Queen Of Vintage Pearl Lowe Tells Us The Secret To A Perfect Flea Market Find
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8 months ago
Pearl Lowe, rockstar turned fashion and textile designer, is known for her bohemian and vintage-inspired aesthetic. Her vintage home pieces are the kind of nick-nacks and one-off finds you’d normally have to scour East London flea markets for – or venture into Margate in search of. We ask her the secret to a vintage find, and the pieces that are brightening up her own home.Â
Interview: Pearl Lowe Spills The Secrets To A Vintage Homeware Find
Pearl Lowe
Hey Pearl. I wondered if you could tell us what brought you to vintage in the first place?Â
When I was 11 years old, I used to get on the tube on a Saturday with my friends and we’d head straight to Covent Garden to buy second-hand clothes in a shop called Flip. My mum was appalled and would often throw some of the grubbier things I bought away. When my husband Danny and I purchased our first house in Camden Town, we would trail through Camden Market on a Sunday and Portobello Market on a Friday looking for vintage and antique furniture to decorate the house with. I love pieces that have history, that tell a story – that are imperfect. I love furniture that has cracks or holes, and fabrics that are faded or frayed. It gives them character. I cannot stand perfection.
Why would you encourage people to get more into vintage?
Firstly you’ll have a unique piece that no-one can emulate. Secondly, it’s good for the planet. It’s vital that we think about our carbon footprint these days. Recycling and reusing pre-loved pieces reduce carbon emissions and preserve water energy, and other resources. Plus it prevents more garments or furniture pieces from winding up in landfills. I refuse to buy anything new anymore and I won’t let my kids either.
Tell me about a few pieces in your own home?Â
My whole house is full of vintage, as I have been a collector for many years. I have vintage oil paintings and framed pictures; old French beds; sofas; chandeliers; fringe lamps; and hundreds of cushions, throws, quilts, lace curtains and bedspreads. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people think that vintage brings moths, dust and dirt. But I love the look and always will. It brings me so much joy.
Tell me about your most exciting vintage find ever?
I’m always finding treasures wherever I go. But like everything in my life, I do get tired of certain pieces, which means they will often end up for sale on my website. There are a couple of pieces that I will never part with, though.
Pearl Lowe’s butterfly mirror
First, my massive antique butterfly mirror, which I purchased at The Shepton Mallet Flea a few years ago and ended up on the cover of my book Faded Glamour. The other was a French metal beaded fringe lamp, which I purchased from a flea market in Paris. My poor husband had to bring it home out of a window of a French taxi and on the Eurostar through the X-ray and customs – pretending it belonged to his recently deceased Aunt. It’s been in our front room for 13 years.
Where do you look for vintage?Â
I look for vintage on Instagram, Hoarde, The Old Cinema, Etsy, eBay, 1stdibs, and then, of course, flea markets.
Pearl’s Three Tips For Incorporating Vintage Into Your Home
Lace curtains are a lovely touch
- Take all your modern frames out of their pictures and replace them with vintage ones. These can be found in local antique shops, charity shops or flea markets. I love the gold ones. They work so beautifully on a gallery wall.
- Place vintage Persian or Moroccan rugs in every room. I sometimes layer them, especially if I’m not keen on the carpet underneath.
- Antique lace or crochet curtains, throws and bedspreads give any room a proper vintage look. I love them in kids rooms too. They make small rooms have that vintage cottage-y look.
Five Vintage Pieces Pearl Loves
1. ‘I recently bought a pink floral French superking bed from The French depot in St Leonards.’
View this post on Instagram
2. ‘I’m a fan of a red velvet fringed Danish sofa I purchased from Soho Home Vintage.’
Similar: Vintage Danish red velvet Knole sofa, 1950s, £1,490.97, design-market.co
3. ‘I love this antique large floral oil painting purchased from Muirshin Durkin on Goldborne Road.’
Buy similar: Floral still life c.1890, £762, 1stdibs.com; oil painting by E. Vanderman, £280, thehoarde.com; antique french floral painting, £175, vinterior.co
4. ‘There are a pair of hand-painted floral mirrors that are currently on sale on my website. I’m finding them quite hard to part with.’
One of the pair of hand-painted mirrors
Buy: Antique floral mirror with gold birds, £160, pearllowe.co.uk
5. ‘I have a pair of rare pair of Edwardian rattan picnic chairs – that are also on my website. A similar pair recently sold on Soame for £1200.’
These rare chairs only come as a pair
Buy: Antique Edwardian pair of picnic chairs, £595, pearllowe.co.uk
