How To Mix Vintage And New Items In Your Décor

Posted on 13 May 2010

When we featured her blog, My Sweet Savannah, in our April Cottage issue, Melaine Thompson was as thrilled as can be. And as we’ve gotten to know her a little bit more, we’ve decided that she might be one of the sweetest and most enthusiastic bloggers out there! As a wife and mom, Melaine also manages to maintain a thriving blog that’s as lighthearted as she is. Hop on over to My Sweet Savannah and you’ll see right away why Miss Melaine has thousands of online followers.

I love to mix vintage and new in my home, which you can see in just about every room! Here are some of my favorites, along with images and tips to help At Home’s readers freshen up your homes this spring.

In my kitchen I used old wood numbers I found at a flea market to add a little whimsy above my kitchen window. These numbers are our address, but you could do a anniversary date, birth date, or any other memorable date for you!

In the guest bath I have hung fluffy white towels from a piece of vintage molding and wood turned into a coat rack.

Garage sale chairs get a coat of clean white paint. I made a simple slip for the seats out of old cotton feed and grain sacks acquired over time at garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores.

Again, repurposing feed sacks into pillows.

I made these chunky wood frames out of vintage wood. The bottom 2 frames here I made out of new wood, painted and distressed to look old.

I love to decorate shelves with old books. Look for interesting colors with a great patina in a color that will go with the scheme in your home.

Craigslist is a great place to find vintage items for not much money. I picked up this hutch recently and it has the most perfectly imperfect chippy paint. I used old glass bottles to hold blooms out of our garden, and topped it off with another frame made out of vintage wood. Mix old and new dishes for an eclectic farmhouse look!

(All the photos were taken by me with the exception of the first 2. Those are by Kimberly Taylor of Mimi Charmante.)