Sometimes Old is Better

Every once in awhile, something about decorating just clicks with me. It's like the light bulbs you see go off over someone's head in a cartoon.

While straightening up in my guest bathroom the other day, I had one of those moments. To the right of the double vanity in the room is a small wall. It needed some art and I had bought two inexpensive prints several years ago. They filled in the void but they were never exactly what I wanted.

Recently, I was given two very old oriental prints and promptly cleaned the glass and the frames and popped on a price tag. While I was cleaning the bathroom, it occurred to me that the colors in the two oriental prints were perfect for this  area!

Home they came and settled into their new space quite nicely.

I like to mix new and old.

Updating certain elements of a room

and then introducing something with some wear and tear

always makes a room feel homey.

This rather new apothecary jar is filled with sea glass that catches the light and matches the colors in the oriental prints.

Notice, how the jar is set on a lacy vintage glass square.

Again, using the old with the new.

In another bath, I use brushed nickel fixtures, new pottery and have added new "spa" towels.

 A very old picture with wavy glass tops off the tub area, thus adding something "old".

I won these beautiful needlepoint pictures (dated 1943 on back) on Ebay.

These are also in the same bath. You can see the nickel outlet below them.

On the flip side of this coin, sometimes I take very new frames and mats and make them look "older".

In the picture above, I painted the frame with spray automotive paint (dark bronze), popped out the picture and the mat. I covered the mat with tissue paper and painted the white scrolls.

I found a free vintage print online and put it in.

This toned down the gold frame and the very new looking mat.

I say, sometimes, old IS better!