Something old...

This weekend, we did a bunch of vintage shopping around the city. Although there weren't as many options as there used to be, what with the advent of people selling their own things on Kijiji, we did find a few gems, which I thought I'd share here.

Renovaters Resource on Maynard was ahhhhmazing! I'd heard of it but had never dropped in. So many great pieces - a little bit pricy, but that could be because they actually understand the value of things, haha. Gorgeous church pews, beautiful doors, clawfoot tubs, knobs and hardware, barn board. All kinds of gems. A few things sparked my imagination for future projects. Near the front door, they had this huge door, painted with chalkboard paint:

Such a fun idea! Gorgeous vintage doors can add amazing vertical interest to a room. You can use them as a headboard, room divider, or even just prop one up against a wall to add a layer of depth to the room. I loved how they painted the interior panel with chalkboard paint to make a message board - great for to-do lists in an office, weekly meal planning in a kitchen, or reminders in the foyer. I also thought it might be cool to paint the interior panels with magnetic primer, which is fairly inexpensive. You can paint over it with whatever colour paint you'd like and then the door becomes a place to post up notes, photos, reminders, etc. You could even use one as a place for rotating art! Pick up some small unobtrusive magnets and rotate through different prints, depending on your mood or the season, OR use it to post up kids' artwork. Fun and easy to do!

This door is smaller and might look great hung on the wall.

Gorgeous solid wood door to prop up

At Renovators Resource, they also had a pile of barn board and a whole bunch of gorgeous old radiators. We were in the market for a vintage dresser to use as a TV stand (which sadly, we didn't find) - but I started thinking about how interesting the radiators looked and how they would make an amazing base for a TV stand if they were sprayed some amazing colour. You could top the radiator with a piece of wide barn board and have the perfect little stand for a flatscreen TV! I'd be tempted to spray the radiator gold, but you could choose any colour you liked! Here are a couple of my favourite options:

The second one is the perfect size for a TV stand base

Great for a long and low TV stand.

Piles of wide plank distressed boards.

At Finer Things on Agricola, they had so many interesting pieces. Lots of little odds and ends and a few serious personality pieces. They had this gorgeous black trunk with engraved brass plates:

The best part about this trunk was the engraving - it belonged to Ervin Theadore Miller of Halifax, Nova Scotia! A beautiful piece with a personal touch.

They also had these amazing gears! Wouldn't a few of these look so great on a mantle or bookshelf? Such interest.

And I can never resist a vintage wooden crate - this one was by Freeman's. They make wonderful receptacles for magazines, blankets, hats & mittens, etc.

After that, we hit up Rusty Hinges in the Hydrostones. They have tons of distressed country pieces, if that's your steeze. I thought this cabinet was absolutely stunning - crafted with a vintage window. Wouldn't it make a beautiful linen cabinet?

They also had this ahhhmazing vintage locker.

It's too large to be a school locker; I think it might be military.  Obviously, there was no way to resist its allure ;) Here it is in its new living room location, playing the role of liquor cabinet/bar.

Lamp will be replaced soon.

Stocked with random bits of alcohol found around the house post-New Year's :P

I think the juxtaposition of the glassware with the distressed metal is so interesting. The locker is part of a design project I'm currently working on. I'll share a few sneak peek photos soon!

We also hit up Urban Cottage, Hen House, and Rural Roots, which unfortunately, didn't yield any major scores. Any great vintage/antique stores we missed? Let me know!