Rummage for Inspiration

There has been lots of talk in the blogosphere about staging and creating beautiful vignettes for your home. It got me to thinking about how fun it is to go searching for unique finds, but how frustrating it can be if there is too much work involved.

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I, for one, love when stores set up lovely displays for me, inviting me to imagine how I could utilize a particular tin bucket or rusty doorknob. One store that does an amazing job of retaining shopper's attention is Anthropologie. (For those of you who read this blog often, you know I'm a big fan)

So, onto rummaging...

Lucketts is a little antique store on a winding country road in Northern Virginia. (At the time of this post, website was currently under construction) Were it not on the road to the outlet malls, I never would have discovered it.
Ahhh, lilac against the faded green walls is lovely. A treasure trove of goodies, each retailer is given his or her own corner or room to display wares. Each time I visited, I was amazed by the variety of the displays. It really made a difference in holding my attention.

A colorful feast for the eyes, each vignette created a little world for customers to poke around in.

I could take this chair home. Reminds me of a toned-down version of these pieces.
Outside, there are all sorts of rusty metal doo dads and iron pieces. If I could have, I would have come home with one a wrought iron gazebo. Oh, my husband would have -loved- that (says she, dripping with sarcasm)

I think I just liked the big windows and sunlight streaming in. Faux-finished column, anyone?
Anyways, there's just a little sneak peak at this jumble of creative options. Do you have someplace you like to go for inspiring trinkets?