FINDING NEW PURPOSE FOR VINTAGE FINDS

Hello.

Did you read my recent post on Designer Cindy Hattersley’s beautiful lake home? If not you can see it by clicking here. One of things that makes Cindy’s home so special is the way she has repurposed vintage items, turning them into beautiful home decor. She has used old row boat oars, rustic tin tiles and decaying barn vents as wall ornamentation.  Vintage shutters with their lovely patinas are used as headboards and reclaimed wood has been used for the construction of many furniture pieces throughout her home. She has given new life to so many old things and her home epitomized the saying, “What’s Old Is New Again”.

So when a new website called Modernize.com approached me with a request to do a guest blog post about finding new purpose for vintage finds, I jumped at the chance to have them do so. And what perfect timing coming on the heels of my last post about Cindy’s home, which is a treasure trove of repurposed vintage finds. So, the following is an article by Ty Schmidt of Modernize.com, a website that is chock full of home ideas and inspiration.

Finding New Purpose For Vintage Finds

To someone else it could just be a dusty dresser, rickety ladder or a clock that doesn’t keep time anymore. To you, it’s a treasure. Never mind the man at the rummage sale who gives you a questioning look as you haul your new-to-you rusted birdcage to your car. Forget the woman who thinks you’re a little off your rocker buying a ladder that clearly wouldn’t support a squirrel, let alone a person. You are a visionary. You see new life in what others might see as dated garbage, and there is a creative sense of power in your corner because of it.

Here are some of our favorite creative ways to breathe new life into vintage finds in every room of your home. Simply click on the photo for a link to the source of each image.

Step it up. Old wooden ladders are a blank canvas for creativity. While no one would suggest using them for their original purpose, they make excellent drying racks in kitchens, book shelves, displays for photos and other art, or as a pot rack above a kitchen stove. They make great bathroom towel racks or can even be used above a dining table. Paint or refinish them, or leave their character as-is.

Bird call. Birdcages can be a beautiful showcase for a variety of items. Incorporate other antique pieces, or use a birdcage as the statement piece in a room. Give it purpose by filling it with flowers, jewelry or for holding mail or other paperwork in a home office. They also make great chandeliers.

Time will tell. If you enjoy collecting bring your collection together as a decorative focal point in a room. Place your favorite timepieces in another vintage vessel of some sort as well. They will make a timeless statement in your home.

Rethink how to use your old suitcases. Bring your creativity into a room by rethinking the way you use a suitcase. Let them do double-duty as extra storage space. Stack old suitcases making them into a nightstand or end table for a creative and unique look. Or even turn them into a dog bed, doll house or bar. The possibilities are endless!

Get crafty with picture frames. Just because a picture is warped or a mirror is broken doesn’t mean you can’t find a use for the beautiful frame it is encased in. Try converting old frames into a jewelry display. Or add string and clothespins and use them to display photos, vintage postcards or recipe cards. They make great chalkboards and pin boards as well.

Box it up. Antique wooden boxes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes that lend themselves perfectly to repurposing. Old beer or wine crates could be used for storage or converted into ottomans or other furniture pieces.  Use a crate to grow an indoor herb garden or to house a flower arrangement. Put a box with segments to work housing things like spice jars, a button collection or sea shells. Use them to make an artful wall display or even turn one into a pet feeding station.

Weigh your choices. Use an old scale to showcase your favorite antique finds. In the kitchen use a scale to display kitchen gadgets, dish towels, flowers, fruit, vegetables, plants or even candles. In a bathroom they can hold scented soaps and hand towels.

Play with plates. It never hurts to take something out of its comfort zone. Have a little fun with something that doesn’t belong, like plates as living room décor, or a wall of antique mirrors in a foyer. You can even hang a wall of plates outdoors!

Give old furniture new purpose. For anyone that has ever inherited a piece of furniture they love but it doesn’t quite fit their decor, repurposing is the way to go. Give an old dresser a whole new shot at life by transforming it into a beautiful and one-of-a-kind kitchen island. Remove the drawers that don’t work anymore, give it a new coat of paint, maybe add some fun new knobs, and you’re good to go. An old dresser also makes a fabulous addition to a bathroom when repurposed as a vanity. Old cribs can be transformed into garden swings and craft tables. Turn old drawers into wall shelves and a vintage dresser into a play kitchen. Add shutters to a bookshelf and you’ve got yourself an armoire. Let your imagination and creativity be your guide.