FIVE MINUTES WITH HEIDI BEAUDRY
TEXT BY SARAH STEBBINS
PHOTOGRAPHED BY GABE SOUZA
Bangor mid-century buff/antiques picker/This Attic Vintage Etsy shop owner Heidi Beaudry on her gift-giving strategy and the finds she hoards for herself.
A special piece I own is…
A mid-century starburst clock. My husband and I wanted to find one ‘in the wild’ — antiquing speak for a flea market, yard sale, etc. We spotted this one at an antiques fair, but got pulled away before we could make a deal. Months later, my grandmother, who saw it at the same fair, gave it to us for Christmas! It hangs in our living room.
My holiday giving strategy is…
We’ve shifted toward more handmade and local gifts, so I’ll be pairing cute tea towels, like those from [Fairfield’s] North Circle Studio with potholders I made from vintage quilting scraps, and classics like mac and cheese and galumpkis from my family’s recipe. Dandelion tea towel, $12. northcirclestudio.etsy.com
Something I planned to sell, but kept is…
Virtually every piece of 1960s Cathrineholm Lotus enamelware I’ve come across. These are hot sellers, so I always intend to put them in the shop, but I can’t help that they look right at home in my china cabinet! My favorite is the yellow teapot, a wedding gift from my husband’s mother and aunt.
A favorite recent score was…
A pair of mid-century brass model ships. I collect and sell a range of vintage brass décor and these, with their sleek, timeless shapes, felt like the perfect Maine twist on the trend. $165 each. thisattic.etsy.com
To cozy up my home I…
Bust out the extra throws and burn Bath & Body Works’ Sweater Weather candles. They smell like crisp breezes and Christmas trees. $14.50. bathandbodyworks.com
My holiday decorating style is…
Nostalgic with a lot of whimsy. I found a box of bottlebrush trees for a steal, which I mix with a 1950s cardboard village, or putz, my mom gave me, on a living room highboy. We had a similar village in my childhood home. I love the retro charm and how the scenes evoke thoughts of a storybook life.
