Out With the New…Bring in the Old!

I remember walking into my 35 year old Atlanta home when we
bought it nineteen years ago and thinking, “What’s up with this
orange-looking wood?” What I didn’t realize or appreciate at
the time was that the floors were all made of 100 year old heart-
pine that came out of an old warehouse in Chicago. It still has the
original nail holes.

It seems that the “in” thing at the moment is making your new
stuff look old. Distressed finishes and antiqued paint applications
make ordinary furniture look interesting. Using wood out of an
old barn for a fireplace mantel or making a coffee table out of an
old wooden cart are examples of what you can do with items you
find at flea markets and yard sales. I recently cleaned out my attic
and found an antique trunk that I dusted off and use as a table to
display framed pictures in my son’s room. Some people are even
trying to make their new houses look old by installing vintage
doors, rustic cedar beams, and antique light fixtures.

Try creating something new out of something old. Not only is it
fun to do, you’ll have great stories to tell your friends when they
ask, “Is that a new table …?”