By Melissa Wynn
As Spring gives way to Summer it’s time to spruce things up with a fresh look for the season, inside and out.
Treasures from the past can loan a perfect hint of nostalgia to your yard or garden and the theme possibilities are endless. Old crocks, buckets, basins and even old cooking pots and wooden pallets are easily repurposed into planters for your favorite decorative foliage. Animate the breeze with whirligigs and weather vanes from yesterday’s farms and front yards to add a splash of fun. Bicycles, little wagons and even farming tools from days gone by can lend a hint of history to the overall look.
Bird baths, fountains and birdhouses seem to never go out of style and their designs are as varied as the quaint little shops and road side antique pop-ups where you are bound to find them. From folk art pieces handmade by crafty Americans from coast to coast, to stunning bronze works of fine art, this genre has a piece to suit every taste and budget.
Summertime presents a world of color so why not add a few splashes of color of your own around the house. Aging signs are often fraught with the bold crayon colors of decades long past and the subject matter offers a choice for everyone from the grease monkey to the perfume connoisseur.
Colorful vintage pillows, throws, quilts and afghans are another simple way to brighten up a room whether intact or repurposed into shams and table runners. These bits of yesterday easily make the drab room seem fresh and new again. A few vividly colored throw pillows can make the whole room pop by just placing them on the bed or in the corners of your favorite chair or sofa. A white or lacy throw atop an antique chaise lounge lends any room a delicate touch of elegance.
Any tables, stand or shelf can come to life with bold pieces of glass. From the shimmery, iridescent shades of vintage carnival glass vases and sugar bowls to fine pieces of cobalt blue art glass, this antique genre offers a color to match or contrast any decor.
The tables and shelves themselves can make a statement in your decor when they too are items carefully chosen for just the right look. From elegant pieces from the 1800s to retro flash back pieces from the 1960s the smaller pieces of furniture are often what ties the whole theme together.
Antique tea carts offer a touch of class and an extra bit of storage to any kitchen or dining room, especially when topped with a tea set from the era that best suits the room. Whether you have the 60’s decor that calls for the loud colors of Fiesta Ware, or the muted decor of old England that begs a delicate floral pattern on perfect porcelain that you can almost see through, it’s all about the perfect set.
A new look for the changing seasons can be great fun and it all begins with shopping for treasures that will make it just right. Take the time to stop at that little shop along the highway as you travel and don’t forget that your local antique stores and what-not shops get new inventory all the time. Every trip is sure to show you something old or new that you can’t live without.
