There are two things that certain people like to do that leave others, perhaps more sane people, puzzled.
The first is willingly choosing to live in older homes versus newer homes. You either get it or you don’t. I just love the history, the culture and the classic styles of older construction.
And, no, new construction can’t be built to “look old.” Somehow the architects always muck it up with an open concept and throw the whole scale off. I love walls.
Second, you either like renovation or you don’t. I love it. It is long-standing family lore that if you showed me a brick with a stick, I’m gonna tell you it has “good bones” and just needs a little restoration to really bring out the character in the structure.
Due to being raised by us, GirlWonder is also an avowed old-house lover. She turned her nose up at many new construction offerings and some “late-model,” “gently-used” homes in favor of purchasing a real old gal. Their home is over 150 years old and, while well-loved for over a century, the house is definitely in need of some updating.
So many of their projects are fresh and new to them — and old hat to us. That doesn’t make them any less exhausting and expensive though. Still, I am so proud of them. The house has become a home in just a few short months.
Beyond the new drywall and freshly refinished wood floors, they have begun to add their own “stamp” on the place. The decor is coming together. Art, books and textiles are things that make a house a home. Antique pieces collected from second auctions, second-hand stores and hand-me-down heirlooms all come together.
In my mind, a favorite part of any homemaking process is puttering around decorating. Shifting things from one surface to the next. Styling bookshelves and fluffing drapes. Don’t threaten me with a good time. I love all of it.
One of my favorite decor items is old wooden crates and antique bottles. I love my soda crates advertising long-gone beverages. “For Health’s Sake Drink Dixie Shake!” I stash stockpiled ingredients in them.
My old green bottles advertising “Thirsty? Just Whistle?” can now dispense dish soap, olive oil and vinegar. I do wonder what some “antique” people think seeing me use the trash from their childhood as treasure.
Boxes
This made me wonder what the future might bring. No one is really using wooden crates in retail any longer. I imagine decades from now people will be decorating their homes with cardboard Amazon boxes. Will we see plastic water bottles lined up on windowsills for an authentic “2025” flair?
May I be blessed to live to see it, I plan to zip my lips and say, “It looks great! Very charming!”
I’m sure my grandmother had those exact moments seeing me go nuts for some 1950s castoff she considered trash in her young-adult days.
Time will tell, I suppose. In the meantime, I continue to haul things over to the kids’ places. My top advice for decluttering your home? Take it all to your adult children! Follow me for more lifestyle advice.
Obviously, the kids love this sort of thing. When the ceiling is caving in on a sunny Sunday morning, a golf practice net, a dozen throw pillows and a very large painting are definitely going to be a big help.
