Sometimes you happen upon something vintage and amazing that you weren’t even looking for. Like vintage flower buckets. I mean, I suppose you could say that I am always on the lookout for vintage garden bits to bring home so it isn’t a total surprise to find something like these. 

But I wasn’t looking for any vintage flower buckets – but then there they were. Chattering away to me and telling me about all the ways I could style them and enjoy them. I resisted for a few minutes… but there were 6 of these buckets & were so charming and such a reasonable price on top of it – how could I not bring them home? 

Vintage Zinc Flower Buckets

Flower Buckets

What is a florist bucket? Those tall flower buckets that you see in front of florist shops, on stands for display, etc. They are tall and lovely- sometimes with handles- sometimes without. Some have wheels to roll here and there and others sit in little hoops to layer all the lovely blooms for an enchanting look.

These buckets were just waiting to come home with me. They have a beautiful vintage patina- well worn and well loved on the outside and some are a tad rusted inside- but they all hold water and are usable. Even if they were not able to hold water- they are large enough that a gallon size bucket for water would fit in the bottom easily to make them usable for fresh flower display. The price? About $15 each. And I know you think I am always shopping for vintage- I mean, you aren’t wrong, haha, I always have an eye out for a vintage treasure but I literally did just bump into these and could not leave them behind.

I was surprised to find 6 of these (only 4 in this snap but there are 6 of them) Especially 6 that had the little added base around them- often they are just straight buckets. These particular buckets also have a section of old wood added to the underneath where there are wheels attached to be able to roll them here and there. Which is quite handy since they are so huge.

Of course, I can think of a lot of places to use them but I am shopping for my sons upcoming wedding too. I am doing the flowers for their wedding- a beautiful winery location so we are incorporating wine barrels, oak trees and lots of vintage style charm. These buckets will be perfect for tucking fresh flowers into at the ends of the benches.

Where to use Vintage Florist Buckets

A few ideas: As a vessel for a flower arrangement for a table. For holding umbrellas or gift wrap. As planters on the porch. Gathered and grouped for a charming display of planted flowers. By themselves filled with plants in the garden. For wedding stylings. Paired for your front door filled with boxwoods or other greens. The possibilities are endless.

Spring Potting Shed

I decided to set them up and use them for a spring filled moment at the potting shed. A perfect spot for them- and filling them with lavender & hydrangeas created such a beautiful spring display.

I absolutely love how they look filled with these gorgeous blooms and layered on the steps. These flowers are all potted faux from Balsam Hill and fill these buckets up perfectly. They look absolutely beautiful and so real in person- and I love that they are ‘no maintenance’ and will look good all year long.

What do you think of these buckets and how the potting shed looks with a sprinkle of spring?

Shop the Look

Balsam Hill currently has up to 30% off all spring delights and if you order by March 22nd- they will arrive in time for Easter celebrations.

• Potted Blue Purple Hydrangeas
• Potted White Hydrangeas
• Set of 2 Potted Lavender

• Set of 8 Galvanized Flower Buckets
• Set of 6 Fluted Buckets
• Tall Galvanized Flower Bucket
• Set of 4 Tall Galvanized Flower Buckets

The market is wrapping up -we have some ruffled linen tablecloths and napkins left- and limited supply of both colors of ruffled chair slipcovers as well. Shop HERE

*Some affiliate links

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So how many chairs do I have? I am not going to go into specifics but we can just say I might have a *few*. Does that deter me from bringing another home when I fall in love again? Apparently not. haha. But in my defense, I didn’t even know this chair was coming home with me. It was a freebie added to something else I was bringing home that also fuels that ‘excessive’ theory- but that is another blog post. So many of you messaged wanting to see more of this chair- so I went ahead and snapped a few photos quickly and will photograph the rest of what I brought home another time.

Antique Green Floral Chair

We took the grand dogs back to their home and the seller of this furniture was just about 1/2 hour away from where we were at that time- so, why not go by and take a look? AKA- go pick up.

While my husband was loading up the pieces in the truck, I was chatting with the seller and she asked if I liked chairs – she had one she was getting rid of and would throw in if I wanted it. She had no way of knowing my ‘chair weakness’ and how real of a thing that is. But oh.my. when she brought the chair out- I was instantly enamored. I saw about a dozen places it could go, photos it could be the subject of and on and on. And so, here it is.

1920’s hand painted floral Chair

The chair has a makers mark and the seller had already researched and had the pieces appraised so knew the history and back story on them – they are circa 1920. They were her mothers collection and then in her childhood bedroom and she has had most of them all this time- her sister has some pieces as well. (I told her to keep my number in case they decide to sell any other pieces haha) It has such a lovely shade of green and the florals are insanely beautiful. Of course, I have had a love of all things green recently so I was head over heels with the finish and color.

It appears the original fabric is under the seat which you can see was reupholstered. I was planning to take a closer look at that fabric soon- otherwise, nothing to do with this chair except plop it somewhere to enjoy- it is in wonderful condition.

The only downside- there was only one of them. I would love a pair (or more) so might have to do some shopping to see if I can find another.

What do you think of this chair? Is it too busy for your taste or are you in the ‘excessive’ camp with me and love allllll the details and ornate touches?

Safe to say that I am obsessed with it and you will be seeing it again soon.

Market

Side note- the market will be opening Thursday- March 14th for just a few days for a spring weekend sale. We have spring table linens that are perfect for Easter, ruffled slipcovers, signed books and floral totes. We are also planning to add a few attic items that are vintage or photo shoot props if we get a chance to photograph them. I will share when it is open to purchase anything but keep an eye on it if you are interested in anything- everything is limited supply availability.

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Then- it is buying kind of shopping.

Antique French Mirror

I always get a ton of questions about how I found our stack of antique mirrors. Honestly, some of it was persistence & some of it was just plain luck. I happened to be the right person to find the right listing at the right time. Or to keep responding to the messages and actually follow back with the seller and pursue the purchase. Today – sharing a couple tips I have learned while shopping for those mirrors- and some of them might surprise you.

Antique Shopping Tips- Shop Often

I mean, wouldn’t it be great if we could just shop as much as we would like until we found THE ONE? Peruse listings, message about them and then go pick them up? Well, it isn’t usually how it works of course, but you can do a quick search each morning or evening or whenever and just see what has popped up.

Set Keyword Alerts- like Antique French Mirror

Or you can set keywords and alerts to let you know when something has been listed. This is a great way to save time mindlessly scrolling for the next treasure. The only thing I would say is that sometimes I haven’t gotten the messages quick enough- or maybe it is that there are 137 other people who have that same alert and who are online more often. Either way, it isn’t a bad thing to do and it just might lead to the perfect find.

Search different variations

Mantel aka Mantle. Dining aka Dinning. Table aka Tabel. Mirror aka Miror etc. Not all listings spell things the correct way and often the misspelled word is the way to find that treasure.

Search broad descriptions like Gilded Antique French Mirror also

Try searching ‘Old’ as a keyword instead of antique or vintage. And use broad searches such as ‘vintage table’ rather than specifics like ‘vintage painted French table’ but of course, search specifics too.

French Mirror Search

For an antique French mirror try ‘Antique’ ‘Vintage’ ‘French’ ‘Gold’ ‘Gilt’ ‘Old’ along with mirror. Depending on the size- try Pier mirror or Small mirror. You can also search ‘gilded’ or the style of mirror if you are familiar- art nouveau, Louis, Trumeau, etc.

Reproduction

Of course, sometimes you just want that mirror right now and there are lots of beautiful reproduction options out there. There is nothing wrong with bringing a thing of beauty home even if it is not antique. Toss that ‘age’ requirement out and enjoy your treasure. Linking a few I found to get the look below.

• Gold Antique Style
• Wreath Look Mirror
• Small shield style mirror

Read More

For this carved roses wreath and swag mirror-You can read more about the story of finding it HERE

For more about this Free mirror & how we bleached and restored it (and the wood boring beetles that came with it!) you can find that HERE

What is your best tip for finding beautiful antique mirrors online?

Happy Friday favorites all.

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Vintage Putz Houses

I was thinking about little vintage houses and ideas for them for Christmas while working on my Christmas book. And though I scoured marketplace, vintage sales and thrifts- oftentimes you can’t find Christmas elements during the year other than during the season. And so, I started watching listings on ebay and Etsy and I bumped into one that had a whole village of charming little houses.

There are always a couple that specifically catch your eye- but this listing was full of the sweetest little Putz houses that all spoke to me in one way or another. So, you know I was on a mission to bring them home to enjoy in a styling.

Vintage Putz Houses History

I am not a big history buff on the very detailed history- but a summary from google sums up the love of Putz houses. If you aren’t familiar with Putz houses-they are little cardboard houses and often decorated with glittery snow, ‘stained glass’ windows and come in all kinds of itty bitty size but full of charm styles. Originally a design from Germany in the 1880’s- they became very poplar in the U.S. starting in the 1920’s. There were also very inexpensive back in the day- sold at the 5 and dime stores where people collected them like crazy and then they were later manufactured in Japan. They now make all the reproduction houses- cardboard, wooden, metal, etc. and vintage style houses are popular with crafters looking to create their own little Christmas villages.

Putz Houses Christmas Tree Decor

Aside from the little houses on the tree, I used a drizzle of tinsel, vintage ornaments and velvet ribbons and rhinestone garland to dress this wee charmer and also dress up the mirror.

Tree Stump Tree Stand

Remember all the damage from the crazy winter storms a couple of years ago? Well, we have a few piles of cut logs around the property (even more after last years storms) and so, I asked my husband to make a simple tree stand using a log. I will share a detailed how to on the blog on Wednesday- it is so easy to do and I love how it turned out!

Get the Look

Frosted Alpine Balsam Fir – and use BHCOURTNEY at Balsam Hill for an extra $20 off $500 even off their up to 50% off Black Friday sale prices.

• French Country Cottage Christmas Book
• Rhinestone Garland
• Mercury Glass Ornaments (vintage style)
• Vintage Style Ornaments
• Velvet Ribbon
• Lit Putz Style Houses
• DIY Putz Style Houses
• Tinsel

What do you think of this little vintage inspired tree?

You can see another idea for using lit houses for a holiday display in this post here.

Happy Monday everyone.

*affiliate links

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Round Top Antiques

Once again, I will keep the chatter to a minimum because the treasures speak for themselves and there are a ton of them.

We hit the road in Texas and actually explored a bit into some other areas and took some back roads to see some of the countryside outside of Round Top- but the majority of the shopping time was right there in the famous shops and stands selling all the beautiful things.

While I loved the bigger more curated and refined shops- I have to admit, there is something about walking in boots in dusty fields and shopping the pop ups that really speaks to my treasure hunt loving heart. So if you are going- don’t overlook those ‘flea market’ looking booths -I saw a ton of beautiful things there too.

Shopping Treasures

I don’t think anyone could say there are not enough treasures at the Antique market in Round Top… here are a few pieces and vignettes that caught my eye. What is speaking to you? I know, I know… Everything. Me too.

Some treasures were priced super well- others were definitely more antique store pricing. Like this mirror that is a whole lot like the one I scored on marketplace- the price tag was almost $6k.

We shopped some of the big buildings for inspiration and some of the smaller pop ups and both were beautiful. I love the quirks that you find among the treasures- like all the halloween stuff that my daughter loves

and things like Elvis driving a car and Bigfoot shopping the market too.

There are some reproductions or mass produced pieces mixed and mingled- so if you are a true antique lover- just keep an eye out for those and keep shopping if they aren’t your thing.

I loved seeing all the creative merchandising displays- my house never looks quite that enchanting when I display something but I got a few ideas that I am thinking of trying and will share here soon.

And back to that first photo I shared above- talk about a show stopper!! That antique cabinet/cupboard/wholly guacamole piece was STUNNING. It was I don’t even know how long but I had to stand way back and put my phone lens on wide to capture it all. The size was perfect for a castle and the price was also one fit for a castle too- over $80K. Seriously BEYOND beautiful.

I hope you enjoyed a peek at what shopping Round Top, Texas looks like. Cannot wait to get back again soon!

Happy Monday everyone!

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Vintage Basket Bag

I spotted this vintage basket handbag right away when we walked into the thrift store. Such a cutie- and when I picked it up- I knew exactly what it would be perfect for in display. It is a vintage Longaberger basket handbag and the price: $5

Of course, you could absolutely use this as a handbag as intended. It has a leather strap with beautiful patina and a plastic insert to keep the bag clean and protected- and it is darling! Or if you are like me and see possibilities with things, it is also perfect for…

Flower Basket Love

You guessed it. Holding flowers. This makes such a charming and sweet flower filled basket for the front door. Or set it on the sideboard. Or hang it on a peg shelf- you get the idea.

Fill the liner

I filled the plastic liner with water and made sure it didn’t leak- all good there. Then I tucked in a dozen or so roses and adjusted the notch on the leather strap to fit the overall size on the door better. I should note- I just used the wreath hanger that was already there on the door holding a wreath. I am working on an autumn front porch tomorrow so this bag won’t be staying here and the wreath will be going back up so the basket isn’t hanging at exactly the right height here. But of course, you could use a wire and screw or something else like that and adjust the height of the basket easier and more to fit your door and style.

Add a ribbon

Another idea to dress up the leather strap a bit more- add a lovely velvet ribbon draped on it.

Simple. Sweet and charming for any season- just change the filler. Though roses are more spring summer- I think they worked beautifully with the pumpkins and dried corn stalks too. It would also be beautiful with dried wheat or leaves or mums for autumn- I may have to play with it some more.

What do you think of this simple $5 front door idea?

Shop the Look

Happy Wednesday everyone.

The post Thrifted & Styled- Simple Sweet Vintage Basket Bag appeared first on French Country Cottage.

Those thrift store adventures continue to inspire me and continue to bring some treasures home with me. I have been a tad more questioning my loves while shopping- because, I love so many treasures that I could bring home enough to probably have my own store. So that means asking myself the triple love rule (you can find that here). So while we have not been bringing home as much -this vintage bird cage treasure? Well, I saw it. I gasped when I took a closer look and loved it. I was not leaving without it. Which, definitely fit the triple love rule.

Vintage Painted Bird Cage

We wandered into the thrift store half expecting to not find a thing. You know thrifting days are like that. Sometimes you need a cart- other times you leave empty handed. This particular shopping day was like any other- but we did change the day up and go a tad earlier in the week. Which might make all the difference.

We have a round of stops and follow the connect the vintage treasure hunt dots when shopping. After a stop at the first stop- where I found a lovely set of plates but had to leave them behind. Why?

Snake skin.

I kid you not. I picked up the plates and felt something rough underneath it and flipped it over and that is when I saw it. I half wondered if it was part of a snake skin at first glance but thought no way- it must be some kind of residue leftover from duct tape to secure the plate for display but upon closer look- I could see the snake skin wound all.the. way. around. the base of the plate. I tipped it up and showed my husband and he was like ‘Interesting. So a snake lived with these plates wherever they were stored.’

Can you almost see the look on my face? The look of what.the….I mean perfect for spooky season I suppose, but I almost dropped the plate and ran for the car. My daughter offered to clean the snakeskin off, but at that point, my fingers felt like they were burning. Okay- an exaggeration but needless to say, I was no longer interested in bringing those plates home.

The good news? They did have a set of the most beautiful vintage floral plates that were just .75 and $1 each – so that satisfied my vintage table setting obsession for the moment. (and yes, they have already been photographed)

Vintage Chippy Goodness

The next stop is a thrift shop that benefits a no kill shelter and the animals. They even have cats that roam the store and adoptable pets available as you shop. I am surprised that we have not brought home 3 dozen kittens and 12 dogs already. My daughter always goes straight to the books in this shop. I go straight to the china and baskets. (surprise) After wandering a few aisles, I rounded the corner where the furniture and pet supplies are and that is where I saw it.

On top of a dresser, next to the lamps and piles of old plastic garden pots- there it was. I turned to my husband and mouthed ‘ohhhhh my’ as I got to it and started pouring over all the details.

It was a tall wooden birdcage wearing a delightful chippy pistachio green paint. The roof was mostly bare wood and accented by a couple of finials.

The door was large, with a string of bells attached to it. It was missing the bottom tray but other than that- was perfection.

We expected it to be quite expensive- the vintage in this particular shop is usually a tad overpriced. When we finally found the tag, I basically picked it up and handed it to my husband. He asked how much it was- I said $25. He said ‘ Are you sure it is not $125?’ I looked again- and it was definitely $25. So, to the front of the store it went.

When we checked out- the store clerk commented that the birdcage just came in and needed some paint and tinkering before it would be pretty again and so, the price reflected that. I shook my head and said ‘it is perfect just as it is.’

Vintage or Well Loved reproduction?

From a search online, it appears a similar one was listed as an antique about 10 years ago- but who knows. I have learned that where I once thought vintage meant like 1960’s or 70’s- it is actually now considered to be 1990’s. Which boggles my mind since that the 90’s are when I graduated high school, got married and had all three of my babies. YSo, I guess I am now an antique. haha.

Where is it going?

Usually I have a few ideas when bringing something larger home- since you can’t just tuck it into a china cabinet for the moment. I have a few ideas of where it might land- and am deciding if I want to keep it in the house or enjoy it in the potting shed or barn as a display piece. Probably both as things shift and move often over here. Just a few quick iPhone snaps today but will properly style, photograph and share where it lands soon.

More vintage coming up

This was The stop that day… until the next one. You see, the next stop had some darling vintage peacock statues, prettiest weathered baskets and something I have seen online for years but have never seen out in the wild- and it has been on the treasure hunt list for awhile now.

sday everyone.

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Vintage Ironstone Platters

It started with a beautiful ironstone platter that was on the smaller side and had the most lovely shade of blue detailing around the edges. I was instantly in love and did not care about the chips or crazing and brought it home. I shared it here on the blog years back in a Christmas table setting- and recently, I bumped into several more at a thrift store and the obsession has started back up.

Ironstone History

Ironstone is a stoneware pottery – often noted that it feels much heavier and much thicker than plates and platters that look much the same. While many people think of ironstone and think of all those pretty white pitchers that so many of us love for flowers and just filling cupboards with- something you may not know is that there are also ironstone pieces with patterns. While some pieces are marked and easy to identify them- others are not marked and you have to more go with the look and thickness of a piece to determine if it is ironstone. In all disclosure- truth be told- I am no expert and I tend to collect what I like and call it good without having to identify it as something specific. If it talks to me- it talks to me haha. So unless it is marked specifically as ironstone or is something so thick and heavy it is unmistakeable- I find people use ‘ironstone’ as a general way of describing those pieces. And when researching the marks on these- that is what they were referred to.

I have heard that American collectors favor the all white, all bright, all simple look of the white ironstone and reproductions. Much like the farmhouse look I suppose which definitely uses that more neutral simple aesthetic. European collectors favor the patterns that look more like a traditional transferware piece often in a noticeably thicker and heavier build. This is something that is more obvious when placed side by side or if you have a collection of vintage plates and place it next to a piece of ironstone you may notice the difference in the look, thickness and the weight of it more easily.

I also personally have found that the English or European ironstone have softer color saturation which I absolutely love- and of course, the crazing and stains- don’t get me started on how they talk to me! I simply cannot resist a beautiful vintage faded pattern piece of ironstone that is adorned with old crazing, stains and even chips. I love that delicious patina.

Neutral shades and patterns

As mentioned most folks love those all white pitchers- I do have a few that I have collected over the years. But my obsession tends to be more on the patterned pieces- and when I find them, I bring them home.

Recently while at the Re-Store, I bumped into a delightfully soft black and white ironstone tureen (of course, it went right in my cart) and I mentioned to my husband that I have been looking for black and white and brown and white ironstone or transferware for awhile now and was excited to find it. Would you believe that when we got to the check out- there was a stack of plates, cups and saucers on the table behind the register waiting to be put out? I bought them all. And they said they were unboxing more and so to come back the next day to see if there was anything else.

My husband ran back the next day and found 2 more tureens, a large platter, small platter and a couple small plates. My collection of ironstone and transferware was officially started!

Something to note about the black and white ironstone is that often the black appears more gray or even on the purple side. It is a very soft, unsaturated beautiful look.

Platters Obsession

So, the platter obsession started awhile back with a blue and white ironstone platter I found -and it was reinvigorated with that haul that my husband brought home. And though I always keep an eye out for pieces like that- I hardly ever find them. But it is kind of like when you are thinking about getting a new car or something like that and then all of a sudden see that same on everywhere? Yep. The platters were the key to finding the others.

I found this stack of 2 floral and dainty edged platters in a stack of about 3 or 4 under some other dishes. Insanely beautiful and full of crazing and loveliness – and just $5 each.

And this gorgeous big and lovely black/blue beauty came home with me yesterday. I am Obsessed with it and the gorgeous pattern it has.

I will delve more into the brown and black collection and other pieces I have so far in an autumn inspired post soon. While I am always on the look out for vintage china pieces to add to the collection- I definitely have a weakness for these autumn shades in old plates, platters and tureens at the moment so you know I will be scouring the shelves of the thrifts and flea markets looking for more.

Happy collecting everyone!

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Autumn Table & Floral Arrangement

Bold and beautiful flowers are perfect for autumn- and though they are not my usual go-to colors- I do love them during cozy season. This arrangement was all about a mix and mingle of farmers market blooms, grocery store flowers and some clippings from the yard.

The secret with a mixed and mingled arrangement is to simply do that. Mix and mingle. Whatever colors or flowers are talking to you work beautifully. Keep what you like and leave out what you don’t. I originally was not going to use this rich red that came tucked in with the farmers market flowers I bought. But, as I played with the flowers- I decided to tuck a few of them in and they were a lovely little accent. Bold- but when used sparingly- I feel like they work.

Especially with the other rosy and autumn toned colors tucked in. Peach garden roses, blush spray roses, dahlias, queen Anne’s lace, grasses and much more = a burst of autumn sunshine.

Table Setting Secrets

I tucked all the flowers into a vintage champagne bucket that was a $5 thrift store find – and even better- the elements in todays table are also thrifted.

This beautiful old cotton crochet lace tablecloth had me at hello. I didn’t know how much it was, or even what it was as it was wrapped up with 2 other cloths and taped so that you couldn’t really tell. But it was in the $1 bin – so it came home with me. I am in love with it.

The brown Franciscan goblets probably look familiar. I have that set of green that I absolutely love and when I bumped into this large set of brown- they went in the cart. They were the most expensive part of the table at around $12 for each set of 3 – but I argued with myself that if I waited for the half price day- they would likely not be there and I would probably kick myself for not grabbing them when I found the set.

The brown transferware plates and tureen were also thrifted- I have been collecting brown and black transferware for a few months and these plates were all stacked together and marked $1 each. They are not the same patterns or sizes- but I love them mixed on the table. I will share the other pieces I have in another post.

Get the Look

Get the look of this thrifted table below.

Coming your way- more of my recent thrifted and yard sale treasures and that favorite find last week that was just $10. You can see more about collecting vintage goblets Here

Stay tuned for another behind the scenes of my new Christmas book and also another autumn table inspiration set outdoors. Happy Tuesday all.

The post Beautiful Simple Autumn table & floral arrangement appeared first on French Country Cottage.

Vintage Farm Bench

I have gone from someone who has been decorating mostly in layers of lovely neutrals- to someone who is looking for a pop of pretty bold color here and there. This old vintage farm bench definitely fits my love of the color green- in all shades, layers and saturations. But where do you think a bench like this would fit in my house?

Anywhere. haha

Because, like I always encourage you- don’t follow the ‘rules’ when decorating- there really aren’t any- just go with what you love. And this chippy old patina covered bench? I LOVE IT. I originally was thinking I was going to put it outdoors on the porch or in a covered area where we could enjoy it- maybe the rock fireplace patio or front porch or in a guest bedroom even. And when we got it home, I let it ‘breathe’ outdoors by the front door for a minute and then moved it into the house and set it behind the sofa – mainly to get it out of the weather-figuring I would move it by the table or somewhere else at some point. And guess what? It has stayed there and has held all kinds of things as I move them around here and there.

Chippy Paint Patina

The hunter/forest green color has been there a bit- and it is imperfect but so perfect at the same time. You can see some old yellowed white paint and even bare wood coming through.

The guy I bought it from suggested we could paint it and freshen it up- which I of course smiled at and shook my head and said I loved it as is- chips and dings and oddities like this chunky bit in the finish and all. You can see how the layers of old matte paint are uneven and a bit off in this lightened photo- I don’t mind it. It does have a very ‘dusty’ kind of finish as you can see. This is after we wiped it down and after it dried- so it is the look it has.

Where to use an old bench

As I mentioned, there are So many possibilities for where to use a piece like this. I tend to bring home pieces that I love that are also photo shoot props so they do double duty. And I *might* have about 6 new to me old chairs that I recently brought home for photos- so what is a bench to add to the chair hoarding? haha.

Placing a bench behind a sofa is a perfect spot to plop the groceries or mail as you bring it in and take your shoes off, etc. But it would work perfectly in a guest bedroom at the foot of the bed or along side the bed on a wall- a good spot to set luggage and all the things that need a place to land.

It would also fit in an entry area along the hallway wall, in the laundry room where it could double as laundry basket storage or pretty much nearly anywhere you have a long wall and need something charming. Of course, outdoors. A covered porch or patio. Inside a barn or shed. Set up in an area of the yard where it is protected from the weather. I think this bench is almost 8′ long so it is a big one- but I saw quite a few that were smaller in the 4-6′ long range that could work well tucked into smaller spots also. So if you like the look but don’t have a huge space for one- keep an eye out for a smaller size.

How to Find a vintage bench

Use those keywords if shopping online at places like Marketplace, Etsy, eBay and Craigslist, I would try ‘vintage, antique, bench, farm bench, farmhouse bench, old bench, spindle bench, shaker bench’ etc. you get the idea. A combo of words works well to pick up more options.

You can also scour the aisles of antique stores and tag sales – you might be surprised at what you bump into. If you don’t mind a chippy patina or a weathered and worn well loved look- there are a lot of possibilities and if you consider outdoor benches- you may find one that has weathered away to a lovely old silvery or chippy paint finish for a charming look indoors.

New Bench

Of course, you can also buy a new bench and enjoy as is or layer some paint on for a lovely old look. Sharing a few get the look options below and some vintage green paint options if you are in love with green at the moment too. The best thing about something you paint- it is easy to change on a whim as your aesthetic changes too.

I will get some proper photographs of the bench in the room as things are set up for autumn soon- we have been out much of the past week and will be next week too- so will have to wait just a bit for now.

And do you know what tomorrow is? Christmas Book Birthday!!! See you tomorrow for a special behind the scenes story from the book.

Happy Monday all.

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