Yesterday for Today

Isn’t it amazing how many creative ideas surround us?   Today we see a lot of new and vintage pieces being mixed in home decorating.  When I was growing up, it seemed that there was more separation between “antiquers” and people who wouldn’t have anything old in their homes.  Either your house was new items with that “brass and glass” modern look or you decorated with vintage items in a certain period like Victorian, Mission, primitive etc.  Today we all see a mixture and “anything goes”.  I like this more personal style mixing old and new.

This article is a simple compilation of things that I have seen and would like to pass on to you.  I LOVE ALL decorating magazines and shows that explain how to use, repurpose and adapt vintage things for our lives and homes today.  For years, I kept all my old Pottery Barn and Spiegel catalogues after looking at decorating trends and the reproduction antiques that they manufactured and sold.  I had to give that up due to limited storage space.

By far the simplest way to use antiques in your home is not to change their purpose but to use them as a prop.  And the best part is that your good friends can’t copy you.  They can’t go out to Hobby Lobby, Pier One or Pottery Barn and buy “your look.”

For storage, think about using baskets, crocks, trunks, wooden boxes, metal tool boxes, tins, and tackle boxes.   If you are using old suitcases stacked by a chair your friends can go and find their own suitcases but the style, color and patina won’t be an exact match.  I LOVE THAT!  There are a lot of good, old pieces that work really well in our lives and can easily replace plastic totes!  For “seen” storage simply hang or display items  repurposing old door knobs, brass scales, barn pulleys croquet mallets, ladders, and stair way or porch rail spindles.  Spindles make great hat stands and great candle stands.

Insulators turned upside down make great votive candle holders.  As do mismatched tea cups and glass furniture glides.  Lovely old china plates – have you ever seen them used as a landscape border –half moons sticking out of the ground or as a backdrop with cups and saucers in a fish aquarium?  Old windows make great frames and hanging above an island, a great pot rack, just make sure you seal in the lead paint!  

Are you handy with power tools?  Old doors are a treasure trove for the creative repurposer and require a little assistance with a power tool.  Some “antiquers” are fortunate enough to have a honey doer as a partner.  You can create a head board, desk, bookshelves, bench or room divider.  Or take two old dressers – the same height, place back-to-back and put on a new top to form a kitchen island.  Cut a hole in the top of a small dresser or commode, tile it and drop in a sink – this also works with buffets for an original bathroom vanity!