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I'm loving these two dresses, repurposed in part from vintage fabric, from etsy seller aiguille et fil (which means, appropriately, needle and thread in French). Check out some other dresses from the shop here.
[tip from a fellow reader of design is mine]
Here's another home full of lovely little things and splashes of bright color everywhere via desire to inspire.
I could totally live here too. The difficulty of decorating with found objects and mismatched vintage housewares is the tendency toward overpowering tackiness and a general sense of clutter. Understatement and balance are key. Here, simple and spare furnishings, a neutral paint color (what's more neutral than white?), and bare walls are punched up with small doses of bold and pastel colors, large patterns (floral, geometric, and ethnic), and whimsical touches like the rainbow flags above the sofa and in the bedroom. What could be happier?
Here are some bright and happy housewares, inspired by the desire to make your home a brighter, happier place! All from etsy.
Top row (L to R):- tin canisters (set of 4), $12 from Grey Brocket's Home
- apothecary jars (set of 4), $10 from beatgrrrl's basement
- petal bowls (set of 7), $30 from edelweiss vintage
Middle row (L to R):
- milk glass mug by Hazel Atlas, $6 from Bliss vintage
- tablecloth, $25 from thriftypyg
- mug, $6.95 from Teelady
Bottom row (L to R):
- pitcher by Anchor Hocking, $40 from Callooh Callay
- bowls by Fire King for Anchor Hocking (set of 6), $25 from Vintage Ella
- glass bowl, $8 from Virginia Vintage
So I normally do housewares, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write up Seam Sew Swell, a delightful online shop run by the intrepid and wise beyond her 21 years (21!!!) Victoria Martin. Victoria sells vintage apparel, accessories, and jewelry, as well as clothing and pillows made by her very own talented self. This girl is amazing! 
Here are six sweet skirts (available here for $16-22) she's refashioned from thrifted recycled sheets and fabric. If you're just the teeniest bit crafty yourself, take a clue from the precocious Victoria - skip the fabric store and head to your nearest thrift shop. With any luck, you just might encounter adorable vintage textiles like these! If you'd rather peruse online, etsy seller Retro Age offers a great selection of vintage fabrics here.
I just made myself a dress with some floral fabric I bought last year, when florals were actually big. I'll post a pic when I take a flattering one. In the meantime, here are some floral patterned housewares for your flower-happy Friday!
Top row (L to R):- 4 mugs and metal stand, $18 from etsy seller 2pear
- tin canister, $18 from Ladies & Gentlemen
- 4 coffee cups, $18 from thirteen leaf clover
Middle row (L to R):
- 3 coffee cups, $8 from Jen's Closet
- crochet doily, $12.99 from What Would Marilyn Wear
- Better Homes & Gardens New Garden Book, $19.50 from Surrender Dorothy
Bottom row (L to R):
- creamer and sugar set, $28 from Fab Pad
- 4 stoneware mugs, $22 from Molly Moo Vintage
- Noritake sugar bowl with lid, $12 from Simple Vintage
Positively shagadelic pillow covers fashioned from vintage fabric. From etsy seller absoluut. $25 here. Groovy baby.
If you've ever wandered through a vintage store, you've probably encountered some brightly colored scarves with the name Vera scrawled in the corner accompanied by a ladybug. The scarves are probably the signature element of the body of work of Vera Neumann (1910-1993), an influential and prolific mid-century artist and designer. I've known about Vera scarves for awhile but only recently discovered the rest of her creations, including fabric, wallpaper, table and bed linens, apparel, and dishware. This Vera sounds like a few other Veras (Vera Wang and Vera Bradley) we know, right? Here are some of her fabulous designs, most of which are available on etsy and ebay.
Above at top: circle of pink tiles tablecloth, buy it now for $45 from ebay store Vickie Jean's Things. Below that is a round tablecloth for $25 from etsy seller fuzzymama.
L to R: pair of linen tea towels, currently $25 from ebay seller somewhereintime2; sunflower tea towel, currently $7 from ebay seller ccc0336.
L to R: pair of yellow rose tea towels, currently $10 from ccc0366; yellow ranunculus tablecloth, buy it now for $30 from Vickie Jean's Things.
The remaining items are not for sale, but I wanted to show you my favorite Vera pattern yet! Pillowcases from flickr user jillbliss; towel from skinnylaminx's photostream. For more cool Vera Neumann patterns, check out the Vera Neumann flickr group here.
Every Friday I'll choose a color or category at random and highlight several items that fall within that parameter. I figure no one wants to read a lot of text on Friday, am I right?
Top row (L to R):
- ceramic bowls with yellow scallop trim in the Royal China Jubilee pattern (set of 6), $16 from etsy seller Edelweiss Vintage
- napkins with lemon yellow trim (set of 8), $13 from MarcellasExcess
- covered casserole dish in the Daisy pattern from Pyrex, $15.50 from Jen's Closet
Middle row (L to R):
- enamel pot, $25 from Nice
- canister set, $12 from Valerie's Vintage House
- ceramic bowls with center floral design (set of 4), $9 from FunkeyFinds
Bottom row (L to R):
- floral vinyl placemats (set of 4), $18 from Jess James Jake
- frosted glasses (set of 4), $16 from Harlow's Closet
- cream and sugar set, $10 from Olive Vintage
I could totally live here too. The difficulty of decorating with found objects and mismatched vintage housewares is the tendency toward overpowering tackiness and a general sense of clutter. Understatement and balance are key. Here, simple and spare furnishings, a neutral paint color (what's more neutral than white?), and bare walls are punched up with small doses of bold and pastel colors, large patterns (floral, geometric, and ethnic), and whimsical touches like the rainbow flags above the sofa and in the bedroom. What could be happier?
