On Sourcing: Why Europe Always Comes First

I didn’t set out to source vintage objects from Europe.

It happened the way most good things do—quietly, almost by accident.

It was 2020. I was deep in a home renovation in Miami, searching for pieces that would make our home feel like us.
Not just decorated. Curated.

I’ve always been drawn to antiques. Growing up, I watched my parents see objects differently—the way something old could hold feeling, could carry a story you almost didn’t need to be told.

This time, I was looking with intention.

Not for more—but for meaning.
Pieces with presence. The kind that stop you mid-conversation.

And I kept asking myself: where do things like this come from?

The answer, almost always, was Europe.

There’s something about the way objects are made and kept there—used, repaired, passed down—that feels different. French stoneware worn from decades in the kitchen. Cutting boards marked by real meals. Vessels that have held something before they ever reach you.

These aren’t objects pretending to have a story.
They actually have one.

I started sourcing slowly. Through trusted dealers, through markets, through moments you only find when you’re really looking.

What I kept coming back to was this:
imperfection isn’t a flaw—it’s proof of a life lived.

And a home filled with pieces like that doesn’t feel assembled.
It feels real.

That’s still the filter for everything I bring into Our Nido.
Not: is this beautiful?
But: does it resonate?

If the answer is yes, it comes home with me.

And eventually, with a little luck, it finds its way to yours.

Blessings,

Cristina