Last year, I came across an article in The Guardian that explained (or so it promised) the key to Kate Moss's effortless style. One of the more interesting tips was #7, which proclaimed, "Go for Authenticity."Hippy, punk ... glam rock ... 1960s ingenue ... 1920s starlet - Moss flits effortlessly between personae without ever looking like she is wearing fancy dress. She pulls it off because she always buys authentic pieces rather than "get the look" styles. If Moss wants hippy boots, she'll buy the original Minnetonka lace-up fringed suede boots. If she wants to go punk, she'll buy a Vivienne Westwood T-shirt from the late 1970s. She won't go to Topshop and buy a new T shirt with a "punk-style" slogan on. Whether it's a genuine 1920s beaded flapper dress, a man's trilby or Hunter Wellington boots, Moss's clothes have integrity, which is why she always looks like the real deal.I found this notion fascinating because the idea of actually buying "the real deal" was unfathomable to me. I'd never been called a tastemaker...I was more of a taste-faker, and a tardy one at that. You'd think this would save me from a closet full of bad trends, but I always manage to buy the "it" trend from so and so's cool new line, about a week before it became this season's punchline. I didn't buy Uggs until middle-schoolers deemed them lame, leggings weren't purchased until a holiday weight gain made pants cut off my circulation, and, remember the cowboy boots trend a few years back? Well, I've been a cowgirl the past two Halloweens.
This "late lucy" approach to style meant I wasn't buying a trend until Forever 21 had it in 18 colors with zero natural fibers. Needless to say, I have the upmost respect for those brave souls who wore Frye cowboy boots in Fall 2005.
The same applies to decor. Pottery Barn is my biggest vice... well, that and burritos. I can't help that I'm a fan of real wood at a reasonable price. Furniture snobs be damned.
All of this brings me to the actual point of this post, which was this interesting home I found in Cote Maison. I consider it the Minnetonka moccasin of vacation homes. Not really my thing, but a very cool exercise in authentic living nonetheless. I like looking at homes like this because it allows me to pick up a few clever, "back to basics" ideas that save me from living in a Pottery Barn catalog. It's a great reminder to be unafraid to buy furniture that's a little beat up, mix in some quirky antiques, and bring in artwork picked up on my travels.
What about you? If you're an avid flea market miner, what are some of your favorite sources and tips for separating the gems from the junk?
