Guest Curation: Blending and Mixing Styles with Cameron Jones

After spending 15 years in Washington, DC, Cameron and her husband decided to relocate their growing family back to her hometown in Raleigh, North Carolina. After moving back to NC, Cameron started her design business, Cameron Jones Interiors in 2017. With her passion for both vintage and modern pieces, Cameron succeeded in blending styles, periods, colors and patterns into her own home as well as her clients’. 

We had a chance to chat with Cameron to learn about her approach to design and the things she can't pass up when browsing estate sales and auctions. Cameron told us, “I truly believe if you love something, you can make it work in your home. I also believe a house curated over time with pieces that have meaning or evoke happy memories is what makes a home truly unique and inspiring – one of many reasons why my adoration of vintage runs deep.”

AN: How would you describe your taste/style?

Cameron: I would say my style is grounded in the traditional but with a modern twist. I adore spaces that feel collected, comfortable and lived-in.  When I walk into someone's home, I want to immediately know things about the people who live there. Give me all the color, pattern and texture with a healthy dose of animal print mixed in. I also love the warmth of natural wood and black to ground a space.   

AN: Do you have any advice on how to incorporate brown furniture into your decor without making it look too dated or heavy?

Cameron: I think truly brown woods tend to feel timeless and fresh, where woods that have too much red or yellow undertones tend to feel dated. Styling goes a long way to modernize antique and vintage natural wood pieces. Mixing in modern lamps, mirrors and accessories, as well as fabrics or wallpapers with fun colors and patterns, can help a more stately, classic or even stodgy piece feel youthful and modern.

AN: What got you interested in secondhand, vintage and antique items?

Cameron: My grandparents, especially one grandfather, traveled extensively and brought back some really cool pieces from his travels during his military service. I grew up seeing those pieces and the traditional styles and when I inherited those pieces I had to find a way to make them work with our modern (and busy!) lifestyle. Vintage is frequently higher quality and more unique than so many mass-produced items today. And now, thanks to the challenges brought on by the pandemic, vintage is one of the few things you can actually get in a timely manner. Not to mention, using vintage in decor is an environmentally sound option as well.  

AN: What are the one or two things that you always find yourself bidding on?

Cameron: I can't pass on a beautiful wood chest, small side chairs or mirrors.  These pieces fit into all kinds of spaces - hallways, bedrooms, side areas of living rooms and studies. Even if I don't immediately have a spot for them, I can make room, or they will work for a client down the road. Pieces that serve double duty as functional and beautiful are worth the investment in my book.

AN: What's your absolute favorite item ever purchased through an estate sale or online auction?

Cameron: I have a beautiful burnt bamboo mirror. I got it at an estate sale years ago for something ridiculous like $3. I love it as much to this day as I did 15 years ago when I bought it. I still can't get over my luck on that one. It's that high of getting such an amazing deal, coupled with the actual pieces themselves that make it impossible for me to stop shopping auctions and estate sales. You just never know when you are going to get lucky! 

Cameron’s AuctionNinja Picks: 

1. A Pair of Faux Burl Wood and Brass Chinese Consoles (Clearing House Estate Sales)

2. Anglo Indian Mirror (Modern Day Auctions)

3. Wonderful Antique 1860s Mahogany & Rosewood Veneer Sheraton Sideboard with Fluted Legs, 2 Drawers, 2 Doors (Fairlight Estate Sales)

4. A Pair of Vintage Two Arm Wall Sconces (Modern Day Auctions)

5. A Pair of Vintage Polychromatic Porcelain Foo Dogs (Clearing House Estate Sales)

Other Picks Not to Miss:

1. Narrow Secretary (Hampton Estate Sales by Denise)

2. A Vintage Faux Bamboo Metal Framed Beveled Mirror (Clearing House Estate Sales)

3. A Vintage French Caned Salon Chair (Modern Day Auctions)

Written by:

AuctionNinja Staff

February 23, 2022     Updated 03:06 PM

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