Yes, This Vintage and Antique Buyer’s Home IS Filled With Incredible Finds
Name: Sarah Camp and Zach
Location: Fishtown — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Size: 1,035 square feet
Years Lived In: 6 months, owned
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Sarah and Zach live in a beautifully-styled row home in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Sarah is a vintage and antique buyer at Jinxed Philadelphia, a variety store that offers goods from all eras and styles. She’s also a co-founder of Tavatine, which carries a closely curated collection of refined vintage objects, art, and sculpture. Zach is an Associate Director of the Online Learning Studio at UPenn, School of Art & Sciences and also is the lead singer in the band Tetra.
The couple moved to Philly from New York in 2016, as Zach is from the area, and had a few friends living in Fishtown that really sold them on the neighborhood. “I love that in Philly you are close to everything and the walkability, but that Fishtown has a slightly detached feeling, like our own little neighborhood,” says Sarah. There’s also a great art and music scene so it was definitely a no brainer when it came to buying in the neighborhood. So where does a vintage buyer shop (when not shopping at Jinx, of course)? Some favorite spots for shopping are Vestige, Made & Maker, and Circle Thrift: a local thrift store within walking distance.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: I would define my style as eclectic. With the nature of my job I come across pieces that range from Victorian, Art Deco, to mid-century and Post-Modern and I fall in love with them all! So my style definitely evolves. I was also heavily influenced by my mother and grandmother who never solely subscribed to a specific style.
Inspiration: My inspiration is constant! Whether it be Instagram, my job, or my friends’ homes. I love looking through vintage home decor books especially anything by Terence Conran or Michael Taylor.
Favorite Element: My favorite element would have to be the dining room. I really love to host friends and family and our last home did not have a comfortable space for people to gather. It’s important for us to share our home with loved ones and there’s nothing better than having a group of close friends around the table. We also have a piano in the dining room, which we found on the street no less! It can turn into a lot of fun when friends play music and provide the entertainment.
Biggest Challenge: Space! It’s an old home built in 1875 so the doors and stairways are very narrow, making it difficult to bring certain pieces in. I had to rethink the bedroom dresser and headboard because we could not fit our old furniture up the stairs. One of the big draws in purchasing this home was the large backyard so I was excited about having patio furniture and a place to relax in the sun. One of the first pieces I bought was a large round wrought iron outdoor set that I did not measure or check to see if the base could come off before bringing home. Needless to say it took a lot of ingenuity, patience, and the removal of the front and back door to get it to the patio.
What Friends Say: “You’ve rearranged again!”
Biggest Embarrassment: I may have been overeager to start home renovations right away that are not yet in the budget, and upon moving in I pulled up a couple of tile squares in the kitchen before we were ready to replace the floor. So now there’s some loose uneven tiles that remind me to keep saving every time I step on them!
Proudest DIY: My proudest DIY is the bathroom. You cannot underestimate the power of paint. I sanded and painted the tile floors, shower tile, bathtub, walls, and ceiling. It was originally dark making it feel smaller than it is and I wanted to create a space that felt calm and relaxing. So until we can renovate, the white paint has absolutely given it a face lift and new life.
Biggest Indulgence: I’m lucky to have been able to source a lot of my furniture secondhand and affordably so I would have to say that design magazines and books are my biggest indulgence. I used to have hundreds of magazines stacked all over our previous home. I love the way they add another layer and lived-in feel to a space. However they are not easy to move so I’ve gotten much better at curating my favorite publications.
Best Advice: Take your time! It’s worth waiting for the right piece. Especially if you’re someone like me who buys primarily vintage, you kind of have to accept that you can spend an entire day, weekend, or month looking for a type of item before you discover it. Eventually when you do find exactly what you’ve been waiting for it feels so rewarding and special. There have also been times where after finding something unexpected it has changed my course on what I had planned for the room and ultimately led to a better result.
Dream Sources: 1stdibs, any store in Milan, Bower Studio
Resources:
PAINT & COLORS
Behr Ultra — Sleek White throughout
ENTRY
Rug — Flea market
LIVING ROOM
Lodie Loveseat — Macys
Rug — Jinxed
Coffee Table — Thrift
Bent Chrome Armchair — Jinxed
Fireplace Mantel — Jinxed
Art above Mantel — Found on the street
Busts — Vintage
Stacking Planter — Areaware
Brass Arc Lamp — Jinxed
Travertine End Table — Jinxed
Vases — Tavatine Vintage
Bookshelf/Console — Jinxed
Arch Mirror — Vintage
Yellow Table Lamp — Vintage
DINING ROOM
Dining Table — Jinxed
Cane Breuer-style Chairs — Vintage
Emu Metal Armchairs — Vintage
Console Piano — Found on the street
Bar Cart — Jinxed
Pendant Lamp — Vintage
Vases — Tavatine Vintage
Shell Dish — Tavatine Vintage
Lucite Chair — Jinxed
Placemats — Thrift
Wicker Floor Lamp — Jinxed
Art — Vintage
BATHROOM
Rug — Vintage
Teak Bath Mat — Bed Bath & Beyond
Lucite Towel Rack — Vintage
Gold Sconces — Home Depot
Brass Towel Ring — Home Depot
Brass Vanity Pulls — Home Depot
Shower Curtain — Target
Towels — Macys