Hand Carved Antique Wood Wall Shelf

Okay, I need your help with this one--what are your thoughts on the age and origin of this rustic, carved, wood shelf?

So, let me tell you a little bit about it first. I bought it at a thrift store and we added the thin wood back to it. It appears very primitively made and is assembled with nails that are rusty. I can't tell if they are square nails.

The carvings across the top look like they are from the Pennsylvania Dutch country. But, they also can be from India. When I do a visual search nothing comes up. Typically, if a piece is from World Market or Pier One, it will come up when searching which leads me to believe that it is not a mass produced item.

The paint and wood color is original--there is a greyish color under the blue and the paint appears to be milk paint. I did shine the shelf up with salve, but the paint was more matte before I conditioned it.

This picture shows the bottom shelf which shows age. It also shows the greyish color that is under the blue. (Plus I am sharing a cute, hand-painted, pottery trinket dish I thrifted.) I do think this bottom shelf did originally have a carved wood strip across the front of it like the other shelves do.

I would love to here your thoughts, but at any rate, I really do love this shelf. It adds interest, warmth, and color to a wall and is a great place to display personal trinkets and curated and quirky items that you love.

Also, an aside--while trends come and go and I absolutely think you should style your home with items you love, a 2025 trend is more color!! Earthy tones and rich jewel colors are hot and ALL white is OUT (too cold and yawn inducing)! But, you do you, just remember to use items and colors that make you smile and that help your home to feel welcoming and cozy.

Montana Cabin Style Curated Finds

 I love it when I can group my curated finds into a theme. I am calling this one Montana Cabin Style!

Let's get into the details! I sourced some fantastic, vintage, original art. The larger acrylic is from 1973 and the watercolor is from a MT painter. The 1964 print of a boy feeing squirrel (don't feed the wildlife) is an old school poster. A cedar box is always a good find.

The vintage dog sledding tapestry is perfect for any cabin or rustic or eclectic home. A copper ladle, wood cutting boards and a wool snowman pillow are fun finds. 

A hooked rug, no doubt from the 70's or early 80's, depicts a sunset deer scene. Bison art from an old magazine and framed in Montana barnwood is perfect for any home that loves wildlife.

A trough style dough bowl and a wrought iron candleholder will look fantastic in any space. Pen and ink drawings of Montana breweries need frames still. Sourced goods also include an olive green teapot and a live edge wood frame. 

Most of these items will be available at my next pop-up shop (date TBD). See anything you love?

Reclaimed Wood Bookshelf with a Copper Back

A very cold few days turned into a great weekend to get some building projects done. We worked on a few different things including a reclaimed wood bookshelf with a fantastic copper backing on it.

Keep reading to see how we built this and some tips on styling a bookshelf. First off, I say WE built this because hubby and I worked on this project together. I designed the shelf and picked out the wood we were going to use, he did the cutting and assembling, and I sanded and finished it. it was a perfect joint project and turned out just as I had pictured it.

The wood is reclaimed barnwood and it is all hardwood--white oak and maple. The copper panels were given to me several years ago and had been originally used as a backsplash. They had been finished with the verdigris patina using an accelerant. I did wipe them down and removed some of the verdigris finish, leaving a bit of the copper to shine through. The back of the panels is bright, shiny copper with contact cement on it. 

I like the trim boards that we put across the front of the shelves and at the top and bottom. The trim makes the shelves look beefier and more finished. I stained the wood with Special Walnut stain and use a clear coat on the wood to protect it. I styled the shelves with recently thrifted finds and personal items.

I styled the shelf sparsely since it will be for sale, but still used good design rules to create visually appealing vignettes: odd numbers, asymmetry, varying heights, repeating elements and colors, and creating cohesiveness by having objects layered and "touching" if only visually. What does that last part mean? If you look at the top of the shelf you will see that your eye flows from item to item because they are grouped in a way that they look connected. You can give the eyes a rest by having two groupings like on the first inside shelf. Don't arrange items solely in the middle of the shelf which stops the eye dead center. You want the eyes to flow in an S pattern for balance.

Definitely add books to a BOOKshelf, but incorporate other objects and personal items as well. I would utilize more books if I were keeping this shelf because I am a reader and a former teacher and I love books. An aside--I do not like books turned around to show the pages. Nothing screams I don't read more than not showing the spines with the book titles. I get it, it creates uniformity and the all white decor lovers do this, but it annoys me. Books are great decorative objects, but let's not forget their main purpose is to be read. I value books and I think flipping them around devalues them. Okay, stepping off my soapbox now. 

Remember to use objects that have meaning to you when you style your shelves. Feathers and rocks collected on walks, a favorite photo, a book from a vacation all have a place on this bookshelf. Recently curated objects are great too if you love them and they make your heart got pitter patter. Do not decorate with something simply because it is popular or in style. Use objects that will make you smile when you see them. 

It was fun to get in the workshop and I look forward to this shelf finding a new home soon!

Help Wanted

Here's the truth about thrifting, almost everything I buy needs some work or upcycling before it is ready for my pop-up shop. When I found a rustic, hand-carved, HELP WANTED sign at the thrift store, I thought it would be a fun piece for a kitchen or laundry room. But...it needed a quick makeover first.

The letters were painted black and did not stand out against the dark grey wood sign. So, I decided to paint them red.

After painting, I sanded off the red that got on the sign rather than the letters, and then clear coated the piece.

It is a fun sign to hang in the kitchen, set up above cupboards, or a home office or in a laundry room. And while word signs are no longer popular, vintage, authentic signs will never go out of style! 

Easy Cake Plate Update

Ever ask yourself, "Hmmm, what were they thinking?" I do, quite often, especially at the thrift store. So when I spied this gun metal grey, metal cake stand at the thrift store for a few dollars, I knew I was buying it and I knew it would need a makeover. 

I mean, I like grey well enough, but not for food. It is just so depressing and an unappetizing color, not celebratory like a cake plate should be. So, I looked through my paint and chose a fresher and delightful color for it, a vintage mint green.

This was a paint sample can in a matte finish. I pained it right over the gray, which was also flat, after cleaning the cake stand. Remember to turn pieces upside down and paint the underside first and then flip over. 

I did sand the edges a bit where the grey paint was bumpy and then clear coated the cake stand with a matte, spray on finish. While the paint and finish is non-toxic, I would recommend sitting unwrapped food on a napkin or doily rather than directly on the painted surface.

This color is so much better and I love how it looks like vintage jade green cake stand. I styled it in my kitchen corner with some thrifted dessert plates (with GF Oreos), a small, battery operated candle in a wood spoon rest, and a jar of trail mix. I used Antique Gold Rub-n-Buff on the jar lid and glued a faux succulent to the top.

Paint--always a game changer and a great way to update thrift store finds!

Early Spring Vintage Finds

I know, it is only mid-January, BUT in the sourcing world, I have to be thinking ahead. So, spring (and late winter) have been on my brain as I curate items for my pop-up shop. Here are some of my recent finds!

COLOR--aahhh!! You might notice lots of florals and greens--prefect for spring. Keep reading to see DETAILS!

This faux lavender looks so real that I actually smelled it when I picked it up, thinking it was  dried bouquet. The silver candlesticks are perfect for Valentine's Day or a spring wedding. The original geranium painting is well-done and an acrylic I believe. Based on the framing, I think it is vintage.

This vintage, cast iron, Swedish casserole dish is quite the find. The green repeats on the dish part and it is HEAVY. The robin print is from a 1965 set of classroom posters. I got a dozen of them and will be framing many of them. The framed sheet music is  fun for lonely hearts during February. The small vintage sunflower creamer makes a good vase or cane be used for cream. These items are laying on two green pillow forms that I will be using on my loveseat.

A book bird print, a vintage oil painting, and a chippy white frame all say hello spring. The silver dish is a 25th anniversary Oneida bowl from 1969. I need to finish polishing it up.

This sweet applique art with buttons depicts a lovely cottage and picket fence.

A vintage needlepoint and a framed print entitled spring (that I reframed in this nice easel frame) and an Oneida striped pitcher all add much welcomed color to any home. I love sourcing new items for the shop and I enjoy sharing them with you. 

Recently Sourced Home Decor for the Pop-Up Shop

Even though I haven't picked a date for my next pop-up shop opening (I am waiting on weather), I am still busy sourcing fantastic, vintage items to sell. Here are some of my recent finds:

I love these old, vintage, wood, folding chairs (I have one hanging on my wall as "art", and extra chair). I revived them with Wise Owl Furniture Salve. You can buy it from my friend Tina HERE. I made the table from a metal table base that I spray painted and a wood lazy Susan.

I use washers and screws to secure the wood top to the heavy metal piece.

I love this primitive wood shelf with the scalloped beadboard on the back. Based on construction, I think this is a fairly old piece, although the paint on it is maybe a recent addition. All i did was use the salve on it to give new life to the dry wood. The watercolor painting on the wall is by a rather famous, American artist, Dale Hamlett. He passed in 2011 at the age of 89. He painted professionally for 50+ years and was painting up until his death. He won many awards both nationally and internationally. On the back of his painting is a return address label with his name and address in MN, so I wonder if tis was part of his personal collection that he kept.

On the shelf sits some smalls that will be for sale. I love the Japanese Majolica creamer.

I loved the pastel stripes on this vintage Oneida pitcher. Boy, this thing was filthy and took a lot of hot water and Dawn dish soap to clean up. The oil still life is primitive, but very old in an antique frame. I think it is. This was on the back of it:

I did a little research and found the artist's obituary, she passed in 1953

Curating items for the pop-up-shop is one of my very favorite things to do. I am happy with these finds and look forward to offering them to my customers. See anything you love?

Simple Warm Winter Entryway Decor

I loved my Christmas decor in my front entryway, but...

while I thought I would leave the pine branches up for winter, yesterday I decided I wanted to put them away and style the space is a more pared down, simple look for winter.

I kept a few wintry items, but then put back much of the everyday decor that I make small changes to through the seasons.

I kept the white pinecone candleholders and the Swedish rattan star or snowflake that I used for the holidays. The gold and macrame growler came back with bare branches for the season. I will add green branches in the spring. A thrifted, handmade, pottery planter is a new addition--I added some green moss to it to incorporate a touch of color. The warmth of the large, flat basket behind the mirror, the snowflake, and the antique gold bottle helps to make the space feel cozy rather than winter white cold.

On the other end of the entryway shelf sits the pinecone painting that I created using only wood scraps as paintbrushes. I left the green-blue creamer with a candle in it that I had here for Christmas, but replaced the pine and red berries with green moss. Remember to repeat items and colors and textures for a more visually pleasing display. A trio of vintage leather cases add more warmth and a large, gold bell (perfect for my old schoolhouse) anchors this end of the shelf. Vignettes most often should have odd numbers of items, different heights, and asymmetry to create interest and harmony.

Because I can't keep live plants in this entryway during the winter (it gets too cold, we close the door and close it off at night), I replaced the Christmas tree that sat in the weathered brown basket with hats, mittens, and a newly thrifted, green plaid, LL Bean Scarf.

When go in and out of this door when we walk the dog so it is nice to have some of those warm winter accessories nearby. I left the same pillow and throw on the bench and kept the chalkboard art the same. The winter cabin art that hung under the wall sconce was replaced with the vintage needlepoint "Love Spoken Here" art that typically hangs here.

The space is warm and inviting and functional still, but cleaner and pared down than it was for Christmas. Oh, and it gets the best late afternoon, winter sunlight.

I am always proud that every bit of decor in here was either thrifted or created and made by me--the light, the bench, the chalkboard, the coat hook and shelf, the stenciled wall. It is a fun space to decorate. My favorite hashtag to use is #thriftcuratestyle and I am happy to say that I not only preach it, but I also live it. 

Attic Bedroom Makeover with Thrift Store Finds

Out of sight, out of mind--boy does that saying ring true for me. We started a makeover in out attic bedroom space six months ago. I JUST worked on more of it, mainly the sleeping area. 

First, to refresh our brains, this space is a large area that was our daughter's bedroom when she was a teenager. It originally had pink carpeting that we ripped out ten years ago before moving in. We replaced it with dark, barnwood LVP. After she moved out, it sat empty until the boomerang middle child moved back home in 2022. He lived here for about 16 months. When he moved out, I reclaimed the space.

The makeover started or was inspired by this wool rug that I thrifted from the Habitat for Humanity Restore. I picked a mossy green color from the rug to paint the walls. Down on the one end I have my art "studio"-- a drafting table (that now sits on a shag brown rug), a record player, and a small dresser that holds art supplies. I stage items that I find up here in this space.

In the middle of the room I created a sitting area near the stairway pony wall. The bamboo chair has been replaced with my more comfy thrifted, rocking bentwood chair. I have also added ottomans.

Opposite the chairs there is a TV on the wall, a long wood bench with some hand weights and yoga mat under it. 

In the other end, in the nook, is a queen sized bed, the newest addition to the space. I put up the barnwood wall when my daughter lived her. A queen box spring will not make it up the stairs, so this mattress sits on a new, wood platform bed. The Woolrich, corduroy bed spread is a thrifted find that has been washed and sanitized and is ready for guests.

The bed can slide to the middle to be made. At the end of the bed sits a newly thrifted, narrow wood bench. I am not sure it will stay here. I really was just staging what I thrifted and will probably put the bench in my pop-up shop. It was a fun find! It works well to hold an extra blanket and to sit on to put shoes on.

I added a hanging light with on on and off switch that sits on the small shelf I attached to the wall The shelf sits right above an outlet and provides space to sit a phone and a book.

I've incorporated thrift store art in the space. We also have a small fridge, microwave, and coffee pot in the space, next to the bathroom, in the opening to the walk in closet space. I will share the whole space soon, but I am thrilled with how it is coming together!