Weaving personality into home decor while making it relevant regardless of style requires a honed eye, spot-on instincts, the expertise of a trusted designer and imaginative resources. Color, a deft mix of beautiful fabrics, and well-chosen art and accessories, layering and texture add punctuation. And vintage, one-of-a-kind or handcrafted pieces really bring generic sofas, tables and chests to life.
The thrill of the hunt is everything for some shoppers, especially when you land that special piece. So is a good sale. Whether you’re shopping Portobello Road in London, a Marrakech souk or a dazzling bazaar in Mumbai, part of the fun is exploring global marketplaces. When you find a bargain among precious items that are barely affordable, it’s a real treat. And sometimes you don’t even have to worry about having enough cash: Vendors in the flea markets of Florence and Paris make it easier by taking credit cards.
In the last 15 years, “e-tail” sites have been game-changers, changing the landscape of furniture buying. They allow you to scroll through thousands of “curated” antiques and unique pieces, in addition to well-known furnishings and designer brands, 24/7. Some of the products are part of “flash” sales, where the added allure is the savings off a suggested retail price for a short window of time. Like retailers and catalogs trying to set themselves apart, the websites now offer engaging features on a variety of design topics.
For luxe goods, there’s nothing quite like 1stdibs (www.1stdibs.com), which covers furniture, lighting, fine art, jewelry, fashion and vintage haute couture from top dealers around the world — “the most beautiful things on earth.” It’s like a tour through art history and design museums. Where else are you likely to find a 17th-century polychromatic horn lice comb ($9,500), an English Civil War Parliamentary helmet ($4,500), a rare 17th-century Dutch rosewood, ebony and tortoiseshell cabinet ($390,485), or a specially priced Tiffany Russian table lamp?
read more at: http://www.uexpress.com/by-design/2016/2/1/the-modern-bazaars-at-your-fingertips
Green Real Estate Appraiser 