The Stained Glass Window Flea Market Find
Last Friday I meandered down to this famous strip of flea markets in Fort Collins, Colorado. It just so happened to be Black Friday but I would much rather be treasure hunting through antique spots than braving the mall crowds.
A while back, I read on Style by Emily Henderson that incorporating vintage or thrifted home decor items was one of the most sure-fire ways to make a home feel personalized and lived-in. Not to mention its an environmentally friendly way to decorate. I’m not gonna lie, getting into the flea market world is intimidating. It’s tough to know what to look for or what is “worth it” to spend your money on. It’s a hobby that I’m just beginning to dip my toe into. With the find of my beloved stained glass window, however, I can confidently say I understand the hype. I. Am. All. In.
There she is, in all her glory. This was a nearly perfectly intact LARGE stained glass window. Like, it’s almost as tall as I am! I was tempted by the price tag as is, but then I heard it was an additional 20% off… Uh oh. I walked away to contemplate and as I turned around, another woman was seriously considering the window. MY window! I resisted the urge to tackle her out of the way. Shockingly I STILL didn’t pull the trigger on buying it.
But as I continued on with my day, I couldn’t get that dang window out of my head. And I knew I’d broken the cardinal rule of antique shopping:
“If you fall in love with something at a flea market, you MUST purchase it. It will probably not be there if you go back at a later date and by nature there is only ONE available.”
I had to go back. As I rounded the corner of the shop and saw my window still leaning there, I breathed a sigh of relief. She was coming home with me once and for all.
My initial vision was to hang it above our bed, kind of above where the top of a headboard would end. I had my drill all ready to go when my husband pumped the brakes. He was very concerned about it falling on top of us in the middle of the night and shattering into a million pieces… which clearly was a major safety concern. Should I be concerned I had not thought of this once? Perhaps. While I was bummed my plan for the room wasn’t going to be exactly as I’d imagined, I decided that pivoting to a new hanging point was the smarter way to go.
It is still absolutely gorgeous. I love how it ties in the colors of the curtains and the (not pictured, but you can see it in the video below) buffalo check bench at the foot of our bed. There is still plenty to be done in this room, but for now it’s nice to start to see it come together.
And Walker seems to be loving it, which is always the most important part!
