I didn’t buy, but that definitely fit my personal criteria as OLIO-tastic.
Firstly, I’m a sucker for coloured glass. Who wouldn’t want to bring out this gloriously green jug and glasses for a long cool drink with friends on the patio? I particularly love the curve of the handle on the jug – very chic! But, however beautiful, a jug is only going to get used if it pours well. I have been known to ask second-hand dealers to fill a potential jug purchase with water so I can test it for drips and leaks.
Secondly, nests of side tables are always useful to have when friends come over. I am definitely partial to a bit of that particular 1970s shade of orange. I think these tables could also potentially make fun plant stands in an alfresco area. Great contrasting colour against green foliage.
And thirdly, the Memphis-style graphics of Adelaide designer Annabelle Collett epitomised my taste in the 1980s. Anybody remember those fabulous interiors at Limbo nightclub? I wish I had kept that hot pink, black and white miniskirt she designed. Many fun parties were had wearing that!
I don’t buy vintage pieces for their monetary value, collectability or name. I look for objects that I can use or admire, that fit in with my existing pieces and that make me happy. Because that is precisely what OLIO interiors are all about.
1. Mid Century Green Glass Water Jug with Six Glasses $128.15 ($110 hammer price + 16.5% buyers premium)
2. Nest of Three Tables, Binasco by Giotto Stoppino in Orange, Kartell $198.05 ($170 hammer price + 16.6% buyers premium)
3. Hand Painted Ceramic Bowl by Annabelle Collett $221.35 ($190 hammer price + 16.5% buyers premium)
Scammells Auctions is one of the fabulous destinations we visit on some of our OLIO Tours.