SPEAKING VINTAGE WITH LUCIA ZOLEA
Two Dialects, One Ethos
Lately, I’ve been thinking about language—not the kind we speak, but the kind we feel. The quiet thrill of discovering perfectly aged furniture, the trust of intuition when an objet d’art just clicks. That unspoken dialogue of emotional objects is what led me to Lucia Zolea. She’s a fashion curator with a sentimental soul and a sixth sense for vintage and antiques, and while I speak in rooms and she speaks in closets, our fluency is the same: beauty with history, presence with patina. As someone who builds homes with at least 50% vintage goods in every project, I’ve long admired Lucia’s eye, her thoughtful sourcing, and the poetic way she layers the past into the present. Please enjoy our thoughtful conversation surrounding objects that last…
M: Out of everything you purvey and curate for others, what makes you keep something?
L: So much of what I buy is based on a feeling - it resonates with me almost in an instantaneous way. I have found so many beautiful things over the years but what makes me keep something for myself usually is if I have a story or feeling of my own attached to it. If I source a piece on a special trip or if a piece reminds me of someone I love I tend to hold on to it. I am a very sentimental person.
M: Do you remember the first vintage piece that made your heart race?
I have so many special finds racing through my head right now! Gosh I think the first piece that really took my breath away was a vintage Chanel open weave crochet grape vine top from one of my very first collections - I remember just being in absolute awe at the construction and how special it felt to have it. I had never seen anything like it before.
M: What about antiquing grounds you? Where does the passion stem from?
L: For me I think it is truly getting lost in something. Letting my mind wander and being alone with my thoughts and taking my time. Throughout my life I have always found myself lost in things. Lost in photography, running, being outside, in music. I recharge being by myself and doing something I love - and sourcing and antiquing is an extension of that for me.
M: In what ways does vintage sourcing intersect with sustainability for you—not just ecologically, but emotionally and economically?
L: Vintage is the recycling of not just the physical clothes and items that we find but the stories and history attached to every single piece. It helps us in the practice of preservation - that something we buy should be taken care of to last - not just for the moment. It has taught me to be more intentional with the pieces I choose to invest in. I also love the idea of adding my chapter to a vintage piece and then someday in the future I can anonymously have my little life be a part of someone else's story.
M: Where is your favorite place (shop or town) to source?
L: My favorite place to source is the Brimfield Antique show in Massachusetts. I go every year in May and I look forward to it all year round. There are hundreds of vendors and people to meet. I always leave feeling exhilarated.
M: How do you avoid burnout in a trend-driven world when your work is rooted in timelessness?
L: I think the best way to avoid burnout especially when it comes to trends is to listen to your intuition. I always lead with my intuition when buying and presenting what I feel is a true connection to myself and the things that I love. My business is so personal in that aspect. I think to go solely on trends and not on your own vision is where you can go astray. I always go back to a phrase my dad said to me growing up and it was "When you are in your truth - things will always work out". I carry that with me knowing that when I source from my heart - it will resonate with who it is supposed to.
M: Describe your ideal Sunday morning. Who’s cooking? What’s playing? What are you wearing?
L: My ideal Sunday morning is waking up slowly with my family. All of us in our PJ's - we usually start the day with coffee and fruit and reading books to our daughter Jane in bed. My husband loves to play older Jazz in the morning and ideally on a Sunday we would all make pancakes together and dance in the kitchen. I really love small moments with my family.
M: How does motherhood show up in your creative or sourcing routines?
L: Motherhood has given me a confidence that I did not have before. Being a mother to Jane has shown me how much I am capable of and that I can make hard decisions. I feel that I now source with a conviction I didn't have before. I am more sure and confident in my choices and how they make me feel.
M: What does ‘home’ mean to you? How would you describe your personal home?
L: Home is everything to me. Growing up in my parents home I was always surrounded by warmth, comfort, and love. There was no room that was too precious - every single inch of the home was lived in and loved. My husband and I put all of our efforts and time into our home to make that same feeling for Jane and our loved ones. Home to me is a feeling. We live in a 1930s home in Virginia and from the minute I walked through the doors I knew it was special. It is far from perfect and we still have a lot to do but it is one of the joys of my life to pour my heart into making it ours.
M: If you could live in any MKS project, which one would it be and why?
L: Your work is incredibly beautiful. Visually soothing and there is a peacefulness that transcends through your work that I find really comforting. My favorite project of yours is your own home project. Every room has a quiet and timeless elegance. I really fell in love with your daughter's room. The color drenched walls and ceilings, a striped chair for a pop of whimsy, and the floral touches.
M: Is there a piece (of clothing, art, furniture) that you’ve loved for longer than a decade? Tell us its story.
L: Yes! I find that the pieces I truly fall in love with for a lifetime are jewelry. Jewelry is so personal - there is an inherent magic to something that you carry with you so close throughout so many moments of your life. To me it holds the memory of a time, place, or person more intimately. I have a ring that my mother gifted me my first year in college. A small gold signet ring with a floral motif engraved into it. It was her first ring that she ever had. It was given to her by my Grandad who was born and raised in Louisiana. He passed away almost 8 years ago now and when I wear that ring I feel them both close to me.
M: If we were to collaborate, what home item or room would you want to design together?
L: I would love to collaborate on my living room space. Your eye for timelessness, calm, and tranquility would be qualities I would love to carry into a space that I hope to spend a lot of time in.
RAPID ROUND:
M: Favorite antique in your home:
L: My favorite antique in our home currently is the set of tiles that I found on a sourcing trip that we have as the center of our kitchen backsplash. They are painted caught fish - it brings a bit of warmth and whimsy to the kitchen that I love. It brightens my day every time I see it.
M: Fabric you’d wear forever:
L: Cotton. You can never go wrong with cotton. It always feels so good on the skin. It is the fabric I always reach for.
M: Book you always come back to:
L: Jane Eyre. I have always been a romantic but there is something about Jane Eyre that is hauntingly beautiful and makes my heart ache in the best way. That book and movie are one of the main reasons I fell in love with the name Jane for our daughter.
M: Vintage find that got away:
L: I will never forget it and it haunts me to this day! It was a vintage Chanel gripoix necklace with poured multi-colored glass flowers throughout. It was delicate yet powerful. I toyed with the idea of buying it until it was too late and I have never seen it again. But that is the beauty and heartbreak of vintage!
M: Coffee, tea or wine while sourcing?
L: I am a coffee person. Having a warm cup of coffee and sourcing is always a dream.
M: Favorite unnecessary object:
L: Too many! Currently it is a small souvenir sailboat from the 1900s made out of mother of pearl shells. I love novelty pieces.
