Tag: home

August 12, 2012

Industrial Chic: Decorating With Vintage Metal Fans

Sometimes you just have to buy an item for no particular reason except that you like it. It’s not practical. It may not serve any purpose. You just like it. And, that’s okay. At least I tell myself that. I tell myself that because I’m the kind of person who wants random items like a 50-75 pound ceramic elephant planter. (I’m still kicking myself for not buying that at my local Goodwill.) I’m also the kind of person that scours antique stores across Missouri and Kansas to find the perfect vintage metal fan. Just because I wanted one. Obviously I wasn’t drawn to vintage fans for their superior cooling capabilities. I like the look. Lately I’ve seen retro electric fans in almost every home magazine I open. One will be perched on a dresser, adding a splash of vintage style to the room without looking girly, as a lot of vintage items can. Or, one will sit atop a stack of books as a makeshift bedside table. Vintage fans just add a bit of industrial charm to a room. Plus, their look can fit with all types of decorating styles. See: After much searching, I finally found a vintage...

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July 5, 2012

3 Uses For Vintage Jewelry (Besides Wearing It!)

If you love scouring antique malls, thrift stores and garage sales for truly unique vintage jewelry, like me, then you also likely have some vintage jewels that just don’t get worn too often. I tend to have a few favorite pieces that I wear all the time until my next jewelry phase. Put those idle trinkets to good re-use around your home! When you’re not flaunting those killer vintage necklaces, bracelets and earrings with your stylish ensembles, then repurpose them with these three nifty ideas. Dress up a bulletin board image: Kirsten Hudson Instead of pinning messages, pictures and other odds and ends to your bulletin board, use vintage earrings minus the backs to hang items. Scour antique malls and thrift stores for a bunch of cheap vintage earrings. From showy costume jewelry to delicate fake pearls and diamonds, choose whatever vintage earrings fit your distinct style. Necklace as a bookmark image: Lindley Ashline Next time you need to save your page in your latest read, toss out that boring receipt or scrap paper marking your spot. Instead, use a pretty vintage necklace as a bookmark. Now that’s a page marker worthy of that hardback. Bracelets as napkin rings...

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June 14, 2012

3 Steps To Create A Vintage-Inspired Desk

You vintage lovers deserve a workspace that complements your home decorating aesthetic. Whether you just use your desk to pay bills and surf the Web or your desk functions as your full-time workstation, you need a space where you enjoy spending time. If it looks vintage-cute, all the better! For me, an office space that combines vintage elements, artwork that I enjoy looking at, and functionality inspires me to write. Check out my desk below and discover how you too can fashion a vintage-inspired desk for your home. 1. The right desk  The modern desks you find at furniture stores today often don’t offer the same craftsmanship as vintage pieces. Vintage desks are usually made of solid wood, not a combination of wood and cheap plywood like today’s furniture. Choose a desk for your workspace that you’ll actually want to work at. I salvaged my desk from a Goodwill for $20. With a fresh coat of white paint and green accents, it looks near-new and still has the retro look I adore. 2. Keep it minimal Choose the pieces that you place on your desk surface carefully. An uncluttered work area will help you get more work done. You...

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May 13, 2012

Stylishly Organize Your Home With Vintage Tins

We often associate “storage” with dumpy, bulky plastic tubs and containers. When you work so hard to fill your home with items that fit your style, you might wonder why can’t storage do its job and look good too? It can! Keep your home   looking fresh by corralling all of those stray items—mail, batteries, office supplies—in easy-to-come-by vintage tins. You’ll never want to use plastic storage containers again. You can easily locate vintage tins at thrift stores, secondhand shops, flea markets and antique malls. Scour your local shops for metal tins that fit your style. Whether you like a funky, classic or sleek look, you’ll be able to find antique tins you love. Keep in mind that you don’t need full out vintage décor in your home to use vintage tins. They look especially good juxtaposed against modern furnishings. Declutter your home by stowing away all of that stuff you just don’t need out and about. I use vintage tins in every room of my home to tuck away less attractive items. Check out how I get organized with vintage tins: Handy circular vintage tins break up the rows of books on my bookshelf and provide convenient storage...

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