Freshest finds from junk sales

Article by: BY BILL DAILY , Chicago Tribune
Updated: June 30, 2012 - 2:17 PM

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Unsure of what to buy at the next flea market, garage sale or antiques show? We asked pros for their favorites -- and their advice on how to score the best stuff.

Cortney and Robert Novogratz are New York City-based designers and stars of HGTV's "Home by Novogratz."

Lorene Edwards Forkner is a Seattle-based gardener, editor of Pacific Horticulture magazine and author.

Here are some of the things that are catching the eyes of these pros that you can buy, too.

Silver, metal and glass

For the Novogratzes, it's silver and mirrored trays and silvery wine and ice buckets. "We're seeing a lot of gorgeous Champagne buckets," filled with cut flowers, Cortney Novogratz said. And don't forget tarnished trophy cups from long-ago sports competitions. Polish them up and use them to hold nuts, she said.

For Forkner, it's galvanized steel, old fencing and coiled wires that can be used to train vines, support plants or convert into patio furniture. Old galvanized trays make terrific tables, she said.

Midcentury modern

"'Mad Men' has had a big influence on the home," Robert Novogratz said. What to look for: classic lines, beautiful woods, minimal decoration, some textural element, a capacity to hold things like kids' toys or blankets. "People are looking for storage solutions," he said. Just don't be tempted to go the old-suitcase-as-decorative-item route. "It's played out," he said.

Garden tools

"Garden stuff is always the most expensive," Forkner said, so look for bargains. Also, be willing to be creative and adaptive. Rusted-out feed troughs used to be thrown away as junk, she noted, until gardeners realized these troughs made great raised garden beds.

Even old gutters make good salvage finds. Cut to size, they can be mounted along a fence, wall or balcony to create an instant vertical garden, Forkner said.