My antiques

I don't know what caused it. Maybe my mom's decorating style. Or perhaps it was growing up on a farm, where rustic reigns. Whatever ignited it is undetermined ... but I have a love for old stuff. Antiques, repurposed items, junk ... whatever you want to call it, I don't care ... but I can't get enough of it! Worn, distressed, rusty ... this is all character that only comes with time. And it catches my eye every time! I'm obsessed with antiques for a number of reasons. For starters, most pieces are unique, and you won't find them in everyone else's homes. Another bonus? They are often reasonably priced. Or even free, when handed down by family. Then, there's sentimental value there, too, which is, of course, awesome. I find that antiques look particularly nice when mixed with new pieces. And, even though collecting antiques can be addictive, one must be thoughtful of how much is displayed. You definitely don't want your house to end up looking like a museum. Instead, you want the lovely contrast and balance that happens when old meets new. This is how I try to approach decorating in our home.

I find antiques a bit funny because they typically are items that once served a purpose and have since been adopted, generations later, as decorations. What was once used is now displayed. What was common is now unique. I am grateful that people saved these items instead of tossing them into a landfill!

I've been thinking about writing about this for awhile and decided to finally share photos of some of the antiques you'll find scattered around our house, along with the story behind each of them.

Kitchen scale

This was a gift from my mom for my birthday shortly after buying our home. It was basically the first decoration I placed within our kitchen. The best part about this piece is that it not only serves an aesthetic purpose but also a functional one. Ryan and I will use it to weigh foods we are preparing.

Scoop with Pioneer seed bag

I found this scoop at a local antique store a couple years ago. My eye is always drawn to red objects. Not only because the color screams "look at me ... yeah, you!" but also because it matches the color scheme I've established for our home. The scoop was less than $15, so I knew I had to have it. I also knew I wanted to fill it with something. But what? I decided to go for complementary-colored apples.

The old Pioneer Seed bag was a gift from our friend Abby's dad. It was found at her grandmother's home under a stack of firewood. The bag had been placed there many years ago. He found it and instantly knew it would be something Ryan would appreciate. How thoughtful was that? I thought the bag made the perfect table runner to place under the scoop. And, isn't a scoop and bag destined to be together?

Spice containers

These spice containers have that sentimental value I was talking about earlier. These particular containers belonged to Ryan's mom. When she passed away, the children decided I could have them. Kris always displayed them on the ledge of her stove, and this is exactly where they rest in our home.

Cutting boards

Cutting boards are a prime example of an everyday item becoming a statement piece. I may be fudging here a little as I'm not 100% sure the lightest-color cutting board below is an antique. And, the darker one, I am certain, is a reproduction. The tall, medium-colored one is, however! Either way, these cutting boards add a little farmhouse flair to our kitchen.

Bowling pin, letter S

I was on the hunt for a few vintage items for Ryan's man cave after we moved in. While in Des Moines, I found a small bowling pin that I imagine came from a game. Ryan really likes bowling so I found it fitting. I got him a new shelf for the basement and placed this on there, along with some gears, photo frames and a vintage metal letter S. Vintage letters are a fun way to add some color, texture and spunk to any space.

Dough Bowl

For my birthday last year, Mom ordered me a primitive dough bowl. What is a dough bowl you may ask? In the first half of the 20th century, Magyar bakers in Hungary and other Eastern European countries used these hand-carved wooden bowls to make bread each morning. These bowls are harder to come by than other antiques and usually are expensive. You can choose to fill them with seasonal items, floral arrangements, candles.

Another scoop! 

This scoop was another inexpensive find at my favorite local antique store. The galvanized metal reminds me of farming, which makes it the perfect fit for Ryan's man cave. I didn't want to leave it empty or get too literal with filling it ... so I opted for a faux succulent. It can be placed vertically, for a different look, as well.

Cheese Graters

I'll admit - these were a bit of an impulse buy. Unlike some antiques, I was not on the hunt for cheese graters. But, for some reason, these spoke to me while shopping. I decided they would nicely fill a narrow space on one of our kitchen walls. They were super cheap, so I decided to give them a try. I think they look pretty good there ... hopefully no one finds them too "cheesy" for the space ... hehe!

Olive bucket

For some reason, some antique items have become very popular items. One of these items are olive buckets. Once used to gather olives in the countries along the Mediterranean Sea, the buckets can take on a new life as a home for potted plants, umbrellas, gardening tools or anything else your heart desires. I knew I wanted to fill mine with a faux plant. It took some looking around, but I put together this arrangement of cattails and grasses.

Chicken feeder

Back again to my farming roots, I decided I wanted to adorn a long, narrow window ledge in our basement with a chicken feeder. This galvanized metal feeder is only one type of vintage chicken feeder you can find. There's also waterers that are more bucket-like with a lid and tray base. They are most commonly used as planters. There's also ones similar to mine but much larger with dividers. People often use these to display plates. Because of the length of my feeder, it can easily be used as a table centerpiece as well.

Sugar Mold 

I remember seeing a long, narrow, thick piece of wood with twelve evenly-spaced crevasses at a local antique store a couple years ago. I had no clue what it was, but it definitely caught my eye.

As it turns out, this piece was a sugar mold. Sugar molds are long solid blocks of wood with a series of holes that were filled with raw brown sugarcane syrup. Once the syrup dried, brown sugar cones were formed. The cones were wrapped in paper and sold to consumers. These sugar molds were used in the 1800's in both Mexico and Southwestern US.

The sugar mold I saw at that antique store was pretty expensive so I passed on it. I'd see it each time I stopped in the shop but I never seriously considered purchasing it. After getting my new kitchen table, I decided I wanted to see if I could find a sugar mold. Ironically, the one at the store had finally sold. I hadn't seen them anywhere else but figured they had to be online. So, I hopped onto eBay and found one at about half the cost of the one I saw in the store. Within three days of ordering it, it was on my doorstep.

I'm excited to put my "new" sugar mold to use as a table centerpiece. I dressed it up with some faux succulents. I also have candles that can be placed inside the holes. The sugar mold adds some excitement to our table without taking up too much room.

Photo props

I also like using antiques in my photography. Old crates, wash bins and vintage high chairs make my heart sing. Just take a look at my photography section and you'll be able to spot these items making an appearance at my shoots.

Where to shop

You can find antiques at flea market events, antique stores and perhaps, if you're lucky like me, at your parents' farm or attic. I find there's a fine line between hitting the antique jackpot and finding yourself surrounded by junk. It all depends on your style and what interests you. I gravitate towards items with a primitive, agricultural or industrial vibe. So, collector items like toys, magazines and jewelry are not my thing. Antique shopping can take some patience and digging but typically most of my pieces I've found have spoken to me, without much searching. Also, knowing what the formal name is of an item (like that sugar mold), can allow you to search online from the comfort of your home.

In case you're interested, here's some antique places I recommend...

Cedar Falls/Waterloo: Calico Hen House, Fig & Frolic, Little Prairie Girl, Townie Vintage

Des Moines metro: Porch Light Antiques, Found Things, Hinge, Reclaimed A Junklady's Philosophy, Vine and Willow

If anyone is looking for an antique shopping buddy or a way to incorporate antiques into their home, I'm here to help! I'll never turn down shopping for antiques!