I’m sharing some ideas for wall decor using antique and vintage objects today.
I told my niece recently as she looked at my brass candlestick collection that I think if you are going to collect something, then go all in. The more you collect, the more you can see the quality and value of certain pieces and then you can cull your collection from time to time to make it more curated.
I also told her that while everyone thinks their stuff is worth a lot, and we all know you can find stuff just like your collections on the internet valued at a seemingly high price…. they are only as valuable to someone else as what they are willing to pay.
So, collect for yourself, your own enjoyment (don’t hoard because that is too hard for your family to go through), and don’t necessarily expect it all to be worth a lot of money someday. :-)
The nice thing about vintage and antique collections that can be displayed on a wall is that they don’t have to be expensive!
Artfully arranged vintage boards can really fill up a blank wall and add warmth and texture. Seen at the Gabby showroom at Highpoint Market.
Old tennis rackets are often seen in vintage and antique shops. A grouping like this makes for a clubbish, masculine look.
Framing up old household objects make them special and tell a story.
These antique gilded barometers and mirrors make for a collected, vintage vibe and stand out nicely on the brown painted wall.
Seen at Highpoint Market in the Gabby showroom.
Another antique find hung on the wall here in a High Point Market showroom to add texture and a rustic look to this vignette.
On my last visit to Round Top, I saw these little bird cages at Marburger. They were exceptionally small and I was curious about what kind of bird or animal might they have housed.
The dealer told me they bought them in Spain and that they had been used to transport little finches (finches are small and are a popular, colorful, aviary bird). People bought them and took them home to put in their aviaries. They had to bring the little cages back to the merchant to reuse.
These mini bird cages make for some graphic texture on the wall and frame in that painting beautifully!
I love how interesting they are seen close up.
Big vintage baskets are always good wall filler.
A collection of these old brass lunch boxes make for an interesting wall.
These look like some kind of weighing tool, but the aged wood is what makes a clever statement here.
Vintage plates make beautiful decor for this grasscloth covered wall in a showroom at Highpoint Market.
Old snowshoes behind the home bar add personality and texture to this wall. Seen at the Greensboro Junior League Showhouse, Designer: Muse Noir Interiors.
At this most recent market, there were lots of framed old book pages used as art. You could use sheet music, handwritten old letters, postcards, etc. to make some interesting art.
Framed book pages rather make the framing an important graphic feature on the wall.
These rustic old ox yokes used as shelves make for the perfect place to stash small items for display. Seen at the Cisco showroom at Highpoint Market.
Check out these painted panels, below, I saw at Marburger in Round Top recently. I imagine these were some kind of architectural panel, maybe like a painted panel on a carousel, because of the rounded shape.
These would look great up high on a wall, like over a door in a space with a high ceiling, or above a tall cabinet or bookcase. The arched shape would really be a special look.
Architectural panels like these would look great over a door, window or cabinet.
Framing out architectural mouldings like these in plexi make for beautiful, special wall decor pieces. I used one like this in the window I designed for MAI Antiques in Houston some years ago.
These gilded items would look great hung on a wall as is or framed up in a shadow box type frame.
Window designed for Memorial Antiques and Interiors in Houston using framed, gilded architectural moulding as wall decor.
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