5 Sought-After Vintage Collectables For Your Bedroom – Including The Iconic Anglepoise Lamp

Some of the most characterful homes we see here at Country Living effortlessly and cleverly blend old with new. While you might expect to see vintage and antiques in a quaint cottage or rustic farmhouse, they can sit comfortably in the most innovative and modern spaces, too.

Well made and often unique (as no two things will have the same patina), the lived-in warmth of vintage and antique homeware immediately grounds a room that feels layered over time, considered (taking a slower approach rather than rushing) and confident. It allows for personal expression to build a scheme based on taste rather than trends.

Here's a deeper dive into five sought-after vintage collectables for your bedroom – and the history behind them.

Welsh Blankets

interior hallway leading to a simple bedroom with a green welsh blanket on the end of the bed

Tapestry or striped, plaid or checked – the traditional blankets produced in Wales since medieval times vary hugely in design. Woollen manufacturing was once one of the country’s most important industries, with more than 300 mills operating there before the First World War. Now, however, only a few survive.

The weave most closely associated with Welsh blankets is the tapestry pattern, customarily given as a wedding present. It features bold shapes including the distinctive Caernarfon (portcullis) motif. Comprising two-ply yarn and two sets of weft and warp, tapestry blankets are reversible and very warm, so frequently serve as bedcovers. They are often fringed and sometimes woven in vivid colours. Illustrated designs – some bearing the images of important buildings, flowers and Welsh symbols such as leeks – are rarer and command a higher price.

Honeycomb or waffle styles are another traditional variant, and are covetable due to their light weight, warmth and texture. They are woven in such a way as to produce a deep square effect, often in pretty pastel colours.

What to look for

Collecting vintage designs isn’t a cheap hobby – expect to part with £200-£400 for a 1950s-60s double-size blanket in good condition; illustrated types can command up to £1,000.
Examine blankets for moth damage and bear in mind that single-weave blankets are more easily darned than double-weave.
Seek out vintage blankets at flea markets, antiques fairs and boot sales as well as specialist shops.
Antique designs have a seam down the centre, where two narrow lengths were sewn together before the invention of a wider machine in the early 1900s.
The number of colours used increased between 1930 and 1980, so a vintage blanket is likely to be more varied in hue than an (earthier-coloured) antique one.
If you like mid-century style, look out for blankets from this period, which tend to be plaid or checked.
Expert and collector Jen Jones sells vintage Welsh blankets online. Ceredigion seller Jane Beck also offers a repair service for tears and holes. Look to Melin Tregwynt for new collections based on heritage designs.

Vintage Luggage

bedroom by the sea with rustic linen bedding and a terracotta throw with vintage leather trunk at the end of the bed

Pieces of vintage luggage are redolent of the British holiday. Whether it’s a sturdy wooden one on its way back from boarding school or the peppy glamour of a 1950s hatbox, these well-used items hark back to 20th-century travel in all its forms.

In the early 1900s, recreational travel was largely a pursuit for the wealthy with luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, Hermès and, most famously, Louis Vuitton cornering the market in handcrafted, expensive baggage.

The introduction of paid holidays for British workers in 1939 and the arrival of package holidays in the 1950s encouraged luggage to become a must-have accessory for all walks of life. With the opening up of the holiday market came the need for cheaper alternatives to the leather-bound, hand-stitched luggage of the upper classes. Post-Second World War developments in plastics, vinyl and aluminium technology brought suitcases, vanity holdalls and other luggage within reach of most budgets, which collectors now snap up for a first-class vintage look.

What to look for

Vintage luggage purists aim for the top end of the market – collectable names in mint condition such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Goyard tend to dominate and command eye-watering prices.
For the aesthetic without the cost, look for 1960s and 70s names such as Revelation, Hartmann, Globe-Trotter and Oshkosh. Prices on eBay and Etsy start at a small suitcase for £5+, hatboxes at £10+ and a luggage trio for £20+.
Hard-sided suitcases tend to be more in demand than softer, vinyl examples, as they’re easier to stack.
Certain features can date a case – the first mass-market aluminium suitcase didn’t appear until the 1950s, for example, while wheeled examples came in the early 70s.
For high-quality early 20th-century pieces, try Vinterior, Selling Antiques or London Vintage Luggage. For mass-market luggage, try ebay, Preloved and Shpock.
Find easy fixes for broken zips or latches at Expert World Travel's suitcase repair guide.

Anglepoise Lamps

twin bedroom with white panelling and rustic accessories

The Anglepoise desk lamp is a British classic. George Carwardine, a car designer, saw the potential for using a system of joints and springs that could be applied to other products, including desk lamps. He created a light that was endlessly adjustable and didn’t have to be clamped to a surface perfect for workshops, doctors’ surgeries and any working environment that needed adaptable lighting.

In 1932, Carwardine applied for a patent and initially started making the lamp himself. His design proved so popular that he soon realised he needed a manufacturing partner and joined forces with Herbert Terry and Sons, who were already supplying the spring for his lamps. Two years later, the Anglepoise name was registered and the following year saw the release of the now iconic 1227™ model, a lamp built specifically for the domestic market and the design we still know and love today.

What to look for

Not sure which style you want or have bought? At Anglepoise, you can find ‘How Can I Date My Vintage Anglepoise Lamp?’ in their Support section. The base will tell you the age – round bases were first used on the Model 75, which came out in 1968.
Defunct springs can be a problem on the original 1227 model. Modern spares don’t fit, so you’ll need to factor in replacement ones, which can cost more than £20 each.
Early 1227 Anglepoise examples command high prices and collectors are looking for authenticity and patina rather than a perfect finish. Be wary of overly shiny chrome examples that claim to be vintage – they’ve probably been over-restored.
Authentic vintage shades are black, cream or bright colours.
Don’t be worried if the lamp has a mottled finish – early designs had rough enamel paintwork to hide manufacturing imperfections.
Angled desk-lighting like this can often be incorrectly described generically as Anglepoise lighting, so look carefully for any original labels or engravings to ensure it is an original Anglepoise by name before you buy.

Dressmaker's Mannequins

bedroom with a desk area, vintage drawers and a vintage mannequin adorned with necklaces

The highly covetable tailor’s dummy or model exudes a sense of fashion-house chic, whether it’s wearing the latest designs in a shop window or standing ‘nude’ in an interior. France-based Siegel & Stockman was and still is the most famous manufacturer of this and other ‘dress forms’ – three-dimensional models for the use of seamstresses and designers. In 1867, its founder, sculptor Frédéric Stockman, began crafting mannequins from papier-mâché, applying recycled paper by hand onto a mould from which it was cut once dry and stapled together, sanded down, padded and covered in fabric. In 1887, the company even went on to originate the standardised dress sizes we are now familiar with.

UK-based Kennett & Lindsell was established ten years after Siegel & Stockman, and both firms are still crafting mannequins using traditional skills. Dating from the late 19th or early 20th century, wasp-waisted (narrow-waisted) dummies were made to emulate corset-wearing figures. Additional refinements such as further roundels to shoulders and finial-turned neck tops add to the desirability and value of a dress form. An alternative to the classic version is a wrought-iron style that was popular in the 1960s; most have a painted finish that has become attractively distressed over time. If space is at a premium, another option is a vintage bust, which will bring a similar sophistication to an interior.

What to look for

Identify the manufacturer’s logo and research other details included in the finished product – shape references and size feature on Siegel & Stockman designs, for example.
You can pay around £100 for a Kennett & Lindsell or Siegel & Stockman female mannequin from the 1960s, and as much as £300 for a 1920s design; models of men and children are rarer. Other makes include the sewing machine manufacturer Singer – a tailor’s dummy in good condition and dating back to the 1940s was recently priced at £125.
An undamaged fabric-covered, 19th-century tailor’s dummy and a wooden and papier-mâché model finished in 1940s newspaper have both been valued at around £600.
There are likely to be water marks on linen tailor’s dummies. Models with a more luxurious finish such as damask or velvet may cost more.
If buying online, ask the seller for photo evidence of dents in the body or any other damage.
It is worth paying attention to the stand – if undamaged, the wooden tripod designs (often ebonised oak or polished beech) can add to the appeal and value.

Workwear

a person placing a floral arrangement on the chest pocket of a blue chore jacket

There is an array of iconic workwear pieces that not only find a place in contemporary wardrobes but are worthy of hanging up as part of an interior design scheme – from the French chore jacket in its appealing soft and tough cobalt-blue moleskin (made by the same textile mill since 1917) to classic hardwearing denim dungarees.

Some clothing specific to a particular line of work comes with its own story. You might, for example, find a railway sack jacket thought to have been worn by a train driver in the mid-20th century or a Canadian Army parka from the early 1970s. Vintage military clothing offers rich pickings, with a plethora of UK-, US- and European-issue garments available, including 1960s army shirts, 1990s overalls, 1950s trench coats and Second World War leather trench coats.

Sought-after brands that produced general workwear include American companies Carhartt and Dickies, both of which still manufacture tough clothing suitable for physical labour. Famous for its jeans worn the world over, Levi’s was born out of a need for durable clothing for workers such as miners and cowboys. Its classic styles, such as the 501, have a cult following for people from all walks of life. Employer-badged clothing such as overalls hold an appeal for some enthusiasts, too. In their durable mix of cotton and polyester, old mechanic’s overalls and racing jumpsuits have also stood the test of time.

What to look for

Along with images of any wear and tear, some online retailers include descriptions of the condition. If there are no such details, you might want to request them.
Some stores specialise in garments from other countries – see The French Workwear Company and Butterworth's Vintage Co.
Beyond Retro sells vintage boiler suits, cargo pants and dungarees by brands including Carhartt and Dickies.
US and British armywear can be found at Blighty Militaria and Omega Militaria, while Rokit Vintage sells military clothing from several countries.
On Trouvé, a 1960s French military canvas jacket was recently priced at £245, while a corduroy jacket from the same era was £120.
Check for any staining or odours, as these are hard to wash out. Vintage clothing of any kind must be stored carefully if it is to last – invest in some garment bags made of natural, breathable fabric.
Footwear that has stood the test of time deserves a second chance – store boots and shoes away from direct sunlight.
Look to modern companies such as Carrier Company, Field & Found, The House of Foxy and Labour and Wait for timeless hardworking, utilitarian clothing made today.