Trash to Treasure: Sourcing at the Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market

As a designer, I’m always on the lookout for one-of-a-kind items. I think the most interesting homes are full of furnishings, accessories, and art that reflect the owner’s interests and adventures and that are gathered over a lifetime.

Yet, more often than not, I’ll open a design magazine and immediately recognize exactly where different accessories came from. And despite the fact that I see many beautiful objects at shops and at trade shows,  so many things these days lack uniqueness or a handmade touch.

That’s why I love visiting the Elephant’s Trunk Country Flea Market, in Litchfield  County, CT. Markets like this are full of great finds, you just have to have imagination to see them. Lara Spencer’s popular HGTV show Flea Market Flip happens to be shot at the Elephant’s Trunk. I can see why. When I visited this past weekend, I saw plenty of diamonds in the rough. As they say, one persons trash is another’s treasure.

Here are a some shots I took when visiting the market last weekend:

I purchased the following three items as the market.

Gold-and-ebony picture frame

Modern marble side table

Turkish olive bucket