My Vintage Pad Home Tour: Linda MacDonald of Restyled Home

Vintage Indie would like to welcome you to another My Vintage Pad Home Tour. Today we have the pleasure of viewing the home of the newly named Editor at Large of  Flea Market Style Magazine and author of Restyled Home Mrs. Linda MacDonald!

Thanks so much for sharing your home with our readers. Can you tell us where you are from?

I am from New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a small coastal town near some amazing, white-sandy beaches.

I love my kitchen because of the soft palette and because I think it reflects my desire for choosing pretty over beautiful. I don’t lose sleep over the fact that my counter tops are laminate instead of stone or that I don’t have high end appliances or fittings. I buy what I can afford, and we saved money by having my husband build the cabinetry, scouring big box stores for things like my kitchen faucet, my glass knobs, and light fixtures. My kitchen cost a fraction of what the average homeowner’s cost, I am sure of that. The only thing missing from it is a fun, retro fridge from Big Chill and a farmhouse sink!! That won’t be happening anytime soon, unfortunately!

I love my daughter’s playhouse because it is just as much for me as her, I don’t mind admitting! I designed it and my husband built it. I am most proud that we did everything ourselves, and I decorated it using what we had or what I could pick up from the Dollar Store, flea markets, or places like the Christmas Tree Shop. 

The day bed was built by my husband, and I stapled an old valance I had languishing in my linen closet as a skirt for it. The sink area is a $2 mixing bowl from Walmart and the tap I found at a second hand building supply store. Basically, I spray painted anything that needed it, and emptied my yard sale box and had a blast! We are pretty proud of the outcome!

Where do you find inspiration for decorating your home?

I love perusing all of my favourite blogs and magazines. I am a big fan of bloggers who create beautiful looks on a dime and incorporate vintage finds in their home. I am a firm believer is repurposing items from yesteryear. It is not only resourceful but also one of the best ways to honour the past and respect the environment.

I have even been known to rescue a treasure or two from the dump! I also save almost every magazine I buy. My favourites were Country Home, Canadian Home and Country, and Home Companion. Sadly, all three closed up shop this past year. I am very excited to report that I have been assigned the role of Editor-at-Large for the new upcoming newsstand magazine, Flea Market Style (from style experts, Matthew Mead and Ki Nassauer) and it is going to showcase vintage style in a way that hasn’t been done before. We will be shining the light on some great bloggers, Etsy artists, and online shops and it is going to be vintage style done right, with fresh, new ideas and features. I can’t wait! So I guess I will have a new favourite magazine after all!

How do vintage things play a role in your room/home?

I am not a purist when it comes to creating vintage style, nor am I concerned with pedigree. Basically, I just buy an item because I love it, and I am just as happy to add items that are vintage inspired when I can’t find the real McCoy! Every room in my home has a nod to vintage style, from my vintage apron collection, to my thrift shop furniture pieces to the kitchen island my husband made me to resemble a candy counter one might find in a old-fashioned general store (using reclaimed lumber for the top of it!). I have gotten to the point where I have lost interest in shopping in “regular shops” and prefer to haunt thrift shops, flea markets, and yard sales.

 

Any advice on creating your look?

My best advice would be to have fun with decorating. Naturally, style on a dime and vintage style go hand in hand. One great piece can be buoyed by quieter supporting elements like comfy slip-covered furniture, pillows, kid’s artwork, elements from nature, and some great lampshades, tricked out using some fun trims like pompom fringe, rickrack, or ribbon. 

Lighting is also very important to me, but I have never spent more than $150 on a light, and I have some pretty fun ones that I adore. One of my favourite projects was when I repurposed the ceiling fan in my daughter’s room using a drum shade, a finial from an old curtain rod and some fishing wire. I had the shade kicking around, so it was basically free and done in less than an hour! I always look at objects to see if they can be tweaked to serve a dual purpose. I try to stretch my decorating budget and get a rush when I stumble upon a great find and incorporate it into my home. I think it takes more talent to pull together a great look when you don’t have unlimited resources. That is where bloggers and artists share a common ground. 

A special thank you to Linda MacDonald for sharing your home with us. I am looking forward to Flea Market Style and wish you overflowing success! 

 - Gabreial Wyatt