On the Hunt for Home Style Inspiration and Timeless Treasures

My recent obsession with vintage markets and some places where I've found pieces with character and history along my travels!

Mar 12, 2025

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Lately, my husband and I have found ourselves drawn to vintage home fairs - partly for inspiration and partly to find unique pieces for our home. I am admittedly not a subject matter expert and still have a lot to learn when it comes to vintage shopping, but I always have, and always will, love a market. Last week, we went to the Hyde Park Vintage Furniture & Home Flea Market, and we already have a couple more lined up for the rest of the month (which you can see here).

A long stretch of renting - 15 years to be exact - has kept me in the world of temporary furnishings, though I've always been drawn to interior design and inspired by beautiful spaces. We've been in our flat for four years and, being in a temporary space, have always found it difficult to invest in pieces that really feel like us, often choosing more affordable and temporary solutions instead. Rather, we’d love to piece together our home more intentionally, with furniture and objects that really speak to us.

I wish I had better photos but here is an example of a small update we made that made a huge difference to the warmth and personality of our living room! We swapped out a black metal side table for a vintage wood and rattan table that came from my grandparents' house. It was in the room that I always stayed in and therefore holds a lot of meaning.

This recent interest was sparked by a desire to make small updates here and there to help our rental feel more like home and a better reflection of our style. On our wishlist of updates: replacing our white bedside tables and dresser with wood, adding color and texture to our bedroom through bedding, getting a clothing rail for my study, finally investing in a desk chair that's both aesthetically pleasing and functional. I've worked at my desk on a stool the entire time we’ve been in this flat... and yes, I am painfully aware of how horrendous that is for my back.

The minute we walked into the Hyde Park vintage market, I spotted a chair similar in style to ones I'd been eyeing online. My husband asked if I wanted to look around before committing, but, when you know, you know, and with the swift tap of my credit card, it was mine. A 'sold' sticker was placed on it, ready for pickup once we'd wandered the rest of the market - all the while hoping and praying I wouldn't come across something I liked better. I didn't. And I'm in love with my new desk chair. It fits into the space perfectly and has transformed my office/studio/study (I've never settled on what to call it since it serves multiple purposes) into an even more comfortable, inspiring place to work.

The new chair in question & some snapshots of my workspace (the wallpaper came with the place).

A Long Time Love of Home Design

I’ve always loved a good market. In fact, I daydream of curating a UK & European-sourced vintage collection as part of Maragold Designs (I said it). While I wouldn’t call myself a vintage connoisseur, I love the inspiration that comes from being surrounded by great-quality textiles, real wood furniture, old glassware and ceramics, vintage British tiles and tea towels (I have a few from my grandmother that are so special to me), and old books and paper - like the original marbled papers from Cockerell and Son Bindery I once came across. I love pieces (and places) with history and character.

Growing up, I watched HGTV for fun. In my adult years, this has transpired into watching YouTube videos chronicling historic property renovations across Europe. I love seeing old things brought back to life. As a child, I played The Sims purely to digitally build and decorate the houses. In real life, I used to rearrange my bedroom furniture constantly. I also once begged for a home design floor plan book at Home Depot - not because I was planning to build a house at the ripe age of 13, but because I loved sketching floor plans. Today, it’s a dream of mine to restore a historic home, breathing new life into its timeless bones.

Maybe knowing this, you won’t be surprised to learn that whenever I travel, I always seek out artisan and vintage markets. You can find the coolest things, meet the most interesting people, and hear the best stories.

Vintage Shopping in Europe

Here are a few vintage markets and shops I’ve loved on recent trips, along with places that have especially good vintage shopping. This list doesn’t contain all types of markets in places across the world but rather focuses on vintage fairs and flea markets that I have personally visited and enjoyed.

Austria

Naschmarkt Saturday flea market (Vienna)
Sooo many good vintage shops around the city

Finland

Fasaani Antiikki for vintage furniture and homeware from Finnish brands
Various vintage shops in the Punavuori neighborhood of Helsinki

France

Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen
Brocantes and vide greniers around Paris
Provence, in particular l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

Italy

Mercato delle Pulci di Sant’Ambrogio (Florence)
Mercatone dell’Antiquariato, Naviglio Grande (Milan)
Various vintage shops around Florence, Milan and Rome

Places On My Vintage Shopping Wishlist

These are some places that I would love to do some vintage shopping!

Around the UK
Puglia, Italy
Tokyo, Japan (this fall!!)
Lisbon, Portugal
IJ-Hallen in Amsterdam
Braderie de Lille (largest flea market in Europe)
Foire de Chatou outside of Paris

Have you been to any of these? Any must-visit vintage markets I should add to my list? If you have favorite vintage markets or shops, whether in the UK, Europe or beyond, I’d love to hear about them!