Diary of a Vintage Dealer: A Dream by the Sea

Welcome to the second part of my new column " From the diary of a vintage dealer ". As a long-time expert in the field of interior design with a special focus on vintage and antiques, I am happy to once again provide valuable insights, practical tips and inspiring stories.

For me as a retailer, this year’s summer began with an unusual search assignment.

Of course, I often receive requests from collectors or dealer friends - that's part of the business. We support each other and everyone benefits from it. That's exactly what I love about my job. But this order was different: A long-time customer, who has become a good friend over the years, had asked me to find a couple of very special pieces for her new holiday home on the Dutch North Sea coast. Her request? A mix of antique pieces, vintage treasures and a pinch of curiosities.

I was honored and happy about the trust she put in me. At the same time, I felt the pressure on me. When customers give me the freedom to buy for them, it's always a balancing act. There's nothing more beautiful than seeing someone love a piece you discovered for them. But tastes are very different, and sometimes I get it completely wrong. The horrified face of a customer who wonders how I could have come up with the idea of ​​choosing that one piece for him will stay with me for a long time.

The interior design industry is similar to the fashion world in many ways - trends come and go, and customers' preferences are sometimes unpredictable. But the antiques world is even more special: it is home to the creative, the passionate and sometimes the slightly eccentric. I love meeting like-minded people at the international markets and trade fairs that I go to. The exchange of ideas about all the things we desire and collect enriches me time and time again.

However, this particular commission came unexpectedly and took me by surprise at first. The scope and requirements were considerable - after all, I was supposed to put together the perfect decorative interior for an entire holiday home.

Luckily, summer was still ahead of me, with all its vintage markets and antique fairs, which are the peak season for me as a dealer. Weeks full of inspiration and endless possibilities.

With a clear goal in mind and the desire to make my customer happy, I started searching. The next weeks and months would take me on an adventurous journey - across Europe, always on the hunt for the next special piece that would fit perfectly into the holiday home with coastal charm.

It's no secret that my favorite markets are not in Germany, but in Belgium.

While the markets in France are overrun with tourists in the summer and prices are often dizzyingly high, you can still discover real treasures in Belgium - and at fair prices. There are still so many undiscovered treasures there, especially in the antiques sector. And here too I have to emphasize the "still". Since last year I have noticed more and more American dealers on the Belgian markets who are specifically hunting for European antiques on a large scale in order to fill their containers for overseas export.

While I'm personally not a fan of waking up in the dark at 5 a.m. with a flashlight to watch sellers unpack their goods, this is often the deciding moment for many professional dealers to get their hands on the best finds.

But for me, it's more than just the early bird. My favorite markets in Bruges and Ghent are not only indispensable because of their fantastic offers, but also because of their unique flair. These picturesque, historic cities enchant me every time - and after a successful day of shopping, an old town café or a quiet canal tour invites you to relax.

Since both cities were important port cities in the Middle Ages and are still close to the coast today, they also offer a wealth of maritime antiques. This is a true paradise for a search that clearly also involves nautical items. And this time, I was not disappointed - I was able to find a fine selection of wonderful objects that would fit perfectly into my client's holiday home.

The result: a vintage dream by the sea! The perfect symbiosis of old and new has been created.

After almost three months of intensive searching, during which I followed the customer project alongside my regular vintage business in the antique hall, the big day had finally arrived. I was able to visit the finished holiday home and present and arrange the treasures I had brought back - an absolute highlight of my professional summer!

My selection of objects blended harmoniously with the modern interior of the house. In particular, the mix of classic maritime pieces and charming curiosities managed to create an atmosphere that was both relaxing and lively. In addition to the indispensable anchors, antique nautical charts and atmospheric oil paintings, I added some unexpected elements - fossil fish teeth and an old harpoon that tell stories of long-gone adventures. And then the mid-century ceramic wall objects! They were meant to add a touch of color and summer vacation to the rooms.

The result? A captivating mix of dark, atmospheric antiques and modern, playful accents - a truly cozy place with character.

This commission has shown me once again how important it is to fill rooms with history and personality.

As with almost every customer project, this one too completely captivated me. Although Aachen, with its proximity to the Eifel, is more characterized by mountain landscapes than by coasts, the North Sea romance immediately captured me. The fascination for the maritime flair gripped me so much that I didn't want to part with some of my finds.

This made me think: Is maritime decoration in the countryside actually a breach of style? Is a ceramic bowl in the shape of a shell a desperate attempt to create a holiday feeling where none exists? Or is an oil painting showing a raging storm over the sea just a melancholy memory of a soundscape that you will never experience here?

These questions are certainly legitimate, but I quickly dismissed them. For me, the most important thing is that a home - no matter where it is - is a place of emotions. An oasis of well-being that contains everything that brings joy and new energy to the resident. In this sense, there is no right or wrong in furnishing. It's about the rooms reflecting the personality and dreams of their residents. A home should also be a place of inspiration.

And sometimes it is precisely these unconventional pieces that create the magic that transforms an ordinary house into a distinctive home. It is only logical to me that antique pieces with a hint of the sound of the sea, salty air and natural roughness can evoke exactly these feelings - and above all, irresistible.