I picked up trade secrets in the antique business from the friendly dealers I met through estate sales and markets—I stood amongst the buyers waiting in line at the crack of dawn. As a hobbyist photographer, I offered them my e-commerce services, that include cataloguing, product photography, and copywriting for diverse vintage and antique merchandise.

It was sifting and sorting lots that I learned about antiques, opening old boxes to find an assortment of quotidian objects—silver, glass, lamps, vases and china sets. Through sorting the “smalls”, I learned about porcelain manufacturers, ceramic studios and studio pottery artists. Handling the objects was a crash course in materials, design elements, style and ornamentation.

Being exposed to so many different objects of all sorts and all eras, I began to cultivate an eclectic taste for modern Scandinavian ceramics, luminous Art Deco glass, and colorfully swirled handblown Murano glass. I have acquired a working knowledge of trending styles, familiarizing myself with glamorous Hollywood Regency, timeless Scandinavian Modern and sensuous Italian luxury. I’ve handled estates filled with diverse collections, from modern furniture to Chinese and Japanese imports. There is a sense of happenstance discovery in learning about objects through personal collections.

I'm happiest helping people express their individuality by building collections.  My generalist knowledge of vintage and antiques has been guided by the larger trends and tastes in interior design, but I look for timeless and personal pieces that are a great investment.