New Day, Same Old Shit

Vintage is a state of mind. An appreciation for things that came before you. A fondess for a different time. As if you were taking the best of the old into the now. Not so much then was better than now, but more they did some good stuff then let's make sure now is an improvement. We're always approaching the new as being better than the old. This may stem from the fallacy that we're always evolving, that things which come after are moving forward or up, not backwards or down. But why do my vintage clothes always last longer than the stuff I buy from Forever 21? Or why does my 50 year old credenza stand the test of time, while my IKEA side table barely makes it through a year? Newer doesn't necessarily mean better. For all the technology we "evolved" have, we still have a shit-load of problems. And really old problems at that. The point of this ramble is not to state that older is better than newer. There are plenty of things I am glad we left in the past; slavery (at least not legally), caves, sanitary napkins, and pagers. However, I do think that while we may create new things for years to come, let's just make sure we're making an improvement on the old. Not just creating for the sake of repackaging old shit like it's best "new" thing since sliced bread. Let's just go for better across the board, then or now, better is the new new.

Second Hand Home 2

Check out This Is Not Ikea (TINI). I've scoured their website for hours on end (thisisnotikea). This is what I do when I'm bored. They have a store on Fairfax (515 S. Fairfax Ave.). Love, Love, Love their stuff. And now after reading the LA Weekly article I love owner Alexis Hadjopulos. "As long as I buy it and I own it for a minute, I'm, okay." A man of my heart. x

Second Hand Home

Besides clothing, my other addiction is home furnishings. When ever I go shopping for clothing I always find myself gravitating to the home sections. Some of my best vintage purchases have been home items. Such as my prized Carlo painting purchased for $30. I went into a vintage furniture shop on Abbot Kinney and found a piece by the same artist on sale for $1500! And mine is 3x times the size! When I told the owner of my recent purchase, her mouth hit the floor. You never know what you'll find in second hand shops. I've been fortunate enough to fill my apartment with these finds. I always get the most compliments on these inexpensive treasures. They are unique and the quality of those items have stood the test of time. I can't say that for any IKEA furniture I've purchased. Besides the regular spots I hit for a real bargain, LA has an abundance of vintage stores for home furnishings. Echo Park has a couple of my favorite shops. Also Craigslist is an amazing resource for vintage furniture. Finding these items take more time than a trip to IKEA, but the payoff is well worth the wait. Buying one of kind items creates an eclectic style that is uniquely tailored to you. Here is a slide show on Apartment Therapy of a house filled with second hand items. I've posted some highlights here.