When I first started decorating, I wanted everything to be perfect....
A perfect coffee table with no scratches, a perfect frame with no chipped edges, no distressed paint, no tattered edges, no staining...and certainly no rust!!
I only wanted perfection....
I look around me now and see that things have changed...
Really changed!!
Somewhere down my decorating path
I started seeing imperfections as "patina"...
Here's a sampling of the patina from my family room... All these photos show vintage items that have the original patina that comes from years of use.... All authentic patina!!
Lovely lady garden statue that graces my family room,,,
She doesn't need any botox...
I think her weathered appearance is priceless...
Years and years of outdoor elements
creates perfection
at least in my eyes.
Her paint looks chippy but is not flaky...
When bringing garden items in, if the paint is flaking off, you can get spray paint called "Clear Coat" which will preserve surface and keep the paint intact... Be sure to get "flat" not gloss!
Old wood table
probably Italian...
Scratched and worn from years of use...
It only gets better with time...
This concrete piece is an old column topper...
It is wonderfully decayed and while Restoration Hardware is now reproducing them, you just can't beat the real thing!
I purchased this from my good friend Jennifer
years and years ago...
You can see this in my mast photo which Jennifer took when she photographed my home for Cottage of the Month back in August 2010. CLICK HERE FOR A TOUR
I have lots of different sized candles on top that were all purchased at Target. I love their unscented candles and they are long lasting and cheap!
When I was a young bride,
I would have never displayed dripping candles
or thought wax fragments were pretty...
but now...
PERFECTION...
These tattered book edges show history
that they have been loved and well read...
With all our electronic devices
(Kindles, Nooks, iPad, Sony Reader)
I fear that books will be a thing of the past...
Please stop ripping the covers off of your books!
An old oil painting with some bumps and bruises...
and scratches....
only adds to it's charm!
Old brown transferware....
YUM!!!!
The staining and crazing may turn some collectors away...
but not me...
The more the better !!
I love using old chamber pots as plant containers...
Buy a topiary and slip it in...
when you water your plant,
the saucer is already built right in!
Mine happens to have a big hairline crack...
oh well...
It doesn't show!
Wicker baskets at my house are not perfect
broken wicker is completely acceptable at my house...
My old door turned into a floor mirror...
Lots of chippy paint
but lots of character...
Rusty crusty hinges make it extra special
at least in my opinion!
Old pickle jar with glass bubbles and a crooked neck
sits on an antique floral plant holder...
Vintage tole with original paint is my favorite...
Another garden element...
This concrete dove is so sweet...
A chippy metal tole basket made into a lamp....
Tarnished silver holding a succulent...
This antique wicker table has loads of distressing
which has happened naturally over time..
And a stained oak top is full of water marks
and even has some cigarette burns (not mine!)
An old brass knob has a warm mellow patina from time...
A naturally rusted old bird cage...
Lots of rust and patina on this piece...
I love to collect antique cages of all sizes
and did a post on them that you can read HERE
This old chandelier was purchased for $20
at my favorite Wednesday Flea Market
Very chippy and dirty
I did very little cleanup to it.
I like the dirt
who knew?
I added the vintage bulb covers which I found at a little thrift store. The bulb cover pack looked like it had never been used. I was really lucky this chandy only needed three bulb covers because the pack was missing one!
This is a 100+ pound metal pediment that I purchased to hang over my kitchen sink. It turned into quite a production to hang it. It was so heavy it required two men just to hold it up. A big wood support had to be bolted into the wall studs and then this pediment was bolted into the wood support. I didn't end up putting it over the sink... why? Well, I have been known to move things around (just a little) and once this pediment was up, there was no moving it. Ever. I wasn't sure about the kitchen location... so I had to pick a safer spot. It now is mounted on the wall over my family room hutch. It's hung at a height to make it looks as though it's propped on top but I assure you that in Earthquake country this thing is bolted! You can click the following photo to enlarge...
An authentic grain sack made into a pillow...
This beauty is from 3 Fine Grains
Years of real use
makes this grain sack stained and worn
but full of rich history....
I have some Restoration Hardware imitation pillows
but nothing compares to the real thing...
What do you know....
my old crate became another magazine holder...
I need a 12 step program for my magazine addiction!
Old antique pictures...
With old wavy glass
and sun drenched mats...
and chippy frames!!
There is a special story about this picture...
You know when you are at the flea market and you are debating about buying something? Well, that was me with this picture. But I didn't buy it and I regretted it so.... I just couldn't get it out of my mind. Any flea market junkie can tell you a story about the "one that got away".. That night I called my friend, Cheryl, and I was telling her about the picture I didn't buy and how it was haunting me. I described it to her and she told me "I bought that picture today at the flea market, I have it right here". Problem was, she wasn't ready to part with it...just yet... but Cheryl's an antique dealer so I knew that eventually she would be selling it... and she did... to me... and I love that picture!! It is my VERY FAVORITE of all my antiques in my entire house!!
Okay, this post is getting long so let's wrap it up...
So, as you can see there is a lot of chippy, worn, battered, peeling, rusty, weathered patina going on in just one room. I generally find that it works really well with smaller pieces and accessories. Most of my big furniture items, such as the hutch, coffee table, couch and chair are not antiques so the balance {for me} is just right. I'm not sure I would be comfortable having everything shabby and worn. I like to mix old and new...
How about you?
When you look at a vintage item
do you see
PATINA
or do you see
IMPERFECTIONS??
Do you love rust or hate it?
Does chippy paint make your heart sing?
Do you ever look at an item and think
"That's not patina, that's just junk?"
Tell me !!
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