vintage spaces ll those who collect vintage furniture, lamps, cabinets, trays and baubles beyond the space they have in their homes, raise your hand. Ahh, so many of you. The vintage and antique
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collector stereotype is easy enough to fall into. Stacks of interesting finds in your basement, magazines of inspiring ideas stashed in drawers and Tupperware tubs. A 12-piece vintage dish set sitting in your cabinet that you'll definitely use—someday. Gladstone native Dana Snider doesn't have a clue what you're talking about. In fact, this veteran "junker" (her term) has a rule that would cause the average vintage shopper to hyperventilate: To buy something new, some- thing else has to go. Are you having trouble breathing, too? For Dana, thrifting carefully and with purpose was born out of necessity. At the young age of 22, she married her husband Ron, and the couple faced a very common problem: Their home was filled with lots of love, but not much else. So, armed with love and a meager budget, Dana set out to find furnishings for her home. And the weirder, the better. "I looked for junk, literally," Dana remembers. "I went to thrift stores, Goodwill stores, maybe an occasional estate sale on a Sunday when people were desperate to get rid of stuff. I loved Victorian pieces, so I found a lot of weird stuff. It started out as a necessity, but then it quickly turned to an obsession. It's all about the hunt." That obsession has been a part of Dana's life for more than 30 years now. In part, the art of antiquing is in her blood, as Dana's mother was also an avid junker. What sets Dana apart from the average vintage buyer is her insistence on thrifting with purpose. Dana simply doesn't believe in buying pieces she doesn't need. Thankfully, in 2011, that need resurfaced when her husband took a work promotion
that required a move back to Kansas City. Dana saw the opportunity for a renewed junk obsession come to life. She swiftly sold nearly every accessory and piece of furniture from her St. Louis home, ready to start all over again. All that remained after the purge were some family pieces, kitchen chairs and a few pieces from her office. Luckily, Dana has a partner who was sup- portive of her desire to essentially flush out the entire house. He didn't always under- stand her obsession, so she explained it in a way that rang true for him. Opposite page: Dana’s breakfast table features reupholstered chairs, a mid- century lamp and clean-lined table. Above left: If it can’t be dusted, Dana isn’t too interested. Glorious wood pieces like this buffet are show-stoppers. Left: Well-made dish sets from the 1950s serve well on Dana’s tables.
VintageKC / Spring 2013 15
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