Old Door.....New Tricks!

contentinacottage

In my post decorating on a dime with salvage and garage sale finds I couldn't get enough of how these sometimes discarded pieces could be transformed and integrated into a space.......and look so amazing!

Old doors are my personal favorite though.  Why?  Well, because doors are important in every home. It is the way we welcome someone or something,......and, the way we say goodbye. Either way, we choose. This symbolism makes it all the more special to me.  Also, the aging process/patina on these pieces are just incredible!!!  And some of them are pretty amazing "as is".  No work required.  Gotta love that.  I. So. Do.

deviantart

Lately my crush on these battered and bruised doors has really gotten out of hand intensified. I am always on the prowl looking for the perfect old door.  I stalk craigslist, my local thrift shops and I always, always, pay attention whenever there is construction going on in/to an old building.  Old doors are that special to me.  They have so much personality, texture, interest, history and of course they can be fully functional.

I personally like the look of adding glass on top of the door which modernizes and enhances the textures underneath.  A perfect combo of old and new.  Luv! Luv!

aroundapplegate

Of course old doors can be used for headboards, coffee tables, wall pieces and much more but since the desk and head board is perhaps the easiest to do, I chose the desk.  When I feel more confident, who knows, I might build me a coffee table.  Come what may though, one thing I do know for sure.  Am gonna have a lot of fun in the process!  You betcha.

brandywineview.com

Cherio!

Finders Keepers.....A Garage Sale Tale

If there is someone responsible for the yard sale diva skills I have acquired over the last year, it would be my sister Shanda.  Last year I had the good fortune of spending a considerable amount of time with her in North Carolina and in Spring she introduced me to the fine art of the yard sale.  Before then, I was a novice at this at best. Of course I didn't know that at the time, but I was.

Shan, as I affectionately call her, woke me up at 6:30 on Saturday mornings and we would hit the road.  The object there was to get "first dibs" on the merchandise before they were picked over.  It worked.  Most weekends we hit the jackpot.  We found brand new designer clothes, bags, house wares, decor items, vintage jewelry and the list goes on.  Shan even found a beautiful Louis Vuitton bag in mint condition for less than $30.00.  Every Saturday was totally different from the one prior, but, that was part of the intrigue of it all. The experience was very "Forest Gump like" in the sense that we really never knew what we were gonna get.

Would you believe I got this painting for $5.00.

Its an original 4 ft by 3 ft .oil painting on canvas signed and dated by the artist.  Am still pinching myself.

I got these on my second yard sale expedition.  

I really like the frames and though these are prints the 

subject matter is one of my favorites.

Repurposed flowers and an interesting little ceramic box I found. 

 I immediately knew where I would display it in my home. 

Before long, my sister and I were hooked. Just amount every saturday we were off, and if we missed a day we looked forward to the next weekend.... Our husbands didn't mind so much since we were spending significantly less than shopping at the mall.  And, it was soooooooo much fun.  We laughed, bargained shopped and of course as most sisters do, argued about who saw what first.  At the end of the day though, when were totally exhausted, and hungry, we returned home with our great finds, jubilant and really satisfied.


These are some of the precious memories I have of last year.  And you know what?  I have beautiful momentos to help me keep those memories alive.  Now how awesome is that!

Shan and I literally found this mirror, a neighbor was throwing it away.

 It was brown and scruffy looking so I painted it black. The rest is

decor history!

I absolutely love collecting vintage art, photography and prints, especially if they are in sets.

I don't remember the price of these but they were very reasonable.

Now these were pieces my sister bought but actually gave to me because I 

liked them so much. The combination of  the frosted glass and the black and white photography with the simple frame is very modern and makes a very striking addition to a space.

TIP:  If you go to a yard sale and find great picture frames you like, but decide to pass on it because you hate the Art work inside, buy it anyway! Quality frames could be pricey so buy the frames and give the Artwork away to someone who likes it or donate it to a thrift store. 

Finally my little angels.  I really enjoy painting and collecting angel memorabilia so I was really happy to find these.  They are perfect for display and they make me smile every time I look at them. 

Decorating On A Dime with Salvage & Garage Sale Finds

If you ever heard the saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure" and you go to Flea Markets and Garage sales, you know that this is so true.  I am always amazed by what people either throw away or sell for nickels and dimes. From chandeliers to old barn doors, mirrors, antiques and anything else you can think of, I have seen it all at a garage sale. Better still, the prices on these items are ridiculously low or even free in some cases.

I remember the very first "treasure" piece that I acquired.  It was a sad looking French wrought iron garden table.  The tarnished white paint was flaking and it had a little rust going on in some places, but to me it was gorgeous!  Luckily, my neighbor who owned it saw me admiring her table and gave it to me as a gift. Or maybe she just wanted it out of her yard, whatever the reason, I am the proud owner of that table today. Well, that was years ago but that simple experience opened my eyes to a whole new dimension in decorating.  Flea market and garage sales here I come!

Before I go any further, I must warn you that decorating with salvage pieces/garage sale finds is very addictive.  I personally know a lady who has both her house and yard full of "treasures".  Very careful selection is key here.  If you find yourself collecting toilets to plant flowers in, you my friend have gone too far.  Yes, I know it sounds funny, but people actually do this.  Perhaps the same people who coined the phrase "dumpster diving"..........  In any event, you do not want to go that far with this.  Consider yourself forewarned. Only select pieces that you already have a home or a plan for.

Here are a few ideas to inspire you and get you started. Happy collecting, and I cant wait to hear about your finds!

This shabby chic vintage sign is perfect as a wall hanging or as part of a vignette.

 Architectural wood elements are great to add rustic charm and a personalized touch.

If you see something like this and can afford it, buy it.  You cannot go wrong with this purchase.

I love this look.  So beautiful and out of the box, a great way to repurpose an old ornate frame.

This room has so much personality, and most of the pieces are "treasure" finds.

The headboard is simply divine

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Assorted candle sticks and one amazing vintage mirror....exquisite.

Wrought iron pieces are a great find.  They are textural, alluring and visual interesting.

An old window/door adds so much character to a space.  Try it, you wont be disappointed.

Pictures courtesy of 

EAB Designs

nskwood

frenchlarkspur

For more information on the subject check out:

raisedincotton

thegrowersdaughter

You can also find

SALVAGE ITEMS ON EBAY

And salvage inspired items (Shabby Chic) on Amazon.