Our First Trip of 2017 - trend watch and great finds!

The first Rust & Found buying trip of the year is now in the books and it was also a new one for me! I grabbed my sister as a shopping and travel buddy and we headed to Atlanta for my first adventure into Americas Mart.  I've always loved adding in some "new" items to the shop to mix in with all the vintage and found decor.  It's a great way to also show our customers how you can have different decor styles all in one home and also lets us add in items we love but can't always find when we are out junking.

In addition to overwhelming amounts of furniture, lighting and decor (3 buildings- 20 floors each!) we saw loads of the things we always love...  vintage glass and salvage, also natural details like geodes, antlers, shells and more.

I have to admit, the amount of pain my feet were in from covering each of those 20 floors dulled much of my excitement by day two. Man, is that a lot of time on your feet, but we pressed on... in search of the showrooms that offered wine, candy and food! Those were extra special and gave nice sugar boosts.  A bowl filled with Hershey kisses is often all you need!

Hot Trends We Love!

Industrial is sticking around folks! What's new is learning how to mix it in with your current decor style.  Little touches here and there using fun decor pieces can ease you into it.  Want to go bigger? We saw loads of lighting (my fave), and furniture pieces like seating or storage that will give some industrial impact.

Boho chic!  You can't go wrong with a little bohemian to soften up a space.  Go as small as a shaggy rug or macrame wall hanging.  Go further with loads of pillows, soft tufted velvet and rich textures added to the mix.

Stripped down and bare wood.  This one I've been doing for a few years and it makes me happy to know I can go a little further with it.  I love the warmth you get when you strip off an old finish but leave some of that color or stain in the grooves and details.  It keeps the previously loved look.  We aren't talking about "refinishing" here.  This isn't your mom's stripping and re-staining with a nice gloss coat.  This is an imperfect look that shows the warm character  and imperfections of the wood.

Metallic, and especially gold tones.  Personally, I prefer this touch only in moderation because it's easy to go overboard. But simple touches like a special focal light or chandelier, a collection of gold or copper items on your coffee table or mixed in on your bookcase.  Maybe a few pieces mixed in with your vintage mantel display.

The amount of inspiration that came home in my head is mind boggling.  I'm actually wishing I'd taken notes here and there when something in a showroom sparked an immediate idea.  Now that I'm home those ideas are all jumbled and faded.  Middle-age stinks!   A special thank you has to go out to my sister Tracey, who kept me focused and made it even more fun. 

The best part now will be waiting for the boxes to start hitting the doorstep! The shop's spring re-opening event is going to be a fun one.  Watch the blog and facebook for those dates to be posted soon!