For me, even though we can sometimes afford new things now, I find that I actually prefer to mostly use unique, vintage pieces. Ask anyone who knows me well and they'll tell you - I'd rather receive an heirloom, hand-me-down or junk store find than anything new at the mall as a gift. If I have money for a new piece of furniture, my first thought is to head to a flea market or junk yard, not a big box store.
Making my own framed wall hanging from a Melody Ross of Brave Girls Club print & a simple, unfinished Hobby Lobby frame that I painted.
One thing I like about this way of decorating is that things either hold up way better (because most things used to be more well-made)...or they break, but I only paid $3 for it, so who cares? The only things that are truly precious in our house are the family heirlooms that just can't be replaced, not even on ebay or etsy. That is a small handful of things. These are the things that are now on the tops of the cabinets, framed on the wall, behind glass or in memory books. Otherwise, we actually USE the vintage things in our home. My kids are grown now, but I'd be hard pressed to think of anything priceless that they broke growing up with such decor.
Maroon Bluebonnets at The Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, TX, because Aggies. Whoop!
I love buying one piece of something at a time and blending it in. I'm not about buying a matched set of anything, really. It's not about matchy-matchy for me; it's in the mix.
There are a handful of designers, creatives and others who influence and mentor me from afar (although most of them don't know it)...you can see most of their links in my sidebar. There is no one style that I subscribe to down to the letter. But I sit at their feet virtually, observe and take notes and then mix it up into my own unique blend. The thing they all have in common is that they do their own thing, not worrying about trends or rules or what anyone else is doing in their own homes & designs. Their styles aren't for everyone (and neither is mine) and that is okay.
My painted (oak) kitchen cabinets via Annie Sloan, $3 ticking from a flea market In Jasper, AR that were made into cafe curtains,
a crumbly, vintage frame from Round Top, TX, an Italian candelabra from Gatherings in Georgetown, TX, a tattered needlework from a flea market in Eureka Springs, AR, wood floors stained with Rustoleum Kona.
In my world, what is truly restful, cozy and comforting...what I want to live with every day...is darker colors, richly stained woods, some soft curves mixed in with the hard lines, vintage family photos, drippy chandeliers, grandma's fried chicken platter...layers of grit, old Texas, generations past, good books, candles, faded roses, the music of Bob Wills or Jerry Jeff Walker or Rosemary Clooney drifting through the air. Notice that not all of the things I just listed are exactly on trend. I want my home to tell our story, not anyone else's.
Dixie Chicken, College Station, TX
No matter how you decorate your home, if it works for you & your loved ones, it works.
Good stuff, my friend.
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