There’s always been a romance to antique furniture, fainting couches where visions of Gone With the Wind are conjured up, or ornate dining tables and chairs that make your guests feel like they’re in a mid-century show like, The Crown. Finding truly beautiful, authentic pieces of furniture is rewarding for many reasons, and with the magic of shipping globally, many of your dream pieces can be found from the comfort of your home or palm, and delivered right to your door.
Today’s renaissance in antique furniture has a greenish hue to it, particularly as we all try to cut down on our carbon footprint when buying disposable, new things and leaving older treasures behind, often in dumpsters or besmirching residential streets.
At BorderBuddy, we are strongly committed to doing our part in minimizing waste, so without further adieu, here are some of the best websites we’ve found for finding beautiful antique furniture treasures.
Buying vintage = buying upcycled = happier planet
Many secondhand furniture stores sell antiques, as well as mod furniture from various design eras. Plus, it’s part and parcel with limiting waste. Some companies we’ve found are even planting trees, sourcing fabrics that are eco-friendly. According to Rove Concepts, a fantastic store that imports and exports to Canada and to the USA,
“Founded in the Pacific Northwest in 2011, Rove Concepts was born out of a desire to connect luxury designs and sustainability with those who seek it. Since our founding, we have been committed to driving meaningful change through our eco-design house. We started off with planting trees and as we grew as a company we started to think on a larger scale how we could make a positive impact in the world, like using more luxury natural materials in our eco-friendly designs.”
It has a huge array of armoires, bedrooms, vintage desks, ottomans, loungers, and yes, chaises. When you shop with a retailer like Rove Concepts, you are finding pieces that are unique to your tastes, while also avoiding added waste, C02, and even help plant trees. Their sustainability statement is admirable. Note: we’re not paid a penny by them or other sites we highlight, we just appreciate good work when we see it, and want to make importing a fun, viable prospect for you.
Snug as a bug in a vintage rug
Revival Rugs is dedicated solely to ensuring your soles are comfortable, walking on stylish, pre-loved rugs from all over the world. There’s nothing like a lush carpet to complete a living room, or a Moroccan runner to add some spice to your study. These rugs are all selected by the discerning tastes of the buyers, who passionately believe that the right rugs for your home should reflect you, and not cost a “month’s rent”. We agree! They also have other upcycled furniture, like Ottomans and desks.
1stdibs is another site with beautiful one of a kind furniture, some of it skewing much higher on the price point, but for the seekers of ornate, this is a great shop for you.
Buying vintage furniture doesn’t always mean it has a vintage price tag. As shipping becomes easier and companies like BorderBuddy exist to make shopping anywhere a fun, borderless experience, it’s easier than ever to design your dream rooms while also being carbon (and wallet) conscious.
There can be challenges when it comes to shipping antique furniture, due to the delicate nature of the wares, so this is a good tips guide on how to approach shipping your items. We’ve got you covered for customs import duties and all paperwork, but when it comes to choosing your shipping method, we encourage you to do a bit of research. Or call us, and we will happily share our insights and recommendations.
Do you have any sites you swear by?
