Lockdown Blues? Shop These Swiss Etsy Home Decor Shops
It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the one-year anniversary of our first COVID-19 lockdown. How are we celebrating here in Switzerland? By having our 3rd lockdown of course! Yes, that’s right, we have officially entered our THIRD FULL-BLOWN LOCKDOWN, meaning no more shopping in stores for the foreseeable future. The bright side, if you can call it that, is we still have online shopping! In a recent post, I covered the larger home decor and furniture retailers that sell online in Switzerland (check out that post here) and thought I should highlight some independent Swiss businesses too! If you don’t know what Etsy is (not sure how that’s possible), it’s is a global marketplace to shop unique items directly from makers and sellers. Shopping on Etsy is a great way to directly support small-sized businesses trying to scrape by in these harsh COVID times. So in this post, I will be sharing my thoughts on vintage shopping & highlighting some Swiss Home Decor Etsy Shops that you can shop. The best part? Right from your couch, you’re able to shop for one-of-a-kind, found objects and artisan items that the larger online retailers will never have!
Antiquing and thrifting are some of my favorite pastimes and hunting for the perfect items! I can spend hours in an antique shop and usually have to be dragged out by my husband, while I desperately try to look in every last nook and cranny. Not being able to shop in person has been depressing, I even miss the glares and eye-rolls from my husband when he is ready to be done, but I’ve been filling that void by shopping on Etsy. I’ve used the website for years to source things like wallpaper, upholstery fabric, vintage decor, art, clothing, jewelry, etc., but during the pandemic, it’s become my virtual antique mall. It’s wonderful to be able to access global shops in far-off places, but the downside to shopping globally is the import tax. Importing anything into Switzerland comes at a hefty price and after making that mistake when we first moved here, I began filtering my searches to stores that were only located in Switzerland. Usually, it means the shipping charges are much less (often free) and you’re not only supporting small businesses, you’re supporting local small businesses - yay!
When I’m styling a home, I always incorporate found, vintage and antique objects into my design. If you are not an antique/vintage lover, I am here to tell you: you should be. I think people who shun antiques and vintage items must surely just have not done their homework. It’s a common misconception that vintage or antique automatically means lace doilies and floral wallpaper (which I am not entirely opposed to if it’s incorporated well, c’mon Grandma Chic!), but that’s a mistaken notion. For example, take a look at Swiss architect and furniture designer Pierre Jeanneret, you see his wildly popular Chandigarh chair (pictured) in modern and contemporary interiors all the time. That chair first debuted over 70 years ago and is still popular today because good design withstands time! I am not saying that your entire home needs to be filled with collecter pieces, although if you can afford it… more power to you, but curating a few antique/vintage items from Etsy is going to add personality to your interior and make your home feel unique.
There are too many sellers to count on Etsy and even with filters, it can be difficult to track down quality items in the vast product catalog. I’m aware this sounds completely insane and I should probably seek therapy for it, but where I used to periodically spend a few hours in an antique store, I now spend hours (almost daily) looking through the endless home decor products on Etsy - don’t judge! I told you I enjoy the hunt and online shopping means I avoid those exasperated sighs from my husband. If you are not like me, which I suspect most aren’t, and don’t enjoy spending hours of your life looking through Etsy product listings, I thought it might be helpful to share some of my favorite Swiss Etsy Shops that sell elevated home decor.
As always, if you’re interested in elevating your home decor, need assistance, and want to work with me check out my Interior Design Services or feel free to contact me.
My Favorite Swiss Home Decor Etsy Shops
If you have an Etsy shop that’s not on this list, just let me know and I can add it in!