Stephanie and John, the lovely Massachusetts couple behind VintageSteph, really do it up special and different every week in their own room on the mezzanine, which features stained-glass windows and a little closet perfect for a collection of old black and white photos. Check them out every Saturday and Sunday in #74 upstairs.
What's your name and company's name?
S: I'm Stephanie Pernice.
J: And I'm John Warren.
S: We go by the name VintageSteph.
And what's your hometown?
S: I'm from Newton, Massachusetts, the Boston area.
J: I'm from New Hampshire. We both live in Linfield, Mass., now. It's about a 5 hour drive to Brooklyn if there are no hassles on the road.
What do you sell and how long have you been selling it for?
S: An eclectic mix of designer furnishings, and John makes one-of-a-kind folk art furnishings like vanities, hutches, and islands, using vintage findings. I love old suitcases, architecturals, old textiles, jewelry, mid-century modern, industrial. So we mix it all up and decorate with it.
J: And the goal of my furniture is to use as much reclaimed materials like old metals and stained glass, screws, everything possible that doesn't compromise the integrity of the structure.
What is your specialty?
J: Cool stuff we both like, so when we sell to people, we are really into what we're selling.
S: I specialize in textiles, garden antiques, French and Italian antiques, and forms that please my eye. Could be utilitarian or decorative, just things I deem cool.
What's your most memorable sale?
J: These two industrial-size fan grate covers that we sold as sculpture. Each one was 5 feet in diameter. I think they were from an old paper mill in New Hampshire. Someone bought them immediately.
S: Oh, and John's favorite sale happened under the [Brooklyn] Bridge this summer. He had built a cool cabinet and debuted it at the Flea. This woman walked right up to it, fell in love with it and went home with it. John was so flattered. He really appreciates when people get his work and love it.
What keeps you coming back to the Flea?
S: We love the customers here, the energy, the vibe.
J: Everyone is amazing. The dealers we've met down here have really taken us in. It's like a family.
S: And our eye has really been validated. We feel like we've found a home.
What do you do for fun?
J: I like motorcycles. And collecting black and white photography.
S: And going out finding stuff together at places like yard sales, antique stores, thrift stores, estate sales, whatever.
Do you have a website?
S: Yes! It's vintagesteph.com. And we would love for people to read our blog. You'll find more pieces John made, a couple of which will be available this week at the Flea. I also participate in Vintage and Modern, a site for designers to source objects, textiles, art, jewelry, under the name Designer Dolce. We sell things that are a bit more high end there. And John is represented by a few galleries that he met through the Flea and other markets.
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