In her 1940s Spanish Colonial in Crozier, Kim Vincze houses a trove of items from eras past. Chartreuse and deep-blue walls are a rich backdrop for her glamorous Hollywood Regency décor — chrome furniture, lacquered bookshelves, glass and mirrored surfaces, and an infinite number of far-out tchotchkes. “I’ve always liked unusual decorative things,” she says of her cosmopolitan style.
While Vincze’s home is her personal treasure chest, her store, Verve Home Furnishings, has been a go-to for unique finds for a decade.
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Vincze sports her shearling Chanel purse (right) and a vintage Carolina Herrera blouse with sable cuffs. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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ME-OW: An Italian terra cotta wildcat, purchased from an estate in Richmond, makes a fierce statement in Vincze’s living room. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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ENLIGHTENING PAIR: A pair of gold Quan Yin goddess lamps with maroon shades is a nod to Vincze’s love for Asian-inspired décor. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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BOW WOW: “I kind of have a foo dog fetish,” Vincze says with a laugh. This wooden pair of pooches joins many other foo dogs found throughout her home. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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MODERN MATADOR: A contemporary oil painting of a bullfighter with a beautiful carved frame was one of Vincze’s first art purchases. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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ORIENTAL STYLE: Vincze learned this statue was originally acquired from the Downtown Club when it was remodeled back in the ’80s. Vincze knew it was meant to be, as she and her husband went on their first date there. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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A REAL GEM: A ’70s-era French dessert pedestal made from amethyst and metal is one of Vincze’s most offbeat finds from décor hunting in D.C. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
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SHIP CHANDELIER: A crystal ship chandelier illuminates Vincze’s lavender lounge area. (Photo by Sarah Walor)
After working in national account sales at Anthem for 20 years, Vincze got her real estate license and started showing homes. While staging homes, she amassed a collection of furniture and décor, and suddenly, she had too many things. She started selling her décor along with her funky, handmade wreaths at the Shops at 5807, where she still maintains a booth. “Customers would come by to pick up a wreath, and I’d sell them lamps and pillows,” she recalls. She still sells the wreaths, which are wildly popular every holiday season. “I cannot make them fast enough,” Vincze says.
After five years at the Shops at 5807, she opened her own space at 4903 W. Leigh St., near Willow Lawn, where she shares a sprawling 12,000-square-foot warehouse with vendors Ikonik, Eclectic Collectics and La Galleria. Recently, Vincze opened a second location of Verve Home Furnishings inside Leftover Luxuries in Charlottesville.
Verve’s merchandise echoes Vincze’s home, with an array of vintage modern furniture and décor. “You’ll see that [in] my house and warehouse, there is a lot of overlap,” she says. Vincze sells everything from new items purchased at market and Asian-inspired décor to ’80s and Midcentury modern finds. “I’m not a purist,” she says. “I sell items that are designer-relevant, still have some play and don’t go out of style. … We are a good place to look for a statement piece.”
Gazing at Vincze’s cache, you can’t help but wonder, “Where does she get all this stuff?” People reach out to her weekly, sending photos of furniture and décor. She also finds her inventory online and at auctions and estate sales. Vincze is a one-woman show, scouting, merchandising and selling. “It takes a lot of time to find good stuff, and it’s become competitive,” she says.
With all the decorative riches that Vincze has acquired, you might think it would be difficult for her to narrow down her favorites. But after going through breast cancer treatment two and a half years ago, Vincze’s perspective changed. “I love my stuff,” she says. “I have so many great pieces, but I have had to force myself to edit some things out and ask, ‘Does this make me happy?’ If so, keep it.”
