Antique Aesthetic

In a world inundated with new and mass-produced decor, there is something delightful about one-of-a-kind vintage pieces. Antiques selected with intention can add character to any home or table setting, sparking the curiosity of guests at your next dinner party.

Few know this better than Dianne O’Connor, the founder and owner of Weston Table, an online marketplace specializing in unique home goods, with collections dedicated to rare and visually interesting vintage products.

“I’ve been an admirer of vintage goods nearly my whole life,” says O’Connor, whose most important possession when she left home for college was a quilt her grandmother stitched in the 1930s. “Soft, beautiful, and hand-sewn, it was my first vintage inspiration and connection to what we now call the new nostalgia—the intersection of heirloom quality and modern life.” Collecting American-made quilts became an obsession and taught O’Connor about sourcing vintage. 

When entertaining indoors and out, O’Connor encourages homeowners to find new and imaginative ways to use vintage pieces. “Old and new items juxtaposed in a house talk,” she notes. “They say, ‘My owner chose me for this location because it meant something to him or her.’”

This creativity rarely goes unnoticed; personal touches often become conversation starters. For example, she says, “I might use a large mid-1800s copper hearth cooking vessel as an ice bucket. Its brilliant copper luster, brass handles, and extraordinary presence invite people to note how clever and beautiful it is.”

Linens and flowers are typical ways to add color to a tablescape in your dining room, garden, or patio. Instead, O’Connor encourages a more unexpected approach: Vintage drinkware in varying hues like spring green, pink, or cerulean adds pops of color against neutral white or flax-colored linens. An antique majolica (a brightly colored pottery vessel) filled with flowers makes an eye-catching centerpiece, particularly when paired with bright-white plates and clear drinking glasses.

In her own home, O’Connor has a few favorite vintage pieces for entertaining. The first is a “must” for any coastal homeowner: a collection of vintage oyster plates, pieces she feels have more to contribute to entertaining than pure serveware. “I fell in love with an oyster plate during my first European buying trip for Weston Table in Normandy, France,” says O’Connor. She says her passion was due to what she learned from the seller, which applies to buying any antique. “The plate had a history (as do all vintage pieces) that tells a story,” she says. “The connection to its moment in time gives it personality and appeal.” 

“The gentleman remains a man from whom I buy dozens of plates yearly,” she adds. “I trust him to send me only the best, and it is a decade-long relationship that has afforded me access to vintage pieces that I would otherwise be unlikely to find with frequency and consistency.”

O’Connor is also partial to her refurbished 1950s Coca-Cola machine. She leaves out a bowl full of dimes so guests can serve themselves the old-fashioned way, and she keeps the machine stocked with beer, sparkling water, and soda.

The experienced collector offers advice for sourcing items near and far. “To me, France and England are veritable treasure chests.” In Paris, she recommends the Paul Bert Serpette antique mart. “Fill an extra carry-on with small pieces that speak to you. Anything over 100 years old enters the US duty-free—so ensure this is written on the receipt.” 

In her opinion, Portobello Road in London on a Saturday is the perfect place to hunt down almost anything. “From furniture to copper to jewelry, this Notting Hill destination may just be Europe’s best-known vintage market,” says O’Connor. “It is crowded and crazy but finding just one vintage item to bring home makes the craziness memory-worthy.” She says she met her copper dealer on this street 10 years ago. “This husband-and-wife team travels to estate sales in England and France and re-tin and shine the copper into gleaming specimens of cooking history.”

O’Connor also notes the many fabulous places to seek out vintage pieces stateside. Her team favors the Brimfield Antique Flea Markets in Brimfield, Massachusetts, which takes place in May, July, and September. “Go early for the best selection,” she recommends.

“We also love traveling to Atlanta in search of vintage goods,” says O’Connor. “From furniture to art to silver, the suburbs of the Big Peach are ripe vintage stomping grounds year-round.” Every January, Miami hosts an international show featuring world-class vintage exhibitors. “It is the market to attend if you hope to find something specific,” she says.

Weston Table staff also head to Round Top, Texas, every year and fill trucks with vintage goods to travel back to Boston. “This eleven-mile stretch in the middle of nowhere makes for happy vintage hunting in March and October,” says O’Connor. “We know our dealers there, so when we arrive, they have a pile set aside just for us.” Her strong relationships with these knowledgeable sellers mean they will also help Weston Table acquire items throughout the year.

Ultimately, the most important aspect of gathering vintage items for your home is to delight you and your guests. O’Connor’s favorite antique is still a focal point of dinner parties: a framed original photograph of the menu from the Titanic, purchased by her husband in Dublin before he proposed.

“It is the first vintage item I ever owned, and it still hangs above our kitchen table,” she says. “It reminds us of when we were young and just getting started.” And, like any quality vintage decor, it is a fabulous conversation piece: “Anyone who sits at our table inevitably asks about it.”