An Australian vintage and homewares online store has launched, offering one-of-a-kind, sustainable items as well as a personal buyer service to help customers locate unique pieces.
Founder, Jess Darlington-Brown, started DarlingJames with a focus on inspiring and connecting people with pre-loved vintage wares, which are more sustainable and come with their own story.
“I’ve been obsessed with vintage homewares and farmhouse wares my whole life,” she enthuses.
“I’ve had the privilege of living in a gorgeous historic rural homestead and travelling to some of the most beautiful country locations across Australia and around the world.
“DarlingJames allows me to share my passion with others. We are committed to inspiring style and providing our customers with beautiful unique vintage wares. Our products are pre-loved and sustainable with a focus on high-quality and stylish wares. I believe that by making small changes in our daily lives and buying pre-loved homewares we can collectively make a big impact on the environment and create a more sustainable future.”
Indeed, a study by Carbon Clear found that pre-loved furniture―vintage and antiques―has a carbon footprint 16 times lower than modern furniture.
“Vintage homewares are often made with higher-quality materials too, which means they can stand the test of time and are more durable than modern pieces, which are often made with cheaper materials.
“Buying vintage and pre-loved homewares can help us achieve the unique and personal touch that we all strive for when decorating our homes and it is much more eco-friendly―helping to lessen the amount of homewares going to landfill plus reducing the need for trees to be cut down and manufacturing to create brand new items,” she adds.
As well as hunting items around Australia, Darlington-Brown will spend four months in Europe each year scouting markets, bric-a-brac and vintage stores as well as antiques dealerships, to find special pieces to add to the DarlingJames online collection and to hunt down pieces sought by personal buying clients.
A silver antique toast and egg holder uncovered at the Portobello Road Markets in London, silver napkin rings discovered in a London antiques market and crystal champagne glasses and buckets from an antiques sale in regional Victoria are just some of the pieces available from DarlingJames.
