Monday, November 7, 2011

Going Vintage

This post originally appeared as a guest post at Meridian Road in September.

Once upon a time, I used to go to Rod Works or Tai-Pan Trading and drool over the pretty home-décor items there. But then I was bothered that I would see the same things repeated in houses up and down the neighborhood.  The “blog world” has opened my eyes to a new kind of decorating, and over time, I have learned that I prefer to have unique items with a history in my home, rather than cookie-cutter tsotchkes!

Today I wanted to share some of the vintage treasures I am slowly collecting for my home. They are probably old, usually imperfect, but definitely loved!

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I found these two pieces of baseboard at an architectural salvage stop. There are at least three layers of paint on them! I like to imagine what kind of building they must have been in…something very grand to have 12” baseboards!

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I have a very small collection of doorknobs. Yep, those three are the entire collection! I found the little wrought-iron piece at an antique store for $5. I don’t have a clue what it was originally for, but it makes my tiny collection a real conversation piece!

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The three jars are vintage European canning jars. There capacity (in liters) is pressed into the bottom. Yes, these are the same jars that Pottery Barn sells for a couple hundred dollars. I found mine at a flea market for considerably less! Inside the smallest is my set of letterpress blocks. If you could see all the way around, you would see that they spell out “Harvest” on the bottom. I absolutely love typography (I don’t supposed that’s a big secret anymore)!

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My rustic wooden bowl was a belated birthday present this year. My husband had tried to buy me something I wanted at a local vintage consignment shop, but it was gone by the time he got there. So he gave me a gift certificate instead! About a week later, this small dough bowl came home with me!

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The bowl is filled with four hand-knit pumpkins I made a few years ago. I like the juxtaposition of textures.

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My newly-created suitcase wall is a collection in and of itself!  But it’s also a fun place to display other treasures—like the folding yardstick I got from Suzanne that sits next to my grandfather’s cloth-and-metal tape measure.

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If you thought three items was a small collection, how about two? To this day, my husband cannot remember what these are: wire flower frogs. And when I tell him, I think he’s still at a loss as to why they’re sitting next to his lamp.

Because I like them, that’s why!

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The big wooden “pedestal” is actually a leg off an old German piano. It’s another treasure from my favorite consignment shop…it spoke to me! What’s a girl to do??

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Oh, look, another collection of three! I found three glass insulators FOR FREE on my birthday! They’re probably not real collector’s items…but they were obviously meant for me.

Oh, that enamelware pitcher in the back? Well, you caught me out…it’s from IKEA!

Thanks for sharing my treasures with me. I’m curious…has the blog world affected your decorating style? I would love to know!

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Linking up at The Shabby Nest, My Repurposed Life, Simple Home Life, Coastal Charm, From My Front Porch to Yours, House of Hepworths, No Minimalist Here, 2805, A Little Knick Knack, Common Ground, and My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia.

29 comments:

Debbiedoos said...

Love the door knobs. I just saw some nice collections at an antique show over the weekend, however, like everything else they had, they were over priced. Cute knitted pumpkins too.

Katie @ Wildwood Creek said...

Love the pumpkins and pedestals!

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

You've got some great pieces, Korrie. I am getting to experience antique and flea marts for the first time, and I really like that the pieces I see are unique and one-of-a-kind.

Unknown said...

Fun post today! :)

Anonymous said...

You really have some great pieces! I love the door knobs and the glass insulators! Great ideas!

A Thrifted Market said...

Love your collections. Its so much more fun and challenging to decorate with thrift store/antique finds than just walking into a store and picking out everything on the shelves. Much more fun and original!!

Carol said...

Love your collections!!! I love glass insulators and have a rather large collection of them. My nephew knew I like them and bought me two five gallon buckets full at an auction. I was in insulator heaven :)

Dee ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ said...

Treasures are always the best to decorate with. You have a nice collection.
They will be loved for many years.

Dee :-)

Valley Primitives Gift Shoppe said...

I love all of your finds and your decorating style :D
Kim

Proper Prim said...

Oh Oh, you caught that bug too. Beware there is no cure for it. It continuously gets worse and worse. I have had this bug for 20+ years and it's like a disease, it just eats away at your pocket book, so be very careful...lol.

Loving your new treasures. Tip for you put some battery tea lights under your insulators for a nice glow. You did a fantastic job putting it all together.

Have a great day.

Hugs, Deb

From G2B said...

Hey Korrie,
I was wondering where you go hunting for your salvaged treasures? Anywhere in SLc, or all up by you? {I'm on Orem} I've heard there's an amazing warehouse type building full of goodies somewhere in SLC, but don't know the details...
Anyhow,= always interested in finding goodies!
Bec

Homeroad said...

Ok so I just had to jump up when I saw your jar full of antique stampers... I have the same jar and the same stampers so I ran to fill the jar and put it out for display :)
That's how I work....
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Susan

Perfect Imperfections by Jeanne said...

I love all your treasures! I have been collecting various "imperfect" treasures over the years because they just make me feel good. I will say my new venture in the blogging world has caused me to want to "step" it up with my holiday decor. I think this might be the first year I decorated for Fall! I love it! I so enjoy your blog. Thanks for sharing.

Beth said...

Blogland didn't create my decorating style, but it sure has enhanced it and you sure have been a recent part of that enhancement!

Love all your little collections and don't forget that all collections have to start somewhere! I just love that piece of metalwork that perfectly holds your vintage door knobs!

SImple and Serene Living said...

You're amassing a great collection, Korrie. Love your wooden bowl.

Jenny @ Simcoe Street said...

This is beautiful. Each piece works so well.

Jenny
www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com

Jill said...

Love the suitcase wall! Very neat!

Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic said...

I loved this post when I saw it at Suzanne's blog. You've got a great eye for displaying your little collections. Goes to show you it's not the quantity that counts. (me I have too many of everything and can't figure out how to display it!)
I think I've gotten bolder with my decorating choices because of blogging, I've always used antique doodads in my decorating, it's eyeopening to see so many others doing the same.
My one rule is that it must make me smile to look at..if not, it doesn't belong at my house.
I smile a LOT when I'm home, ;)

Olive said...

Love all your vintage goodness but the letters in glass are my favorite. We have an old house and all the doors have glass door knobs. Now the rest of the house minus some other details is falling apart.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I really love the creative way you display your treasures! I love the old and vintage but an occasional bargain new piece is A-OK!

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here said...

Hi Korrie, You have some wonderful collections. I looked at the PB jars last week at their outlet but they are still pretty expensive. I love yours and especially the one filled with the letter press blocks. Thanks for joining the Open House party!
Hugs,
Sherry

Sharon @ mrs. hines class said...

Hi, I'm your newest follower. I just love, love, love your collections! I'm so inpired.

Sharon @ mrshinesclass

Upscale Downhome said...

I'm so glad you've found your way into the vintage world! I've been here a while and it's always a fun treasure hunt. You've found some really fun things! I love the German piano leg that you turned into a candle holder...very unique and gorgeous detail. I collect frogs, too. Mine are all glass; haven't found metal ones yet. I use them to hold the pens in my office. :) Looking forward to following your blog.

Rachel said...

Love your treasures. I don't know if the blogging world has affected my decorating style but I know several other things have been affected. Ideas for my gardens, projects to do, things to do with my kids.....

My decorating lately has been, "Get everything out of the house and off to DI because I don't have the energy to clean it right now" style of decorating.

I was shocked when my older boys asked where all of the 'junk' was that used to be on top of my kitchen cupboards. I told them I'd DI'd them and they told me they liked that stuff and missed it! Stuff I'd tole painted years ago!!

Who knew............

Sarah Tolman said...

Rarely do I like something enough to think, yeah I really would do that but I LOVE those suitcases and the knit pumpkins. I wanna go out and get me some!

Honey at 2805 said...

Your collections are terrific, Korrie! The canning jars are wonderful. Thank you for sharing your terrific ideas at Potpourri Friday!

abode said...

I'm in love with old wooden bingo balls and all things architectural salvagy - luckily a lot of those t hings come our way!

reese_1966 said...

I will be asking hubby for his old Mason Rules now! LOL

Chris said...

Hi Korrie, what a quaint collection of objects. They certainly are unusual and I guess that's why they appeal so much to you. I have noticed since I have been blogging that there are no right or wrong ways when it comes to collecting or having hobbies. It's an individual choice and thank goodness were are all so different, that's why it is so interesting to read each other's blogs. Thanks so much for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris