Old is the New Thing

from 068 Magazine_May/June_2023

World A Taste of the

Borrowed: A Vintage Inspired Rental Company

by Julia Bruce

Renting table settings has always been a part of planning special events. Lauren Kreter, Wilton resident and owner of Borrowed – a vintageinspired rental company, feels table settings should be as unique as each client. Borrowed offers mismatched vintage china, glassware and flatware to give every event a one-of-a-kind touch.

Kreter’s background is as an event planner - she worked with Tim LaBant from The Schoolhouse at Cannondale - but she found that the place settings were always basic white. In 2011, after cleaning out her grandparent’s house, Kreter inherited six sets of their china. On a whim, she mixed the various patterns at her next event. The style was a hit and the idea for Borrowed was born. “It was a way for me to reuse and repurpose plates that weren’t going to get used,” Kreter says.

Her business flourished and now clients can choose a color scheme or design vibe and Kreter can design creative settings from the over 2,000 plates that she has sourced from Goodwill, flea markets, antique stores and auctions. “I store everything in an outfitted barn in Wilton,” Kreter says. Borrowed has provided plates and glassware to thousands of events from small weddings to fashion week in New York. Her table settings have appeared on tv shows such as Outlander (Starz) and Blindspot (NBC). Borrowed has also outfitted several local restaurants including Kawa Ni in Westport and The Spread in Norwalk.

Kreter says her most memorable event was the wedding of former SNL star Abby Elliot, who was a childhood friend of Kreter’s sister. “They brought us in, and it was so much fun. Martha Stewart had the exclusive, so our place settings ended up on the front page of her magazine, which was really cool,” Kreter says.

Borrowed recently expanded its offerings to include styling services. “People are wanting that special touch to their event and we can provide that,” says Kreter. “Every piece we own is unique and truly vintage, that’s what sets us apart.”