How to Make Your Antiques Shine

Whether you scored big at an antique mall, inherited a priceless piece from your grandmother, or purchased something from Pink Pig, incorporating antiques into your home decor can sometimes be challenging, especially if your design aesthetic tends to be modern. Here are a few ways that you can make your antiques the star of the show without compromising your style.
Think Outside the Box
There is no steadfast rule that says you have to use an item the way it was intended for. In fact, breaking away from the ordinary is one of the most effective ways to create an inspiring space. For example, an antique dresser can make a stunning sideboard in your dining room, and think of all of the extra storage!                                    

Make it Match
While sometimes the worn-down touches on an antique are part of its charm, other times, it’s the bones of the piece that are the prize. In this case, don’t be afraid to repaint, reupholster, or renovate the item so that it fits in flawlessly with your existing furniture.

Work Around It
After you have found the perfect location for your new find, it’s time to make sure it doesn’t look out of place. If you already have a shabby-chic or traditional home, this will not take much work. However, if you are working with a contemporary space, you will need to switch out some of your accessories to make the room more cohesive. Get new throw pillows adorned with flowers or find some antique vases to incorporate into the table’s centerpiece.
Finding amazing antiques is only part of the equation. Once you tweak them a little bit here and update a few things there, that's when they really steal the show.

Give Your Windows and Doors a Unique Vintage Treatment

I get the best emails from my readers! Susan Terkel sent me story along with some great photos. She certainly let your imagination and creativity go wild when she found uses for her vintage treasures.

It happened a few years ago when I was staring at my stash of vintage textiles, buttons, ribbons and looking at the screen door I had just purchased that had once been on a historic home in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Voila! First, I realized that entering the car from the garage had always been, well, slightly boring and not at all Feng Shui and so I installed the vintage gold and green screen door on the door to my kitchen. Then I wallpapered the metal door to resemble a patchwork quilt.

Next came the window treatment in the dining room. Using mostly vintage ribbons – silks and velvets and some polyester and rayon ribbons – and vintage stamens that had once been manufactured for hat makers – and some vintage rhinestone, metal and plastic buttons, I got some books on flower making and proceeded to sew dozens – and dozens – of ribbon flowers. Yes, I got hooked on making flowers (and sold some and gave many others away as gifts or spontaneous gestures of goodwill). The more flowers I added, the more the window took on a special character.

Emboldened with my dining room window, I proceeded to make valences in the kitchen using vintage quilts that had tears in places and therefore damaged enough to be referred to as “cutting quilts,” meaning it won’t devalue the quilt or dishonor the quilter to cut it up into something different. Again, I embellished this valence with vintage buttons, this time using only rhinestone buttons.

By this time, my house was beginning to look more like the home of an artist (accurate) than the daughter of a decorator (true, too). What could I do with the vintage lace, especially the lace butterflies I cannot resist, the tiny vintage needlepoint I impulsively had to purchase (isn’t that the excitement and the justification of shopping vintage – you won’t get a second chance on what you see so impulse can be justified and enjoyed). I had just learned how to sew crazy quilts, having collected them for over a decade, and so I made one of my best projects – a crazy quilt valence for my parent’s bedroom.

Not everything is that vintage. Some is just collectible-cool, like my husband’s old Levi’s – no designer jeans for this guy. I took two pairs; cut them up, flattened them out, sewed them together, drew a few decorative curves, added the bias-tartan plaid hem from a skirt I had assembled, added a few vintage rhinestone buttons (okay, by now you can tell what I cannot resist – rhinestone buttons and old lace and yes, there are worse addictions but no, I don’t have any, except for Ben and Jerry’s coffee heath bar crunch icecream and I’m over that one by now). This six-foot wide valence is actually my favorite creation – humble but creative, cheerful and cheap. Yes, you can spend a fortune hunting down rare antiques. But you can also spend a delightful winter afternoon making a rare delight out of stuff no one really wanted or appreciated anymore. Or hire someone else who loves to do that sort of thing.

Spring Colors for Cottage Style Furniture

Our color inspiration here at the Pink Pig for Spring came from a recent treasure hunt I spoke about on an earlier post. A former Bed & Breakfast here in the Adirondacks was filled with bedrooms full of antique Cottage Furniture in this perfect shade of pale green.

 

Cottage Oak Side Table

  

 Victorian Painted Parlor Table

I remember walking from bedroom to bedroom hoping to find more treasures. I caught a glimpse of myself from a dresser mirror and realized that I had a big smile on my face. I chuckled because it was the upbeat and happy color of these wonderful pieces of a bygone era that really made me smile.

Beautiful beds....charming dressers...small side tables, all in this most perfect shade of green. I took all these treasures back to the shop and decided that I would leave these pretty finds untouched from painting to keep their sense of style through this amazing color.

I love this shade of green as a way to add a splash of color in any room. As I glanced around the shop, I realized I managed to fill it with other finds in a variation of this same happy color....like this Faith, Hope & Charity Sign.

French Floral Pillows on a dreamy white sofa.

A beautiful hand-painted Torchiere lamp, my wicker front porch settee or even my vintage green glass bottles which I use for display.

A ribbon necklace done in hushed teal with pale brown trim - rough aquamarine stones dangle below and can be worn as a necklace or wrapped around your wrist as worn as a bracelet.

Vintage tin heart ornament made using antique ceiling tin adorned with an vintage crystal chandelier prism and then hung on a pretty matching ribbon.

Imagine this - coming from a gal who names her shop the Pink Pig. Anyway my new color inspiration this Spring is green and I welcome your thoughts and comments on what your favorite decorating color is and how you use it for inspiration in your home.

Searching for the Perfect Gift With Vintage Style?

Unique gifts for friends and family are at your finger tips at the Pink Pig.  I have found some items that will be the talk of the party and will have your girlfriends asking "Where did you get that?" Be different. Be Unique.  Don't give that boring Starbucks giftcard or the gift certificate for another mani/pedi.  These new gift idea items are just a click away at the Pink Pig.

I was so excited to find these French Inspired tea towels.  They are 100% cotton and come in three different designs.  Every woman needs tea towels and the graphics on these will add style and elegance to the kitchen of your gift recipient.

This vintage Milk Glass set has an Indiana and Grape Glass pattern and features a set of eight plates and cups.  This gift says "I know who is having the next luncheon!" 

There is so much elegance in this set of 4 Verre d' Amitie glasses.  Each glass is etched in French and it reads "A Glass for a Friend."  What a beautiful and unique way to express your feelings.

 

Finally, let me tell you about these amazing votive candles. Vie Luxe candles feature the finest and most luxurious components, from nickel finished glass to sophisticated packaging.  Each candle is a skillful blend of All-Natural, Botanical Wax and Fragrance Oils developed by the world's top fragrance house. A blend of White Jasmine Flowers, Exotic Ceibo Petals, Ombu Leaves & White Pepper. This simple gift is luxury in a box.

So next time you need a hostess gift, birthday gift or something for a member of the family, please visit the Pink Pig.  It is always my pleasure to help you find just that perfect something that will make the person who receives it know how truly special they are. 

The Pink Pig Presents Comfort Cottage on Etsy

I'd like to introduce you to Comfort Cottage, our niche store on Etsy selling "cushions and smalls for the home." If you aren't familiar with Etsy, it is a community of buyers and sellers whose focus is handmade and vintage products. Buying vintage and handmade ensures purchases are unique, sustainable, and supportive of independent business owners. It is a philosophy that mirrors the Pink Pig's dedication to acquiring statement pieces from the past and putting them to use today.

What can you find at the Comfort Cottage? The Comfort Cottage features a variety of accessories to add warmth and character to any home. Where else can you find a vintage milk carrier? The simple design allows for use in both modern and vintage settings. Fill with vintage milk cans or mason jars and bring yourself back to an era when you knew exactly where your food and drinks came from. Or give it a modern spin and use in the home office as a desktop organizer.

The Comfort Cottage also carries grand old wire baskets. The eye-catching forms and quality craftsmanship make these a staple in your home decor. A wire basket is wonderful for putting seasonal items on display and can also work as a stand-alone piece. With their clean lines, wire baskets can provide a nice transition from vintage to modern in your home.

Metal can be steely, harsh, and cold. But create a form with lovely curves and delicate scrolls, and iron becomes warm and whimsical. This tulip shape vase manages to appear light and airy despite being made of heavy iron. It is simply a great piece for the home or garden.

The next time you’re in the market for home décor, I hope you will check out Comfort Cottage and the other great vintage and handmade stores on Etsy. It is an excellent venue for finding one of a kind items. Once a week, I'll be featuring a new Etsy seller on my blog to promote buying handmade. There are some amazing shops! If you are an Etsy shop proprietor and would like to be featured, please email me.

Gorgeous holiday entertaining with The Pink Pig!

Ah, the holidays. A time to indulge in good cheer, good friends, and good decor! (At least that’s how we see it at The Pink Pig). Serving food and drinks is so much more fun when you have beautiful vintage or retro-inspired accessories to do it with – so we’ve put together a little guide to the loveliest holiday glassware, bar trays, cake plates, napkin rings, and candleholders you’ll find in our shop. They’re the perfect way to show off your very good taste to all your guests!



Glassware
Try this pitcher and glass set for orange juice on Christmas morning, or for your egg nog at night. Or, sip mulled wine from these pretty pink glasses, which borrow from depression-era style!

Bar trays
Lay out your liquor, ice and glasses (see above) on one of these beauties for a festive presentation. These trays are vintage, made from black wood. Choose the martini or the gin theme depending on your preferred vice!

A pretty cake plate
In case you needed an excuse to serve the sweet stuff! Our modern cake stand is available in black or white to suit any color scheme. Shown with our adorable knife and fork napkin rings.

A statement bowl
This Lucite bowl by Arthur Court is just waiting to be filled with your most fabulous holiday ornaments. Featuring playful bunnies holding up the body of the bowl, it’s a conversation piece that could easily become a holiday staple in your house!

Elegant candleholders
These tall, stately Italian-made candleholders offer just the right dose of drama for your holiday table.

For even more holiday decorating inspiration (and gift ideas, too!), stop by The Pink Pig online!