You’re Probably Overlooking This Vintage Piece at the Flea Market, but Here’s Why You Need One for Your Living Room
One of my favorite weekend activities in New York City is visiting my favorite flea markets on either Saturdays or Sundays in search of home accessories that tell a story. During one recent visit to the Chelsea Flea in Manhattan, I came across a stunning music stand that now shines in my living room.
On this trip to the Chelsea Flea, I brought along a friend, who is also a vintage decor enthusiast. Though most of my flea market trips are solo, I definitely suggest making a point to scout out fleas and secondhand shops with design-inclined friends when your schedules allow. It’s always fun to see what types of items stand out to others, and sometimes, my friends will come across stunning pieces that I wouldn’t have even noticed initially. That’s what happened with this music stand. My friend spotted it right away, as we made our way through the flea market’s many booths. She considered purchasing it for herself to use it to house a guest book in the vacation property she owns in South Carolina, which I thought was an excellent idea. However, she opted to pass on the piece due to the logistics of getting it to her rental, which meant the piece was fair game for me (when you go secondhand shopping with stylish friends, there’s always a fear you’ll both want the same one-of-a-kind find — luckily, that wasn’t the case here!).
I paid $75 for this golden patinated guy, which you can see just above. That may seem a little steep, but note similar pieces online retail for $100 to a whopping $2,000 based on what I’ve seen, so I definitely feel like I scored a deal. When I brought the piece home, I loved how it looked in my living room from the get go, and I’ve had a blast styling it in various ways ever since. You can find them in a variety of sizes and finishes, so keep your eyes peeled as you’re looking for things on your next shopping trip.
A music stand provides a clever, easy way to showcase art, a coffee table book, or yes, some favorite sheet music. Given that I like to redecorate my place often, I’m pleased to find a piece like this, which makes creating new displays and vignettes extremely easy — no nails or anything of that nature involved! I’m currently using it to house a little abstract painting, but I’m sure I’ll rotate that out for something else soon. Of course, you could try one in a bedroom or study, too, but I personally love the way it looks near my faux mantel.
A few of my Instagram followers have since told me they have or have purchased similar music stands, which makes me happy to hear! Having grown up playing the violin, I never would have thought this utilitarian type of piece could be seen as something decorative, but I love how much charm it adds to my apartment.