Vintage Vida
Carmen Guerrero
3581 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette, CA
If you have a hankering for “the good old days,” however you may define that, you will be delighted by the selection of well-curated items at Vintage Vida, a new store in downtown Lafayette! Their store is a treasure trove of carefully handpicked vintage eclectic home décor, one-of-a-kind classic clothing, native sterling silver jewelry, hand crafted pottery, hand blown glassware, vinyl records and cassettes, classic toys and other collectibles.
Owner Carmen Guerrero hails from El Salvador, but her family, mostly artists and entrepreneurs, have lived and worked in the East Bay Area for decades. Her mom started cleaning houses in Lafayette, and it was then when clients would offload things they didn’t want any more to the family and young Carmen began to develop a discerning eye for skilled craftsmanship and meaningful décor.
She’s particularly drawn to the best of the 60s, 70s and 80s eras.
When Carmen started her own career, her love of people and joyful gatherings led her to work in special events with the entertainment/music industry at E! Networks and Live Nation. Her husband Jorge is an accomplished Hip Hop vocalist who travels the world performing.
Before the pandemic hit, they remodeled their home, and they ended up with a lot of “extra treasures”. While on furlough, Carmen began to pop up at outdoor vintage markets selling her finds and that’s when she realized that her dream of realizing her own business could be combined with her passion for bringing quality pieces back to life for a new generation of collectors, creators, and old souls. She sources her offerings selectively from families, and local artisans. Everything is authentic; there are no replicas in the store. It’s the real thing from those eras.
I was delighted to discover that Vintage Vida is also a hub for local artisans, and other local events happening around town. You will be delighted to meet Carmen and probably go home with something you never thought you would see again!