As a small business owner and entrepreneur, I am constantly thinking of creative ways to share my passion with my following. This year, I wanted to focus on the holiday season and bringing traditional + vintage back to the center of it all.
We can all probably close our eyes and think of our childhood Christmases and the specific things around our houses that made it special. For me it was my mom slow-cooking a pot of fresh oranges, cloves, cranberries, cinnamon and apples. The whole house, including my childhood bedroom, smelled of Christmas joy. Another thing that comes to mind are the family heirlooms; like the “Cookies for Santa” plate we used on Christmas Eve, the stocking holders we hung, and the vintage Christmas China my grandmother always set the table with.
“There are two things that make a room timeless: a sense of history and a piece from the past” – Charlotte Moss
My love for old things came at a very young age. While Christmas was a time where I vividly remember seeing vintage Christmas décor around my home, it was my grandmother dragging me to Estate Sales on the weekends that introduced me to my passion.
In college, I wanted to decorate my dorm in a way that expressed my southern roots and my love for history, so I started to slowly collect antique pieces of furniture. Before I knew it, I was out of college and living on my own with an entire apartment curated with antiques from Europe, China sets I had found on Facebook Marketplace, and rare pieces I had dug out of thrift stores. It was during this time that friends were asking me if they could buy things off of me, or if I could “find them something similar.” So in the summer of 2021, I decided to take a risk and start Chic Antiques with a friend of mine from college.
My mission with Chic Antiques has always been to get a younger generation of women interested in antiques and vintage finds. I wanted to be the one who assisted in curating and sourcing pieces that would be used to not only decorate homes, but also help create memories. Majority of my customers buy for themselves, but some buy for their children or for holidays specifically. Understanding that my customers are from a younger demographic, I know that many of them want to start their own Christmas traditions and collections.
In the last few years, I have made it well known for my customers that I spend July-December curating, sourcing, and hunting for the most unique, rare and highly coveted vintage Christmas pieces. Whether it’s an antique Italian Nativity Scene, a set of colorful vintage ornaments, a complete set of Lenox Christmas, or a first edition of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, I focus on providing pieces that will be used to create traditions and memories.
This year I used my childhood Christmas as my inspiration: my mother’s traditional touch of reds, greens and golds. Our Christmas tree was full of my mother’s childhood ornaments, and ones that had been passed down in our family for decades. With this nostalgia on the forefront of my mind, I set out to get what I call an inventory full of Traditional Vintage Christmas Décor. Imagine Ralph Lauren x Martha Stewart x Charlotte Moss all coming together to create a storefront with affordable Christmas pieces. THAT is the curation Chic Antiques adopted this year.
And while Chic Antiques has grown on Instagram, it’s also grown on TikTok, where I run my account under Anna | Thrifted Finds. The original idea here was to showcase a different side to my business: The behind-the-scenes work that I do to source all my incredible vintage finds. I focus on bringing my followers along with me to Estate Sales, Thrift Stores, Antique Malls, Garage Sales… you name it, it’s filmed. I take an additional approach however, and that is showing off my 125+ year old house and how I style all of my second-hand finds in my home. My followers have loved my estate sale hauls and how I decorate my home, however, my most viral and popular videos are about my Vintage Christmas finds and how I turn my entire house into a Vintage Christmas time capsule!
The next time you think about decorating for Christmas, I challenge you to ask yourself: “What are heirloom pieces, traditions or pieces that were used in my childhood that specifically stuck out?” Write those things down and create a vision board for how you want to create a similar feel in your own home. If you find yourself needing inspiration, lean into second-hand pieces or visit your local Antique Malls. There are beautiful and affordable ways to achieve the ‘holiday look’ of your dreams.
Follow me on instagram for more. I’d love to help curate your story.
xx,
Anna Kinsel | Chic Antiques