by Chris Harris
The Quiet Joys of the 1%
Being an antiques dealer means that almost all of what you handle, probably ninety nine percent, is made up of the weird, the wonderful, the beautiful, the clever, the surprising, and the occasionally eccentric pieces that pass through your hands. Vintage and retro artefacts have their own charm, and it is always a privilege to move them on to the next home.
But every so often, it is the remaining one percent that really keeps me interested in the trade and still enthralls me. These are the moments that remind me why I do this. Only a month ago at Ford Market, I bought a beautiful Victorian chaise longue. Within a few weeks it had sold to the National Theatre in London. Something I had picked up on an old airstrip would, for decades to come, be used as a prop and seen by thousands upon thousands of people. It was not the prestige of the National Theatre that mattered, what pleased me was knowing that this piece would be enjoyed again, not tucked away, but a place to rest for numerous famous actors, some not even born!
The Mirror That Should Have Been Lost
On a far smaller scale, I found myself dropping waste off at the tip recently. In the car next to me, someone was preparing to throw away an old mirror. I could understand why, it was tatty, worn, clearly once a dressing table mirror that had long since lost its attachments. The finish had suffered and sadly, these sorts of pieces are thrown away every day without a second thought. Unless you know how to repair them, they are of no use.
But to me it was irresistible, because it held such deep visual history. You could see so clearly what it had once been. The points where the axis mounts had originally sat had been filled in, leaving a visible reminder of its former life. Even more charming was the front: at some stage, perhaps when it was no longer used as a dressing table mirror, someone had painstakingly re glued each of the curved mahogany fronts.
The result is a wonderfully uneven, higgledy-piggledy appearance that I adore. Many people prefer perfection and uniformity, but this showed a kind of brutal honesty. You can almost picture someone in a small workshop a hundred years ago re-gluing and clamping the frame, saving it in their own quiet way. That human touch, that moment of someone caring enough to put it back together, gives the mirror a completely different dimension. Pre-loved is a naff and throwaway expression, this however is proper pre-loved.
Giving It a New Future
Of course, I added eyelets and wire to the back so that it can now hang securely on a wall. After a good amount of work, time, and care, it looks fantastic, shabby chic, rustic, and with a bohemian energy that feels entirely authentic rather than manufactured. It will sell on Etsy, and it will sell quickly, and although it will fetch a good price, that has to be balanced against the hours it took to bring it back to life. But for me, every moment was worth it. In the right home, a cottage, a cosy bohemian interior, a homely bathroom, it is going to shine. The size is perfect for a bathroom mirror, and the character is unlike anything you could buy new. Most satisfying of all is the simple thought that it was saved just in time, rescued from a landfill, and will soon be enjoyed again as part of someone’s everyday life.
#Upcycling #Vintage Mirror #Vintage Blog #RestorationTips #Loving Vintage
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