The Butterfly's Cottage

"The Vintage Butterfly, Transforming the Forgotten into the Beloved." Sounds nice doesn't it? This is the header for Kelly's Etsy shop (The Vintage Butterfly) where she plays fairy godmother to a host of beautiful, romantic, shabby chic items all looking for a new home to cozy in to.

Kelly's style definitely hearkens back to a gentler time with story book over tones. I interviewed her about her passion for vintage and she had some really interesting perspectives on collecting and inspiration for her design style.




I see in your shop announcement that you define your style as "cottage eclectic." Name a few items, eras or design concepts that really hold your fascination, things that will give us a visual on what you mean by "cottage eclectic."

My own home is going through a transitional phase at the moment which is what led me to define my style as "cottage eclectic". Although cottage style in itself is a broad term (there are so many interpretations of "cottage") my home is transitioning from a place with bold, graphic elements; black frames, silver accents, leather, glass tables, to a home that still has all those elements at its base but now there are layers of "textures" being added in...wicker, floral fabrics, chippy wood, one-element wreaths, French country-inspirations, Paris chic and shabby chic inspirations. Bits and pieces of all the connotations of "cottage" style are being brought in to my home and so I began thinking of my style as "cottage eclectic". There is no theme, true rhyme or reason to what I'm doing. If I love it, it's going to work in my home and that's my central interior design theory. I'm simply trusting my instincts and as a result I'm finding that I'm enjoying my home more now than I have in a long time.




I think nostalgia is a strong driving force behind a lot of vintage purchases. Do you think it's possible for people to feel a sense of nostalgia for an era they did not even live through?

Absolutely. First, there is the remembrance of things you saw in your grandparents' homes. I'm finding that a lot in my own experience with shopping for my home and shop, so much of what is attractive to me now are items that I remember seeing as a child in my grandparent's home. Secondly, I think your personal interpretation of what an era was like from your understanding of the era created by images you've seen, books you've read or the era's design elements can create a longing or sense of nostalgia for the items and the lifestyle of that time.

What has been rewarding for you so far in selling on Etsy? What influences your choice for items for your shop more... your personal taste or what you know people are searching for?

I started selling on Etsy in early January of this year. The discovery of the vintage and cottage style communities has been the most rewarding part of selling on Etsy. I'm a proud member of the Etsy Vintage Street Team and the Cottage Style Street Team. To find so many like-minded people in one place with the same passion has been a great source of creativity and inspiration.
My personal style is definitely the influence behind my choice of items for my shop. I made a decision right at the beginning to buy only what I love for my shop, not just what I think will sell. My hope is that my sense of style will come through as I progress and integrate my blog and shop further so that, eventually, people will know what to expect from my shop and will have a sense of my brand of cottage style. Because I only buy what I love, I get very attached to my items, so there is always that little tug at my heart when something has sold but I really do feel this sense of pleasure in knowing that my items have been "transformed", like my tagline says, from this forgotten or discarded piece into a newly loved treasure. It's what I love about selling vintage, the wondering about the history of the item I have found and the sense of myself as the new link in the chain of this piece's continuing story. When the item sells, it's then passed on
to start its' new life and so, the history continues on.




Do you have anything that you hoard or collect? Something that when you find it you never sell it and always just keep for yourself?

I've been keeping all the white milk glass I come across and I know this originates from the memory of a white hobnail table lamp I had in my bedroom as a child. I always keep anything to do with birds, butterflies, Paris, the Eiffel Tower, roses, hearts, Beatrix Potter, rabbits, toile, watering cans and I've recently begun collecting small vintage suitcases to use as decorative storage and costume jewelry (mainly brooches), just for the "yummy-ness" factor.

If you could choose an era to go back in time and live in...when would it be and where would you live (what city, country etc.)?

I've been in love with France since a high school French class. My teacher had lived in Paris and really tried to get across the French culture and that has stuck with me ever since. Also, I literally swoon over a cabriolet leg and the pomposity of the era's fashion is to die for, so 18th century France would be my place.





If you have an eye for "cottage eclectic" be sure to head straight to Kelly's shop where blog readers can receive free shipping on any purchase now through April 15th! Thanks Kelly... it was a pleasure to chat with you! Vive la France!!