After months of quarantine and self-isolation, many of us came to the conclusion that our homes should represent more of who we are. It all started by rearranging rooms to make space for an abundance of houseplants, along with other decorating trends. By now, it may be of general consensus that our home spaces should carry within them our signature. The great news is that thrift shopping has taken an elegant, and environmentally-safe turn right at the home decor department. In fact, Archive JC by Dana Curatolo might have a lot to do with it.
Archive JC is a Jersey City-based Instashop established in July 2020. According to Curatolo, founder and curator, the idea started as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. “With the lack of passport use, and having worked in the travel industry for the past 10+ years, I conceptualized the brand in June—offering clients the ability to journey through the nostalgia and aesthetics of one-of-a-kind and thoughtfully curated pieces,” she explained.
Archive JC sells and curates collections of vintage home fashion every other Sunday at noon, all via Instagram. The shop includes art pieces, furniture and other interior design items. Many of these items were purchased abroad some 35-50 years ago and have now been sourced locally here in Jersey.
Vintage Thrift Shopping
The beauty behind vintage thrift shopping isn’t always the affordable prices one may find in the stores or the great shape in which the items may be. Rather, it is about the rich history the products contain.
However, even without knowing, we become part of the list of countless owners of such things. Even more, shopping vintage can help repurpose many unused articles so that we avoid contributing to consumerism and waste.
As a matter of fact, Curatolo affirms that as traveling was ruled out as an option, she found consolation in her home and its treasures. “I realized travel, as we have seen proven through the complexities of this pandemic, can take shape in a multitude of ways. The spaces we reside—and the pieces we style them with—offer an opportunity to travel through time, imagination and memory,” says Curatolo.
So far, the collections have stolen the hearts of Jersey City residents and other clients from Brooklyn and Manhattan. Fortunately, Archive JC donates at least 10 percent of the profits from the items sold to local foundations that include Angela Cares, Covenant House NJ, Hudson Pride Center, The Loveland Foundation, Roots & Wings and The Just Human Foundation.
With the spirit of giving back, the instashop will be donating a portion of their holiday sales, from now through the month of January, to local foundations including Women Rising, Roots & Wings and more.
“Your home could tell a story. In essence what we’re trying to do is help locals build that narrative,” said-Dana Curatolo.
To support this local business, you can start by following @ArchiveJC on Instagram or by donating gently used vintage items that you no longer have use for.
An iconic matching set of Thonet Bentwood Chairs
A rare 1970s Framed Sonia Delaunay Lithograph
A Milo-Baughman Style Chrome Serving/Bar Cart from the 1970s
A Brass-Framed French Architectural Odean Theatre Lithograph from the 1960s
Signed Male Artist Sketch, 1977
