Whether it’s you, your parents or another relative, when you have to downsize, what do you do with all your stuff, and does anyone want it if you resell it? This case is about the good goods you may have that will be embraced by someone else, and what things no one wants.
For this Case I’ve brought on board Denise Lough of Evilena’s Red Dresser - an upscale consignment store who is a season pro in all things castoff.
So join me for another case.
Whether it’s you, your parents or another relative, when you have to downsize, what do you do with all your stuff, and does anyone want it if you resell it? This case is about the good goods you may have that will be embraced by someone else, and what things no one wants.
For this Case I’ve brought on board Denise Lough of Evilena’s Red Dresser - an upscale consignment store who is a season pro in all things castoff.
So join me for another case.
1.3 The Case of Granny's Castaways
Welcome to only stagers in the building. Become an insider sleuth as we explore the corridors of home staging. 22s Good morning. I'll take your hat. Your latest case is on your desk, and your guest is waiting on the phone for you. 4s Hello sleuths. Whether it's you, your parents, or another relative when it comes to downsizing, what do you do with all your stuff? And does anybody want it if you resell it? 1s This case is about the good goods that you may have. That will be embraced by someone else and the things that nobody wants. My interior, my interior design business model is based on celebrating what you already have and creating a special space that is uniquely you. Being in business 25 years brings me working with clients full circle. From buying, selling, upsizing or downsizing. I've worked with clients, many on multiple chapters of homes. Cast offs have never been more popular. 1s With trends like grandpa chic or granny to ultra personalized curated spaces. Vintage antique quirky finds, old world craftsmanship, which was once seen as a throwaway, is now being fully embraced using mix and match old and new, created a distinctive decor and brings warmth and individual ality to a whole. 1s Personalized, collected home decor allows found pieces to be the main thread or an inspiration that gives a room an individual character and personality. Adding pieces of furniture of the past offers a story on its heritage or how you found it. This case, The Case of Granny's Castoffs, is all about the purge and then the fight. Let's discuss. 14s I brought Denise Lough onto the case. Denise is a 20 year expert in vintage vines, having worked in a consignment store and as its interior designer for the past two decades. Denise, over the past few years, have you seen a surge in the desire to buy vintage? 1s Yes, I definitely have. I feel like all ages, including the young people, but all ages of our shoppers are buying items that make them feel happy and remind them of another, gentler era. They seem to crave elements of the past because it gives them more comfort. Um, it's those things that have more meaning rather than the mass produced decor from places like HomeGoods or the online stores. Um, it's way too cookie cutter for them. Uh, their homes need to tell their story and their personality, and they like to surround themselves with that wonderful mix of the old with the new. And I do see them purchasing more heirloom type furniture from anywhere, from dressers to the comfy chairs to vintage dining sets and those little sweet headboards. Um, and then incorporating those pieces in with their a little bit more modern decor. And you find too, that, um, you know, not the, you know, we're telling boomers, but the younger the younger people, our children. Right. The, our children are now starting to become educated on that old school craftsman instead of that kind of factory made, uh, slapped together furniture. They're starting to to look at the that the craftsman is much more, uh, our artisanal and more desired for that. Right, right. No, I agree. I mean, they're, they're more open to the different styles of furniture. They like the little bit more, the quality, I guess, of the older furniture. And they can, you know. 1s You know, change it out. They can put it in with a lot of modern stuff, but I do think they like they're they're not as picky about like the style. It doesn't have to be exactly like the farmhouse or the whatever mid-century pieces that speak to that. Right? Right. Right, right. Okay. So influencers are a big part of these past cast offs being rediscovered. Are you seeing younger people who in the past, what had nothing to do with their parents cast offs, now embracing the idea that, uh. That pieces like within your shop can be used as part of their home life. 2s Sure. Yeah I do. I see a lot of the younger I don't know what it would be a millennial, 30 year olds, you know, stuff like that. Um, their furnishing apartments, their new new new homes with little kids. Um, and I do see more of them, the younger ones, uh, shopping, using those castoffs and making them their own. Um, and they do love, uh, the barware and cocktail pieces. So I create additions to, like, vintage wicker. 2s Yeah. 2s So I created a quick little list, um, of some, uh, some cast offs that are now kind of trendy and popular and that I'm going to kind of rattle them off to you and then, you know, agree or disagree with me, uh, that especially with these, you know, these influencers on Instagram and TikTok. Um, so, like the first thing that you said is the vintage barware, bar carts, cocktail shakers, anything that has to do with with the art of drinking. Correct. 2s Correct. Mhm. Yeah okay. Yeah. Yeah. Because I know bar cards have been huge for, you know a good five years. Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, you see him at target, but it's more fun to get the vintage ones right? I went to, um. I went to, uh, House Beautiful's. Uh, I forgot there was. I forgot what the name of it was. It was like a whole home something. But it was a it was a showcase house that was just this past, uh, fall. And one of the rooms that I just absolutely loved, uh, had been like, uh, like a. Like a equipment room for the pool, and the designer had turned it into like a conservatory for music, and it was just delightful. I, you know, I took a bunch of pictures, and I actually think that that was, if you get the house beautiful, that was like a many of the pictures. Was this one space? Yeah. Um, and the bookcases, uh, had like built ins below, then the, the shelving above. And there was a whole, like, styling of, like, if you were going in to make a martini and it was just like all these beautiful martini glasses and a tray and all the implements to make a wonderful cocktail. And then next to it was a, you know, was a, um, a turntable with like, cool, you know, Sinatra records and things like that. So I think they really embrace that the, the art, the art of a cocktail party rather than just the party of a cocktail party. Right? Yeah. So you're throwing a bunch of booze on the counter there making it events or. Yeah. And then vintage art, I think is always been embraced. And I know that I'm seeing a lot more, you think. Right. They pick it up and then they reinvent it, you know, put a ghost in it or something like that. But vintage vintage art, I think speaks to them, whether they're looking at for the scenery, that or whatever, you know, whatever is the depiction and the, you know, the item in the art, but they're also looking at it as, as part of this kind of quirky collection that they can create. Right, right. And it has to be stuff that they can they're connected to. Like it's more personal than just, you know. And then any any of the blue and white porcelain, whatever it is, you know, 1s any of those things are have found, have found themselves to be back in style. Uh, like you said, the original stuff is the best. But now anything from Pottery Barn to, uh, Ballard has a ton of that blue and white. And, you know, you and I are exactly the same age, and we already went through that, 1s right? We went from blue and white or blue light era, uh, you know, and then funky lamps, the funkier the better. And it feels like 70s or 80s, right? Is all, all trend trending? Uh, crocheted or knitting knitted Afghans throws or pillows? 1s Yay or nay. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, how about quilts? Um, you know, we don't sell that at our store, but I would imagine that they if they're picking up, you know, unique pillows and throws and stuff that they are probably doing that in the bedrooms, too, with, you know, different kind of handmade quilts and that kind of thing to make it kind of. So it's not it's like that ours, our, um, artisanal makers look. Right, right, right. And that really evolved during the Covid period that everybody their sister, their uncle and their aunt were crafters. So, um, you had to keep busy somehow. Right. But books have always been a staple, right. Because you can use books for, you know, they're great styling pieces. Um. How? 3s I haven't seen that as much. Um. 1s But, you know, it's hard to say. I mean, a lot of the the baby boomers are getting rid of their brass. And I have seen a few of these gals, you know, pick them up and they may paint them or paint. Interesting. Yeah, but brass is bad. So the brass are. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, how about vintage vintage textiles? So that's fabrics. You know anything? How about, um, you guys don't get. You don't get that many textiles in, um. But I have seen a lot of people, especially people are really curating their homes to a certain era. Um, so I'm you and I are both MCM kind of kind of people. So I belong to a couple MCM Facebook groups and they will. They will find those vintage drapes and they will, you know, they will reincorporate them into their home. So there's a there's a lot of purists out there, but, um, you know, a great throw away, a castoff fabric can be reinvented, reimbursed and then turned into beautiful pillows or a runner or whatever they're doing. And some of the really cute 60s and 70 patterns with a really bold, bright colors are, you know, are a lot of fun. Yeah. And they're recovering seat cushions on chairs, simple dining chairs, probably with, you know, some of that vintage fabric, that kind of thing. And then, well, how about how about, um, have you whether it's at the shop or not, vintage wallpaper. 2s Yeah. 2s Um, I just had a client this week who is? I mean, she's a little younger than we are, but she is embracing the wallpaper thing again, and it's. And it's not how she's looking. Is she hunting down a vintage look or just liking the pattern? She's just liking the pattern, I think. Okay. Yeah, yeah. Uh, vinyl records. We don't even have to go there. That's been, you know, that's been for over a decade now. Yeah. Um, and then wicker and rattan. I bet you can't even keep it in the shop. It sells right away. Yeah, because there's nothing. Who's buying it? Anybody? Everybody. I mean, it it sells really well. It's such a great texture addition to any room. So, you know, and like that would be flying out. So whether you're kind of doing the boho kind of, you know, plant, you look to a Scandinavian or even like the really old wicker. 1s Huh? Yeah. Or even, like you said, even if you want to do, like, a super vintage and kind of head down the Victorian, you know, very traditional road, you can do that too. Yeah. Um, okay. So these, these two, the next two bullets are actually from another, another design friend. Um, who I want you. I would be great if I can incorporate her the her into this into this interview as well because she is in the retail business. Mhm. And she said had figurines and face vases. Really. Yeah. I'm not any anything anything that has like that like is kind of like, you know, as you know, you've been to my home before. I've had all over my house. Um, those seem to be super popular. And then. Yeah. Uh, bases that have faces on that. So I think I might have to do some research with that. And I know that you can get a vintage Socrates or something that looks like that. You pulled it out of, you know, some kind of ruin in Rome. Um, but I would be interesting to to see about face faces, because what I think of face face is, I think of, like, gnomish. Like you bought it at a pottery shop in, like, Scotland. Right, right. From a trip you went on or whatever? Yeah, but it'd be interesting to see if that like, is a is is a thing. But you could probably get the face faces to kind of from the 80s too, because I could see that being like in some really like modern modern art kind of sculptural thing too, right? So let's see what happened. Right. And then when I, when I called you to interview you, the first thing that you talked about was, you know, granny's bedroom furniture flying out, right? Why don't you tell you? Why don't you tell the listeners about that set that you weren't expecting to go flying out of the store so quickly? 2s That the shiny one. 2s Oh, yeah. It was, um, I mean, I, I was kind of shocked. We took it because I didn't love it, but it was very, um, high gloss ash, ashy birch, light wood set. It was in pristine condition, very high quality, and it was priced right. And I think that thing sold. But believe it or not, it's sold in pieces. Somebody bought the headboard, footboard and one dresser. Another person bought the two nightstands and the other dresser. So it was like they're mixing and matching. They didn't buy the whole set so that you're not so matchy matchy. So I did notice that right. 1s Um, but right now we have those. What are they? The little spindle. What do they call those spindle twin headboards or had Jenny Lynn? Yes, we have a couple of those in there right now, which I'm sure will not last very long because they're just adorable and they're great shape. But I could see doing that with some modern furniture and, you know, just bringing that in. Okay. So those are the things that are awesome. So if you are, you know, if you are thinking about downsizing, these are things that you would bring to a consignment store such as Denise's or in estate sale, you know, however, you're going to discard of your furniture. On the other hand, us baby boomers seem to have collected, inherited, or somehow acquired a whole household of thing. And when it comes to downsize, have to discard them. So let's discuss. Let's discuss some of the ones that nobody. 3s So what about collector figurines? Hummels. Yeah. So we we do not even accept them. Um, we did accept those angel people. I forget what they are. 3s But we've stopped accepting those too, because we ended up with so many. And they, you know, just didn't sell. So figurines are not. Not really big sellers and we don't accept them. 1s Nope. Okay. And then how about. 2s Things that you things for entertaining that require fussy upkeep, i.e.. Yeah, um, you know, very delicate China that you have to wash by hand, sterling silver that can tarnish, that requires you to polish it all the time. Um, super delicate stemware that might have come from, you know, like that was, you know, maybe that might have been great grandmas things that like, ah, you're like almost afraid to, you know, transport from the sink to the China cabinet. Uh, right, right. We won't even talk about China cabinets because we, you know, know that story. So, yeah, all those are things that nobody wants. And then I have a really good friend who's downsizing right now, and she has a plethora of very beautiful Egyptian linens, like linen tablecloths and napkins and all those things. And she has been trying to Etsy them and eBay them for three years with a zero success like that, that today's entertainer, just like you and I entertain now, you know, we were raised in a certain way, the way our parents raised us. But that fussing, that fussy entertaining is no longer, you know, on trend in our children or even the younger ones who are, like you said, setting up house now, um, just don't want to have don't, don't they can't exert that energy for it. Correct? No, no, they don't want to iron stuff and launder things and store them. And you know, it's just a lot it's a lot of work. All right. What about pianos? Grandfather clocks in furs. We don't take any of those, um, pianos, you know? I've been in more clients houses that are like, hey, do you know somebody who wants to get rid of a piano or wants a piano? Yeah. Me too. Yeah. I mean, you know, unless you play it regularly, you know, most people had it from inheritance or their kids played it when they're little and they're done with it. So we don't take. So we did have one in the store. 1s Yeah. Um, at the store, if a consignor wants to bring these things in to sell. How do you break the news that no one wants them? 2s Well, you know, we kind of say. I'm trying to think the wording we use. Um, we are trying to be kind. Um, we gently tell them that there's really no market for those items anymore, and that we've tried in the past and have failed in selling them. And you know that we just suggest you take it to, like, a local thrift store that, you know, benefits a really good cause, you know, something on that line, you donate it, you donate it, right short of the landfill, which breaks everybody hard. Now our landfill, you know, on the land I know. Yeah, it's very, very hard. Um, and on the landfill, um, topic, which is really, really hard for anybody at any age, whether they're, you know, downsizing, upsizing buying something new. You know, people are very sustainable now. People think about think twice about it. And what's great about this whole style that's being embraced. Um, some, some people call it the heritage. Heritage style, mix and match individual, individual style is that you're really being a good steward to the earth that this is, you know, old, old growth, you know, vintage, uh, craftsman. You're not throwing it in the garbage can. It's not going into a landfill. It's getting, you know, getting re lobbed and repurposed, you know, re treasured by someone else. And I think that that is, you know, that's the essence of a consignment store is that you're passing it on to somebody else. And it's kind of the new way of thinking about it, which is delightful to people, the older people, for the younger people. Right, right. So I'm going to wrap up this case. Some of Granny's castoffs are someone's new curated home buys to be loved and cherished. Others, unfortunately, are heading to the landfill or to be donated. The good thing is, there are stores like yours that help discard, pick and choose when downsizing. And then on the flip side, our wonderful treasure chests. For those seeking to create space that is individual individual as they are. So I want to thank Denise Lough for helping us solve the case of Granny's Cafe. And Denise, why don't you give us a quick little a little synopsis about where you work and how your store helps Granny's castoffs? 3s Um, well, I work at a store called Evelina Red Dresser in Frankfurt. Um, the owner was a friend of mine who really embraced the whole not taking things to the dump, you know, that kind of a thing. So she really wanted to reduce, recycle, reuse, repurpose, repaint. Um, and I just think it's it's the most phenomenal concept. And she has been in business for almost 15 years and is so successful. And people just love going there and getting inspired, um, and not having to buy the mass produced junk that's everywhere. So it's a good thing. And then your role is that you're, you know, you're there to assist. Um, I go in for hours. 1s Yeah. 2s And then Denise also is the interior silence of the store, meaning that she styles most of the collections and the displays, and then she's there on hand. Um, if somebody one of the shoppers needs to bring her home to help them at their home too. This is true. Yep. 1s It's a win win. So yeah. So we're going to wrap up the case of Granny's Cast Off. And thanks for joining me today today Denise. And until next time sleuths. We're signing off for only stagers in the building.