“Items have been restored and they have couriers in place, so you don’t have to pick things up – you may pay a premium for that.” For mid-price purchases, “there are dedicated vintage shops or centres, such as Pear Mill in Stockport and Bygone Times in Eccleston, where things are sold by independent dealers who have done the leg work: they’ve sourced it, cleaned it and often restored it,” says Bilson.
Most people are looking for mid‑century modern furniture, says Laura Budds, who owns Norfolk Retro, a vintage furniture shop in Norwich, and NR Closet, the secondhand clothing shop next door.
“There are pieces here that remind me of my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles,” she says, referencing the Mad Men line: “Nostalgia is a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone.” Bilson’s father was an antiques dealer, “so a lot of my early memories are of my dad restoring furniture.
Ikea from the early 2000s can be really sought-after.” Budds describes her interior style as “vintage meets modern” and recommends looking for “anything that will work in a modern interior, from any era.
Never say: ‘What’s your best offer?’ Start instead with: ‘Can I make you an offer?’” Only pretend to walk away, which Bilson frequently does, if you can bear to live without it.
