The List #12

vintage oil paintings, the perfect garden bench, a kids present for under £5 and a surprising return to pine

I’ve been giving Oxfam a lot more attention lately, after I found one of my most favourite decorative finds in recent years there - a solid silver 1930s candelabra which feels pleasingly modern. I had no idea how fulsome the website was! They upload tons of stuff there and whilst the offering is variable (and sometimes overpriced - I found a secondhand Flos light for £149; it can be found online new for £151) gems are there to be found. Some items of note: this sweet vase for £5.99 and this set of red-stemmed wine glasses.

Surprised to find that I am having something of a moment for pine. Not sure why or when this happened - is mahogany next to seduce me? So I’ve been really enjoying Mostly Pine Antiques, an antique and repro store also on Etsy. If you are looking for a bench with storage, this one is lovely, fairly well priced and versatile enough to work in lots of spaces.

My benchmark - pun intended - for whether something is well-priced btw is to look to the prices or the high street. By way of comparison: this pine bench by John Lewis is the same price, whilst this by Ikea is 2/3 of the price. Both come sans storage, detail and back.

Here’s a good ‘under £20’ present for someone who loves second-hand decorative bits: vintage ceramic Barcelos Portuguese roosters, available widely on the internet. He’s a jolly little guy who represents the love of life, apparently. Pop on top of a pile of cookbooks or on a mantle. I found this one on eBay.