Blog Posts
Faux Bamboo Furniture: Palm Beach's Forever Style
Some trends cycle. Faux bamboo just stays. It has been in style for about two hundred years, it is practically the official furniture of Palm Beach, and it is one of the most searched materials in vintage furniture today. Here is the short history and a practical guide to styling it. A two-hundred-year head start Faux bamboo took off in Regency-era England, when carved beech was painted to imitate bamboo imported from Asia. It rode the chinoiserie wave through the 1800s and landed in America in force in the 1960s and 1970s. That is the era collectors hunt now: Thomasville Allegro, Drexel, Broyhill, and the king of them all, Henry Link's Bali Hai line for Lexington. These were well-made pieces with dovetail drawers and real brass hardware, which is why so many survive. Why it defines Palm Beach style Faux bamboo is light without being flimsy, tropical without being theme-y, and dressy without being stiff. It pairs with rattan, wicker, bright prints, and white walls, the entire South Florida vocabulary. Estates from Boca Raton to Palm Beach were furnished with it for decades, which is why so much of what we source carries the look. How to style it now The easiest entry point is a dresser. A yellow or white faux bamboo dresser in a bedroom reads collected, not themed; see our vintage dressers and chests of drawers for what is in stock. A pair of nightstands flanking a bed is the second classic move. In a dining room, high-back rattan and faux bamboo dining chairs around a glass or lacquered table is a look that has never missed. And if you only buy one small piece, make it a bar cart. One tip from years of handling these: check the finish description and photos closely. Original factory paint in good shape is the prize, and honest wear is fine as long as you know what you are getting. We list condition plainly on every piece, and we will always send more photos on request.
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Travertine Coffee Tables: A Vintage Buyer's Guide
Few materials say "quiet luxury" like travertine. It is the stone of Roman buildings, Italian piazzas, and some of the best furniture of the 1970s and 1980s. "Travertine coffee table" is one of the most common searches that brings people to our store, so here is the guide we wish every buyer read first. What travertine actually is Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs. Its signature is the network of small pits and channels across the surface, formed by gas bubbles as the stone settled. Those holes are not damage; they are the material's fingerprint. Some pieces come filled and honed smooth, others left open and natural, and both are correct. It is a matter of taste. Why vintage beats new Italian makers in the 1970s and 1980s built travertine tables from solid, thick-cut stone: monolithic pedestal bases, bullnose edges, waterfall profiles. Much of what is sold new today is thin veneer over composite. A vintage Italian travertine table has a weight and patina you cannot fake, and because it is solid stone, it can be professionally refinished decades later and still look right. What to check before you buy Look at the edges and underside: solid stone reads the same all the way through, while veneer shows a seam. Ask whether the surface is filled or open. Small chips on corners and honest wear on the top are normal for a 40-year-old piece and are priced accordingly. Cracks across the top are a different story and should make you negotiate or walk. We photograph every angle of every piece for exactly this reason, and we are happy to send more photos before you commit. Living with stone Care is simple. Seal it once a year with a stone sealer, use coasters, and keep vinegar, lemon, and other acids away from the surface because they etch. Wipe spills quickly and dust with a soft cloth. That is the whole routine. Ready to shop? See our current vintage coffee tables, including travertine when we have it, and our accent tables for smaller stone pieces. Every table is one of a kind, sourced from Florida estates and shipped nationwide.
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What Is Hollywood Regency Style?
If you have ever walked into a room and felt like it was dressed for a premiere in 1935, you have met Hollywood Regency. It is one of the most searched vintage furniture styles in the country, and one of the styles we source most from Florida estates. Here is where it came from, how to spot it, and how to make it work in a real home. Hollywood Regency was born in the golden age of movie sets. Designers like William Haines and Dorothy Draper created interiors for film stars that photographed beautifully: glossy lacquer, mirrored surfaces, gilt and brass, plush upholstery, and unapologetic color. The style took everything glamorous about Art Deco and made it more playful and more livable. It never fully went away, and it has been back in a big way for years. How to spot it Look for shine first. Lacquered finishes in black, white, or candy colors. Brass and chrome details, especially on coffee tables and bar carts. Mirrored and glass tops. Chinoiserie accents like faux bamboo and pagoda shapes. Bold geometry, Greek key patterns, and sculptural lighting. If a piece feels a little theatrical but still elegant, it is probably Hollywood Regency. Why it works in Florida homes Florida and Hollywood Regency were made for each other. The style loves sunlight, color, and indoor-outdoor living, which is basically the Florida brief. South Florida estates from the 1960s through the 1980s were full of it, which is exactly why so much of our inventory comes from this style family. A lacquered credenza against a white wall, or a brass and glass coffee table in front of a linen sofa, looks as right in a Delray Beach bungalow as it did in a Beverly Hills den. Start with one piece You do not need a full room to get the look. One statement piece does the work. A vintage coffee table in brass or lacquer anchors a living room. A lacquered cabinet turns a hallway into a moment. A vintage chandelier changes the whole mood over a dining table. And a bar cart is the most fun per dollar in all of vintage furniture. Every piece we sell is one of a kind and sourced by hand from Florida estates, so when it is gone, it is gone. Browse the collections above or get in touch if you are hunting something specific.
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