Design Resource: Santa Monica Flea Market

5/26/09

On the first and fourth Sundays of every month, Angelenos far and wide make the pilgrimage to the Santa Monica Airport, home of one of the better flea markets gracing the city. Although nobody is boarding a flight, design inspiration is sky high in this treasure trove of vintage, antique, and collectable goodies. Despite their flea market origin, with the right point of reference, plenty of these pieces can dress up any loft to designer heights.

Used and vintage Spode dishware isn’t just for the tabletop anymore.

Flea market Spode dishware.

Kelly Wearstler's Spode plate wall at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, CA.

Kelly Wearstler creatively mounted Spode plates on the outdoor wall of the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. Buy your dishes cheap at the flea market and spend your money on a great handyman to hang them instead!

Antler plaques were aplenty at this Sunday’s flea market, priced at $75 for the smaller ones and all the way up to $250 for the larger vintage plaques. However, the real find was this old buck trophy head. One of his antlers was slightly broken, but he was in overall great condition, and only $75! According to interior designer Thom Filicia, the taxidermy look works in any home that knows how to balance it out with some refined lines and sophisticated touches. Purse designer, Carrie White, certainly applied Filicia’s school of thought after buying the stag’s head for her own home!

Vintage horn plaques found at the flea market.

Flea market stag's head.

Page featuring stag's head from Thom Felicia's book, STYLE.

Page featuring stag's head from Thom Filicia's book, STYLE.

Stag's head featured in Carrie White's hallway, mounted on what will be her wallpaper for that space.

Anthropologie may be the first store that comes to mind when searching for cool, antique looking hardware for your home, but the flea market is an equally great resource for much cheaper prices. The market had everything from etched glass doorknobs to vintage iron hooks, perfect for adding function to that fashionable loft kitchen!