When it comes to antique shoppers, designer Autumn Pochiro says they fall into two camps. There are people who simply get a kick out of browsing antique stores without any pressure to discover a gem. Then there’s the serious, knowledgeable set who might be determined to find a specific piece and can easily spew details about an item’s value and history.
Pochiro, who admits that she’s a novice, was reminded of this a few years ago when she attended an estate sale in Dublin, Ohio, hoping to find artwork. “It was all sold,” says the founder of Autumn Dawn Design, recalling the let-down. “They even had an original Andy Warhol!”
But in the midst of that disappointment came a surprise that would immediately turn her experience around. “As I was walking through this beautiful house, I spotted these gorgeous brass bullet casings formed into vases,” Pochiro says, noting that they’re called trench art.
While she was admiring them, an elderly man looked on beside her. “I was kind of guarding them,” she says with a chuckle. “Then he said he wasn’t going to take them from me, but he could tell by my expression that I didn’t know what I had found.”
The man, who happened to be a lawyer, went on to explain that they’re trench art shell casings from World War I. “I wanted to be offended, but he was so cute, and it was the most interesting conversation,” she says. She paid $80 for the pair at the time, but soon after, she learned that they’re worth about $1,700. Today, the designer proudly displays them on her living room bookshelf.
“They’re my favorite thing in my house right now,” Pochiro says.
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand’s home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, “What’s in My Cart.”
