Many moons ago, I had spotted a gorgeous farmhouse lamp at a highfalutin antique shop in Cashiers, North Carolina. Constructed from an old porch baluster (the spindle’s more robust cousin), it was striking…and strikingly expensive. I went from defeated to determined, though, when Jon whispered to me in the shop, “We can make that.”Read more ›
Project Ideas with Architectural Salvage
February 13, 2024 · By · Leave a Comment
Architectural salvage is a blanket term that encompasses a wide variety of elements reclaimed from a home, building, or other structure. This includes anything from doors and windows to hardware, light fixtures, and tiles that hold potential reuse, even if the building itself is set to be demolished. These salvaged supplies are a special kind of “antique” that vintage enthusiasts covet for their own homes and DIY projects.Read more ›
Architectural Wall Art from Porch Brackets
September 12, 2018 · By · 34 Comments
For someone who loves architectural salvage so much, I don’t work with it often enough. Sure, I’ve created a few projects in the past, but far fewer than those using, say…thrift store finds. So, I’m here to add another architectural salvage project to my collection. And this time, I’m using some porch brackets that I spied at Maliasmark’s booth during a local vintage market.Read more ›
Jacket Pins from Wood Medallions and Tweed
November 3, 2016 · By · 43 Comments
For two years now, I’ve had a bag of wood medallions for furniture (also known as wood medallion appliques) just sitting in my craft room. I purchased them at an architectural antiques store in Nashville, TN because they seemed PERFECT for a future project. At the time, I didn’t know what I’d do with them. Until I started envisioning them as jacket pins that I could wear…
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Vintage Seed Packets in an Antique Window Frame
February 24, 2015 · By · 47 Comments
I’ve always admired antique window frames at vintage shops and architectural salvage stores. I didn’t pull the trigger for a while, though, because they were often too big or too expensive. When I finally found the right old window frame for me, I wondered if I could use it to display my collection of vintage seed packets.
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Decorating the Entryway with Keyhole Covers
January 15, 2014 · By · 21 Comments
Irish folklore says that the doors in Dublin homes were painted in bright colors so that drunk Irishmen could find their own home after a night of many pints. Apparently there had been a slew of “stranger in my bed” incidents, which led to the pretty painted doors. Even if the story is complete rubbish, I’ve loved antique door hardware and keyhole covers ever since. So, I decided to use them to create some entryway wall decor for our foyer.Read more ›
Framed Doilies as Shabby Chic Wall Decor
January 3, 2014 · By · 97 Comments
Long before I even started my blog, I found the most amazing panel from an antique door while antiquing in Minneapolis, MN. Covered in layers of chippy paint, I used it’s beauty to inspire the painted bedroom furniture we now own. AND, it inspired the shabby chic wall decor that would ultimately kick off my upcycling blog. I know it sounds crazy, but it is the absolute truth.Read more ›
