It's 7 a.m. on a Sunday in April. As we approach the grounds of the Wentzville Flea Market, Elizabeth Garza Maxson, owner of Elizabeth House, explains that she makes three laps around the market, first looking for big items that are easy to spot, then honing in on smaller pieces. On her third lap, she looks for items that require the closest examination. She explains to me the "green-cheese factor," when one person's interest in a previously overlooked item draws further interest, driving up the price. She recommends holding off until the other shopper leaves.
Her first purchase is some old linens, which she decides to wrap around the seat of the wroughtiron bench she buys next. After examining some old padlocks, she buys them all. She also buys an entire carton of shoe lasts, explaining that they are collectibles. "When you put things in collections, you can make a statement." A group of pillows prompts the most entertaining vendor interaction of the day. As the dealer explains that the stains on the pillows can be easily removed, she (oblivious) spills her morning mimosa on them. Fortunately (but oddly enough), Maxson prefers the items stained, adding that she "wouldn't buy them if they were pristine." Finally, she purchases what she refers to as "instant ancestors"—old black and white photos of individuals and families.
Maxson never questioned what she wanted to do. (When she was a child in Austin, Texas, her mother would listen from downstairs as Elizabeth slid furniture around on the upper level. Her mother would yell, "Leave your brother's room alone!") After living all over the world, continually attending flea markets and auctions, Maxson watched her career evolve from theater set designer to antiques dealer and designer. Four years ago, she arrived in St. Louis and opened her own store less than a month later. Needless to say, she's never stopped shopping.
On the way back to St. Louis, Maxson reviews her tips for effective flea market shopping (next page) and gives insight into how she manages to run a store, an interior design business and the occasional marathon, and still find time to work on her apartment. Her contagious energy—along with love and pride for what she does—provides her motivation. "If I were to die tomorrow," she says, knocking on wood, "I could honestly say that I've done everything I set out to do."
Elizabeth House
7268 Manchester, 314-644-0828
Maxson's tips:
- Wear a purse, don't carry one—you want your hands free.
- Arrive early for the best selection and to avoid crowds.
- Pay for and leave large items with the vendor and pick them up before you leave, unless they're extremely valuable.
- Be sociable with the dealers. The more they like you, the better the price.
- When negotiating, do not name prices—it can be insulting. Simply ask the dealer for their best price.
- When purchasing several items from one dealer, always ask if he or she will give you a better price for buying the group.
- Buy items in collections whenever possible; it's an easy way to make a decorative statement.
- Bring a tape measure and take measurements when necessary.
- Bring heavy-duty plastic shopping bags. Dealers don't always provide them.
- Bring wipes. Your hands tend to get dirty rummaging through old stuff.
Above the Fray
The proprietor resides above Elizabeth House in an apartment of exceptional eclecticism.
When Maxson attends a flea market, she goes to buy items for her Maplewood store, her interior design business and her apartment. Located above the store, her quaint, unpretentious dwelling provides a glimpse into her vision for the pieces she sells.
Maxson's background in set design takes center stage in her home. A sunken living room contains a round antique-white dining room table, which Maxson painted and distressed herself. Scrim hangs from the shield-back dining chairs. She reupholstered the antique sofa in moss-colored velvet jacquard and covered it with various throw pillows.
Offering her rationale for sewing expensive buttons on a burlap pillow, she explains, "I love, love, love putting things together that you normally wouldn't." Possibly the most notable item in her living room is the dog bed that she created from an antique television set. Her two pugs, Monty and Lulu, take turns napping in their unique digs. In the kitchen, dried sprigs of lavender sit alongside dress forms, and a small chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Her beautiful 1939 O'Keefe and Merit stove still works.
As you walk down the hallway that leads to the bedrooms, you find yourself surrounded by inspiration ... literally. Maxson's faux-finished walls and faded hardwood floor serve as a canvas on which she has painted quotes that she says have helped her through tough times. Also in this hallway, she hung an old painting reminiscent of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. Describing her love for this piece, she pulls it down from the wall and reveals the detail that makes it special to her—a stamp on the back indicating that it was evidence in a crime investigation.
Maxson uses the phrase "casual elegance" to help describe her style, noting, "The biggest compliment anyone could pay me is 'This is so beautiful, but I feel like I could take my shoes off and lie on the sofa.'" She finds that her expertise in this area is of particular help to people with small children. Combining distressed furniture with old fabrics gives "a sophisticated look, but your kids are allowed to be kids." She adds, "Think height" and put elegance out of reach, using accents like chandeliers. Her little apartment houses 11 chandeliers, without the slightest hint of clutter.
Although many buyers are taught to think beyond their personal taste when buying for their store, Maxson ignores the rule.
"I don't buy anything for my store that I wouldn't put in my own house," she says. "I truly buy from my own aesthetics."
