Incorporating Antiques into My Home

My close friend’s grandparents recently downsized and I had the incredible opportunity to go through some of their treasures. I came home with a few vintage finds that I absolutely love, so I thought it would be fun to show you how I incorporate beautiful antiques into my space without giving antique store vibes.

Here’s a peek at a few of the items I brought home:

  • Early American Pattern Glass sugar bowl – produced between 1850 – 1914
  • Fire King Tilt Ball Jug pitcher – produced between 1938 – 1942
  • Carnival Glass bowl in Marigold – produced around 1911
  • Carnival Glass finger bowl in Iridescent Smoke – produced around 1908
  • Handmade pottery
  • Fire King Jadeite plates – produced between 1945 – 1975

And here is how I styled some of the items that feel cozy and very “me” without feeling like I’m cosplaying in the 1950’s.

Some Tips:

  • Let each antique piece breathe – pair it with more modern stuff so that it looks “collected over time” but not overpowering.
  • USE the items – by mixing antique items with what you’re already using, you’ll get a fun eclectic look that adds personality without screaming ANTIQUE COLLECTOR. Those jadeite plates have been added to our dishes cabinet (for when I feel like handwashing after meals) and the antique sugar bowl is a beautiful vase!
  • Edit ruthlessly – just because you brought an amazing item home doesn’t mean it needs to immediately find a place in your house. I keep extra items in a closet so I can switch things out when the mood strikes.

I love bringing meaningful pieces into my home, whether they’re heirlooms from loved ones, quirky thrift store scores, or one-of-a-kind vintage finds from my travels. It makes me happy every time I see them. And my house still feels like MY space and not like I live in a museum.

So if you ever find yourself tempted by your grandma’s side table or a box of old family silverware… don’t be afraid. Give it a modern twist, and make it yours.

Taking a Preserved Moss Art Frame Class

I don’t really have what you would call a green thumb. Instead, it’s a running joke with my husband and son that I basically kill all plants that come to live in our house. However, I am okay with succulents. For a while. We have a variety of succulents and little mini cactuses that are faithfully living in our house right now.

So when I saw that a cute local shop was having a Preserved Moss Art Frame Class for a project that “requires no care”, well, it seemed like the perfect fit!

I had hoped to attend with a friend, but it was sold out before she could sign up. So, I went solo and it was still super fun! Each person received a little wooden frame, glue, assortment of moss, and extras like pine cones and dried lavender.

We were encouraged to lay out our plan before gluing, but for me it worked best to start at the bottom of the frame and glue each piece on as I went. I added a little here and there. And then, shoved in a little more. Once I got all the moss as I liked it, I added in the little extras.

I really like the little clump of pinecones in the bottom corner and the fingers of moss that reach out over the top of the frame. I actually love it so much more than I even thought I would. And it was a super fun and easy project to do!

Which makes me think I should add more little artistic classes to my 2025 schedule. After a month/months of feeling like I’ve been running around like a crazy person, I actually felt like ME for a while.

Office Thoughts & Sideboards: The Reveal!

Last month, I shared with you in Office Thoughts & Sideboards that I was looking for a perfectly sized sideboard/credenza piece that would look much nicer than the cube system I was using, and serve to increase my storage space in my office.

As a reminder, here is my before:

I ended up purchasing the Badel 58” Sideboard from Wayfair for $319.

Source: Wayfair.com

The reason I went with this particular option:

  • I loved the look of it and it was actual wood.
  • It had a mix of shelves and drawers, which seemed best for my hodge-podge of stuff.
  • The price was right.

I placed my order, received free shipping (yay!) and it arrived a few days later. I’m actually one of those people who enjoy putting furniture together and have done it many, many times. This piece went together very well, the wood is a really good weight, and the finishes are fantastic. I’m talking nice, heavy metal for the knobs and drawer pulls, and a very thick backing board for the inside of the cabinets.

Once I had it together, the “fun” began. Where I basically had to reorganize my entire office because everything looked terrible next to my new, fancy sideboard. I also did a huge closet clean-out, so that I could better organize everything by utilizing the sideboard space. I ended up with 3 bags of donations for Goodwill and 2 bags of trash.

And here’s the great reveal:

I love, love, love how the new furniture fits the space!

Here is a close-up of the corner:

I moved my walking pad so that it fit into the space next to the sideboard, and stole my bookshelf from the other side of the room for my workout stuff storage. I had been using a standing desk with my walking pad, but wasn’t fully loving it. This bookshelf is a great height for me to balance my kindle on it for reading or watching Netflix while I walk.

The collapsible table on the wall folds down when not in use, but when I need to sew something I just roll the walking pad out of the way, lock the table into position, grab my folding chair from the closet and sew away!

 Here is a closer look at the sideboard:

You are not going to BELIEVE how much stuff I fit inside:

Here is a look at the right cabinet: there is a ton of random crafting supplies, my cross-stitch supplies, jewelry making supplies, painting supplies and small canvases, a tie-dye kit, some larger canvases, a bag of Acrylic markers, some RIT dye and an unused craft set.

As for the left cabinet: I have an assortment of electronics and chargers, a bunch of half-used notebooks from Jack that I grab when I need scratch paper, camera equipment, assorted fabric and scraps from sewing projects, a bowl and wax I use for making candles, and an empty box giving me room to grow.

The three middle drawers currently hold all my gift wrap stuff:

Right now, I have a drawer full of cards, ribbon, bows, labels and gift boxes; one with assorted gift bags; and one with boxes and tissue paper. I’m hoping that I can get through a bunch of this stuff this holiday season, so that I can combine them and have one drawer option for other stuff. To keep all my gift wrapping stuff together, I hid my 4 rolls of wrapping paper under the sideboard, out of sight.

I am so, so, so pleased how the addition of this piece of furniture has allowed me to organize my entire office. It just feels like there is so much clean space now. And even better, when I open my closet everything is accessible without having to play jenga to get to my filing cabinet!

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