Should you follow your head or your heart?!

This hand painted Dutch Frisian wall clock is a show stopper. And really.. what's not to love?! Frisian - Fryslân, is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea in what today is mostly a large part of the Netherlands. This piece itself dates back to the 1920's and was true testament to the heritage of the Frisian people. The work is detail-oriented with each roman numeral painted with precision, the brass details work to accent the beautiful backdrop painted ever so carefully by the artist. All in all, this piece is a home run. But let's say you didn't know any of that.. and you saw this piece at a flea market.. Would you get it? We say YES! Because truthfully, beyond the history of the piece, it's the feeling.

Although, watch and clock collectors exist in the millions.. we'll admit, we're not one of them. And that's okay. You don't have to be an expert on every piece you collect and you certainly don't have to build a collection around that one outlier piece you purchased. To be frank, we didn't need to do our 'research' here to know that this was a piece that was going home with us. It made us feel something - it opened up our eyes to the craftsmanship that went into item and we knew that it was worthy of saving from the dusty shelf of our antique store. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about antiques or flea markets are that the items end up there because 'nobody else wants them.' And although, chances are if you read this blog.. you already know that may be the biggest lie ever told but we'll debunk it again here - THAT IS NEVER TRUE. However, two people can look at a piece and 'feel differently' about it. One can be captivated by the item while the other could be indifferent. Our personal preferences are always at play and getting past 'researching' every item you buy to ensure it has value can sometimes be difficult. And we understand that - Who wants to feel like they got taken advantage of and purchased a reproduction that only pretends to be an antique! No one! But perhaps the biggest takeaway here is that you should let that feeling you have during your antique store hunts guide you. Because it has the power to bring you to new antiques and new 'collector' items that you would have never considered before! Like us with this Dutch wall clock.. no regrets here!

It's an original..

Art is a wonderful form of self-expression. And by now, you can tell it is a key component of our design. Most often people assume that art comes with a unattainable price tag and it deters them from even beginning their hunt for the perfect piece. We're here to tell you that couldn't be further from the truth! All it takes is getting a bit creative!

The piece featured above was purchased at a student silent auction at the University of Alberta. Students chose to participate in a fundraiser for the art department and each donated a piece they had completed. We fell in love with the portrait style of this 'unfinished' piece. To us, it did just what we want all our art to do.. it let our imaginations run wild!

One of the biggest takeaways here is that people can spend hundreds on art prints - versions of the originals. And sometimes, yes it makes sense..if there is a print you love (and the original sits in the Louvre!) or perhaps if it is a graphic piece with a bold text statement. But truth be told, there is something to be said about owning 'original' art - that only hangs on your walls. It becomes apart of your story, it becomes a form of your self-expression and most importantly, you get to show it off to all of your house guests! So next time take a chance on an 'up and coming' artist..chances are they are full of talent and the moment others discover them you'll never be able to afford their original works anyways!