Guest Curation: AN x Grace in My Space

Meet Sarah Symonds, the founder of Grace in My Space and author of the interior design book, "Designing a Life: From House to Haven." 

Featured in two nationally distributed magazines, and named 'Best Home Styling Blog' by the Amara Interior Blog Awards, Sarah has made a name for herself in the design world and is continuing to building her lifestyle brand with Christian principles to help guide her readers towards creating a home they love while showing grace along the way. 

We had a chance to chat with Sarah to find out how she developed such an incredible eye for finding -- and styling -- pre-loved treasures.

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

Growing up, we moved almost every year due to my father's military deployments. In every home we lived in, whether rented, owned, or on base, my mother would make it her own using thrifted or antique items. 

She'd bring me to all the auctions and we'd stand for hours waiting for that treasure buried in a box to come up. She instilled in me a love and appreciation for storied items and for creating a home that is unique to you.

What are the one or two things that you always find yourself bidding on/looking for when shopping secondhand? 

When antiquing, I love to find the most unique items. I'm not big on collecting for collecting sake. I only have a few pieces where I feel the need to be on the hunt to add to my collection. 

I'm always looking for vintage or handmade pottery, marble mortar and pestles, art that moves me and beautiful textiles. If I can find one of those, it's a good day!

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

My favorite find is a giant mortar and pestle. Ever since that day, I've been on the hunt to add to my collection, but have never found one as large as my first find. 

I love the mix of history, utilitarian necessity of the item as it was originally intended, and beautiful craftsmanship. I've slowly added a few antique mortar and pestles to my collection as I've come across them over the years and they are a favorite display in my kitchen year round.

Any tips or advice for online auction or estate sale newbies?

Do your research! If a piece strikes you, investigate further to see its value. You might just have stumbled across a diamond in the rough! 

On the other hand, you could also be overpaying quickly in an auction setting. So know the value of the item, set your budget, and stick to it!

Sarah’s AuctionNinja Picks:

1. German Mugs, Dishes, Cups, Gravy Bowl and More Collection (Estate Inventory Auctions)

2. Black Color Clay Pottery Vase with Wicker Style Base (All American Tag Sales)

3. Lot of 6 Marked Sterling Silver Matching Small Bowls (All American Tag Sales)

4. Large Lot of Serving Items (Estate Inventory Auctions)

5. Vintage Heavy Brass Mortar and Pestle (All American Tag Sales) 

Interested in becoming a guest curator? Apply here. And don't forget to share your latest scores with us on Instagram by tagging your photos with @auctionninja and #ANFinds -- we'd love to feature you!

Written by:

AuctionNinja Staff

December 22, 2022     Updated 01:06 PM

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