Amanda's guide to sourcing

Amanda's Guide to Sourcing

In this lesson, I'll share with you how and where to find all the best pieces for your decorating projects.

Being Thrifty When You're Shopping

• Make visiting antique shops a priority, both locally and when you go farther afield. You never know where or when you might find a bargain.
• Find out when your favourite retailers have their end-of-season or clearance sales, and mark these in your calendar.
• Look for ex-display sales or sample sales – the pieces might be very slightly damaged or have small imperfections, but they are often a fraction of the cost.
• Make a habit of checking online auction websites such as eBay or The Saleroom.

Blinds, Curtains and Fabric

• Privacy and light control are critical to consider when decorating, but I also like our window treatments to be light and airy. I achieve this balance by using white linens and cottons that feel breezy but also contain a heavy blackout layer.
• One way to save money when making curtains is to use dressmaking fabrics instead of upholstery fabric. They are a little more sheer, but when they're lined with a blackout layer, they hang very beautifully.
• Rather than using pelmets to dress the top of curtains I prefer to hang them on beautiful bamboo rods.
• I like to mount matchstick blinds behind curtains – chik blinds from India are particularly pretty.

Buying Collections of Things You Like

I love to collect Bahamian art and I think it's important for everyone to have a focus of what they like and want to make a collection of. This could be art inspired by where you live, or a particular era of art such as Modernism. The furniture and art you collect throughout your life is a very poignant way of telling and expressing your story in an authentic, joyful way.

Buying the Things You Need, When You Need Them

Rather than buying items because you like them, instead be sure to have a purpose or intended place to put them before purchasing.

Discover More:

For thrifty finds and affordable buys:

• eBay
• The Saleroom
• Ikea

Invest in special pieces from:

• Howard & Son's
• Jamb
• Soane Britain

Favourite fabric suppliers:

• Busatti
• Quadrille
• China Seas

Types of dressmaking fabric for curtains:

• Seersucker
• Piqué
• Matelassé
• Shirting stripe
• Shirting gingham

Specific products referenced:

• Ikea Agen Chair
• Ikea Dhurrie-style rugs such as this one
• Chippendale-style mirror
• Hope Hill Chair inspired by French design from the 1920s, from Amanda Lindroth
• Worth Chair inspired by 1930s Bar Harbour wicker chairs from Maine, from Amanda Lindroth

To see the full directory of all my favourite places to shop please refer to the Sourcing Guide at the end of this workbook.