When I first started sharing my Best Thing I Ever Thrifted series, it never occurred to me that some day, my own design heroes might participate. But here we are, and John Derian has answered my questions about his best vintage find.
You no doubt know of John Derian (after all, he has lines at Target that sell out year after year) but here’s a short history:
Derian founded his eponymous company in 1989. The John Derian Company is best-known for the designer’s signature decoupage home goods, made using 18th and 19th-century prints found at antiques shows. There are decoupage plates, trays, paperweights, and more‚ all handmade by Derian and a small team of artisans.
My grandmother, who raised me and was basically my mom (more on her here) was obsessed with his work. So much so that when we lived in Northeast Florida in the early 1990s (and had no access to a store that sold John Derian), she would create her own decoupaged pieces. Many of the people who attended her funeral approached me to say they still have some of the plates she made. But she also decoupaged trash cans, and platters — sometimes even entire chairs. She even went through a phase of decoupaging antique windows. I have a very vivid memory of her dragging me to the live auction of an historic home that was set to be demolished. I watched in horror as she raised her paddle to bid on every single window from that house. She won them all, brought them home, decoupaged them, and sold them.
When she died in a car accident a little over five years ago, I found the box of all the flora and fauna she had painstakingly cut out from old botanical prints and books. My mom and I worked together to adhere them to canvas so now we have a work of art that the three of us made together.
I have purchased many of John Derian’s pieces new (including some of his decoupaged plates as gifts for my grandmother over the years, and of course my Derian for Target stuffed skeleton, which I drove to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia for and promptly named “Simon.”) I have also found some John Derian pieces at estate sales and thrift stores over the years. My favorite are those that are signed by the man himself, which delight me to no end.
All this to say: I adore John Derian’s work. I love his home. His outlook and aesthetic. The way he views the world. He has made a tremendous impact on me and to have him share his best find ever makes me somewhat emotional.
So, without further ado, here’s John.
“Years ago, there was a ‘dollar a pound’ sale hosted every Saturday morning around 8 AM in East Cambridge, MA. They would put out trash compacted piles of clothes for people to sort through (read: battle through).
People of all kinds came, from late-nighters, to punk rockers and families. Everyone would tear down the piles, sort through them, and scream and cheer and make their own piles when they found great things. (They eventually started sifting through everything beforehand and opened a vintage store upstairs in the loft building).
It was at one of these sales that I got my best vintage find ever: a heavy linen panel printed with two large floral bouquets — possibly from around 1900.
I couldn’t believe the quality of the printing; the colors were perfect, and it had traces of metallic trim. I was never quite sure what it came from, but I made two Euro-sized cushions out of it, which I lived with for many years until they basically disintegrated.
Everything at the sale cost a dollar a pound, so I guess I paid a dollar or two.”
A huge thank you to John Derian for sharing this extraordinary find. I am in awe. You can find more from The Best Thing I Ever Thrifted series, here.
ODDS & ENDS
If you want more of John Derian, check out this House & Garden feature on his Cape Cod home. The 2019 Architectural Digest story on his New York apartment remains one of my all-time faves. I reference it constantly.
I’ve done a bit of press recently, too, and spoke to the Consumer’s Checkbook podcast about thrifting (this was a really fun convo and we laughed a lot — I encourage you to check it out).
I feel like I talk a lot about supplements (who have I become?!) but I added another to the mix: this one, which I take three of daily, for hair and skin health. I’ve been on a journey to grow my hair and get it thicker so I’m trying everything at the moment. Any recs?
Love John Derian, and especially love the part about your grandmother. Such a creative family!
Love John Derian and the touching story about your grandmother. The piece you created with her clippings is so special.