Tag Archives: architectural antiques

My top 3 Most Versatile Antique & Vintage Items

Posted by thenewcollector in Antiques, Architectural Antiques, Decorating with Antiques, Repurposing Antiques & Vintage and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

versatileitemscollage

I love a versatile item, don’t you? In modern homes it’s a real bonus if an item can look good, add character and serve a function. Some collectibles can only really be used for one purpose, but others can be repurposed into a variety of uses that suit your particular needs. Here are my top three versatile, charming, and often inexpensive items that can be used in creative and fun ways throughout your home. I’ve found all these items at antique shows, flea markets and shops over the years and I’m still discovering new uses for them.

Jars – Ah the humble, hard working jar. New jars are nice, but real vintage jars are still an easy find. I love them for their imperfections and old fashioned marks. My favourite has a soft blue colour that is timeless and pretty. Old jars just say “country home” and fit in many relaxed styles.

jarsaberfoyle

Jars for sale at the Aberfoyle Antique Market

What can you do with an antique jar? Almost anything! You can paint them, etch words into them, switch up the lids (find new lids at kitchen supply stores) and even add knobs to the tops. Here are some of my favourite old jar uses:

  • Bathroom Storage – Q-tips, cotton balls and bath salts look lovely and stay protected.
  • Succulent Terrariums –  Small trees and fake snow make fun holiday decorations as well.
  • Vases – An old fashioned way to display your fresh cut flowers.
  • Lights – On the easy end, you can put a candle or string lights in a jar to great effect, or if you feel crafty, there are great directions out there for turning jars into table lamps and even chandeliers.
gemjar

Vintage “GEM” jar with garden peonies. A dollar store grid top made this jar a vase.

Tins – Graphic, fun, functional tins. Keep your eyes peeled and you’re sure to find something you like at a wide variety of markets. Collectors prize certain brands (and clean condition), so price will vary.

tinsonshelf

One of the most common problems with old tins is that they can warp, rust and become difficult to close. Don’t let that stop you, however, if you fall in love with a great image. You can still use tins in the following ways:

  • Desk & Kitchen Organizers – One of the easiest ways to enjoy a tin is simply take the top off and fill it with something you need to have out on a surface, like pens or cooking utensils. Big tins can hold bags of flour or pet food. Glue magnets to small tins and you can use them on your fridge.
gstin

Vintage “Girl Scout” tin. Purchased at the Nashville Flea Market, this tin is both a great souvenir and a handy way to corral my pens. I love the badges!

  • Planters – Fill a tin with dirt and plant something that won’t require much water, like a succulent. Easy to grow and display.
  • Candles – Wax, wick, you’re good to go!
  • Jewelry – Difficult for beginners but if you know how to work with metal, small pieces of cut antique tin can inspire wonderful designs. Also a great use of otherwise very damaged and inexpensive tins.
kingcoletin

Large Potato Chip tin used to store bags of flour in my parent’s kitchen

  • Caddies – With a little effort, you can turn multiple tins into a tiered caddie for your office or craft room.
bhgvintagetins

Caddie (and instructions) via Better Homes and Gardens

Corbels and Trim – A corbel (also sometimes called a bracket) is the piece of wood, usually carved in a  decorative pattern, that sticks out and holds up the structure above it. Trim is simply any piece of wood that was once used to outline a piece of furniture or structure.

corbelsbehgtv

Antique corbels used as book ends and mounted in the entrance-way of a kitchen. Images via HGTV

Trim is quite cheap but delicate antique corbels can be expensive. Reproductions are an option, but keep your eyes open and you may get lucky. Real old wood has a wonderful worn aesthetic that adds so much warmth to your space. This type of architectural detail is found at salvage shops and antique shows. As you can imagine, decorative pieces of wood are pretty all-purpose. Some popular ideas for antique corbels and trim include:

  • Shelves
  • Book Ends
  • Kitchen Counters & Cabinets – Mounted underneath counters and cabinets, corbels can add texture and nostalgia to modern kitchens.
  • Shelf Brackets – Either paired with antique trim or new wood, corbels likewise compliment shelves
  • Coat Hooks
Coat Hooks

My DIY antique trim coat hook. Still holding up our coats in style!

Architectural salvage has experienced a resurgence in popularity, so it’s a good idea to buy great pieces when you see them. I found the two vintage corbels below for only $60. I think I’m going to simply nail them to the wall and use them as shelves as is. Luckily I always have a few smalls that need displaying 😉

cobelcollage

I hope this encourages you to find spots for these charming old items in your home. Do you have any more ideas for using jars, tins or trim? Please share in the comments below!

The Aberfoyle Antique Market

Posted by thenewcollector in Antiques / Vintage Shows and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

A few weeks ago I attended the Aberfoyle Antique Market for one of their twice annual Saturday Special Shows. A smaller version of this outdoor market takes place every Sunday from late April until late October. Aberfoyle is located just outside of Guelph Ontario (an easy drive from Toronto). I hadn’t visited in many years, and I was really impressed by how this market had grown and improved since my last visit.

img_9591

One thing I liked right away when we started walking around Aberfoyle was how the grounds were more interesting and rambling than I expected. There were rows of booths in a field, but there were also buildings, curved pathways, and small groves of trees. Many of the sellers who set up on Sunday have permanent booths in buildings so it’s a nice mix of outdoor and indoor browsing. The food area as well has been improved with a restaurant, a few fast food carts, and a lovely seating area with comfortable patio sets and umbrellas. Unlike some outdoor shows which tire you out and offer scant comfort, Aberfoyle had plenty of shady and easy spots to sit down. We had to park in a distant field and the show even provided a shuttle bus to our car.

img_9629

img_9630

We arrived in the late morning and the market was really crowded. Buyers had arrived at opening and were already walking around with purchases. There was a really good mix of people with all ages represented. Young families, retired couples, kids looking to furnish their first apartments – everyone was there. The weather held out and was fairly sunny until the mid afternoon when there was a touch of rain. It never became worse than damp but it drove half the crowd away by 3pm and we noticed a few dealers starting to pack up early. We stayed right until closing at 4pm.

img_9600img_9614img_9621

So what did we find at Aberfoyle? Pretty much everything that fits the category of general antique or collectible. Overall the stock appealed to a wide variety of taste (and budgets). There were also specialty dealers with collections of advertising, early pottery, tins and kitchen ware. There were a few Canadiana dealers with early smalls, textiles and furniture. Architectural objects like trim, reclaimed wood and metal gates were also available, and at reduced prices than we’re used to seeing in Toronto. I didn’t find too many newly reproduced pieces. In general the quality of stock across the board was good.

img_9590img_9599img_9597img_9638We left Aberfoyle with a few bags of treasures and two decorative metal doors for my parent’s garden. I’m happy with my purchases and I have a feeling I could easily buy something every time I visit. Aberfoyle was a great way to spend a day, in a beautiful venue, with a lot of interesting items to discover. It’s a great show that rewards all levels of antique and vintage hunters. I will definitely try to visit again for the smaller Sunday market during the summer, and the next special show this fall.

The Guild Inn and Sculpture Park

Posted by thenewcollector in Antiques, Architectural Antiques and tagged with , , , , ,

Back about a month ago, my husband and I decided to take a drive into nearby southern Scarborough, Ontario. En route to the car, we ran into our neighbour who was born and raised in the area. She recommended we visit “The Guild“. I hadn’t heard of the place but our neighbour said it was a historic parcel of land on the coast of the lake. She said it had a large garden full of antique architectural features, which I was immediately curious about as a sucker for all things garden and architectural. She also said it had once been home to an expansive artist colony (in fact the first artist colony in Canada!), and still housed a large Inn. It all sounded very interesting, so off we went to visit the Guild.

I am so glad we ran into our neighbour that day! The first thing we noticed when we arrived (it’s free to enter and park) was a large building, boarded up and behind a chain link fence. This was the actual Inn – a structure built in 1914 that has been used as a residence, military hospital, shelter and hotel over the years. Obviously neglect has not been kind to this once stately home. It is in a sad state, and thus it was quite easy to imagine why the Inn has a reputation for being haunted. Our disappointment from the Inn, however, was quickly forgotten when we ventured further into the large park behind the building. We were immediately welcomed by towering columns and neatly kept trails through mature trees. The grounds in stark comparison to the Inn are well maintained. The large lawn ends in a tree line, and beyond a beautiful vantage point on top of the bluffs to the lake below.

What is left of the Guild Inn today

What is left of the Guild Inn today

guildphoto24

guildphoto19

guildphoto7

guildphoto9

The beautiful view of the lake from on top of the bluffs

The huge 88 acre grounds are composed of forested areas, large lawns, flower beds, and a few remaining smaller buildings. The most notable building (other than the Inn) is a small log cabin in the woods. This is the Osterhout cabin which was built in 1795 and is the oldest building in Scarborough. Scattered around, grouped but never very crowded, are architectural remnants of Toronto’s past. Beautiful archways, columns, and sculpture that once graced the city’s buildings are on display. Plaques give the history of the objects, although some of these have been lost over the years. You can enjoy the objects from afar or venture closer – often to discover a face carved into the facade. The day we went there were quite a few people around (it’s a popular spot for wedding photography) but it was easy to feel like you were alone in some historical wonderland.

guildphoto15

The Osterhout Log Cabin

The Osterhout Log Cabin

guildphoto17

The history of the Guild is very interesting. The original manor residence was built in 1914 in the Arts and Crafts style. In 1932 the residence and grounds were bought by Rosa and Spencer Clark. They were great lovers of the arts, and slowly transformed the grounds into an art colony during the Depression era. The Clarks rescued facades and ruins of various demolished downtown Toronto buildings to create the Sculpture Park. Altogether, pieces of more than 60 structures were amassed. The Guild Inn proved so popular as a lakeside resort and artisans’ community that in 1965 a 100 room addition and a swimming pool were added (I believe this addition was demolished in 2009). Many people who grew up in this area of Toronto have fond memories of staying at the Inn, or visiting the restaurant for a family meal and walk through the park.

guildphoto6

guildphoto11

guildphoto13

The Guild is a unique and memorable historical site that unfortunately continues to languish without proper restoration. Now owned by the city, various plans including a college campus have been proposed to revitalize the land. Personally, I think any plan that can restore the Inn and the art colony would be ideal. There are so many people interested in crafting and the arts it seems like a missed opportunity not to build on what is already part of the land’s cultural background. I could easily see people taking everything from painting lessons on the grounds to metalwork classes in the studios. Most importantly, without some serious money and invested owners, the beautiful objects and buildings already on the land will continue to deteriorate.

Fortunately, the Guild Inn and surrounding park may still have a bright future. Many local people are active in preserving the space and organizing events that use the park and raise awareness. Just this month, CBC radio did an interview with Friends of Guild Park president, John Mason. I recommend a listen (it’s short and well done). There is also a Facebook Page devoted to The Guild, with regularly updated news. If you live in Toronto, you owe it to yourself to visit. Perhaps, like so many artists before, it will inspire you to capture its beauty either through photographs or drawings. Even if you just walk through the park and enjoy the scenery, it will almost definitely inspire you to return.

Repurposed Antique Trim Coat Hooks

Posted by thenewcollector in Decorating with Antiques, Repurposing Antiques & Vintage and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

This winter has been a long one in my neck of the woods. In an effort to use my free time for things other than watching TV in sweatpants, I’ve completed some good indoor home improvement projects. First, my amazing dad helped me paint the living room and hallway. We went with a lovely greyish green by Benjamin Moore – HC116 Guilford Green.  Then, in an effort to decorate the newly painted walls and add usefulness to the space, we built some nice coat hooks. Coat hooks you say? Yes, coat hooks!

Feel the excitement! On this, the first day of Spring, I thought I’d look back at a nifty little project the whole family helped complete. My mom and I started the design, my husband and dad did the heavy construction. Take a look at the result:

Coat Hooks

Now a closer look:

coathooks2

And then, just to be crazy, an even closer look:

coathooks3

I spent some time googling coat hooks in the days before we painted (truly, this is why the internet was invented). I wanted something vintage or antique – something unique. Antique coat racks were often too large or expensive. The solution? Make our own with salvaged wood! The piece of wood we used is roughly 100-year-old moulding – the type of trim that might have originally been found around a door frame. My dad sometimes comes across architectural details that he keeps to be repurposed when the need arises (for instance as garden decoration). Dad came to our house with a few choices, and we went with this one because of its greyish patina and graceful lines. Old wood can be found anywhere from sources on the internet (try googling “reclaimed wood”), to curb side garbage, thrift stores, lumber yards, and even Habitat for Humanity’s Restores. We cut the wood to size, then waxed it with regular Minwax paste finishing wax.

Once we had our piece of wood we had to find the perfect hooks. We needed strong, double hooks capable of holding up parkas. We found them at Anthropologie. Anthropologie is like Zooey Deschanel’s version of Restoration Hardware, if that makes any sense. It’s pricey, but you can find lovely unusual and vintage styled items. They have a great selection of knobs, hooks and door knockers. These hooks cost $12 each and I really liked their porcelain tops and slightly distressed metal.

Once the wood and hooks were found, it was a simple matter of putting it all together. We measured the hook placement, screwed the hooks into the wood (we used drywall screws because they were the only black screws we could find), and then screwed the wood into studs in our wall. Ta da! A super simple project with beautiful results.

We also put my grandmother’s vintage mirror up in our hallway, so now you can put your coat on and see what you look like before you leave the door:

coathooks5

If you are looking to add style to your coat hooks, I highly recommend repurposing some antique wood. If you’re going for a rustic look this could include trim, barn boards, even drift wood. Reclaimed doors or window frames can be really nice too. Be creative – your hooks can match or be completely different for an eclectic style. The two most important considerations will be strength of the wood and strength of the hooks. Really old wood might be too brittle to secure your screws, and really thin wood will not support much weight. Take a careful look at the piece of wood and figure out what shape of hooks you will need and where you can place them. Our hooks, for instance, had to be horizontally secured to the wood and needed enough space to clear the shape of the ledge on top.

coathooks4

In the end, it’s not rocket science but it can be very rewarding to give the humble coat hook an upgrade with reclaimed lumber. You will be recycling a piece of wood (and maybe hooks), giving your home character, and making something unique. All that and it keeps your coats off the floor?! Winner all around.

Looking for more coat hooks? These creative people have some wonderful DIY ideas:
Grandma’s Headboard Shelf
Chalkboard Half Door with Hooks
Scrap Wood Wall Hooks

Antiques in the Garden – Part 2

Posted by thenewcollector in Antiques, Decorating with Antiques, Vintage and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

Wow. Over three weeks have gone by since my last post! One of the reasons I haven’t posted about antiques in the garden is because I’ve been too busy spending time planting in my garden. That’s ironic or something. Check out my first peony of the season. This was taken a week ago and the whole plant is flowering now:

Peony in bloom

Between the garden, working, spring cleaning and a super fun cracked molar incident, I haven’t been blogging nearly as much as I should. I’ll try to turn that around with this installment of Antiques in the Garden. If you haven’t already, you might want to check out Part 1 for more ideas on how to use antiques & vintage items in your outdoor space.

First upon our return to my parents’ garden is this lovely large stone bowl. This is actually a crucible used for melting glass. It was the years of use that gave the inside of this object its complex blend of colour. It’s hard to see here but the bottom of the crucible has layers of dark green and brown glass. My mom usually keeps some water in the crucible and uses it to house a few floating plants and flowers:

Crucible for Glass

Near the crucible are these two giant iron wrenches (you can see how tall they are compared to the normal shovel leaning next to them). These are a bit of a mystery, but the most popular idea is that they were used on steam locomotives. I guess the wheels on those giant trains required some pretty serious torque!

Big Wrenches

The next object is near and dear to my heart because it reminds me of trips to Biarritz France, near where my mother grew up. It is a segment of antique concrete fence in the form of branches. This object was actually made by the same artisan who crafted some of the similar fence work still found on the beachfront in Biarritz. It was made by a process called sand casting. The process began by first creating the shapes by pressing real branches into sand. Then the wood was removed, wires were added for stability, and concrete was poured into the sand molds. Texture details were added before the concrete hardened. Sand casting is often used in foundries for metal but it also has a long history with concrete. Here is the fence in my parents’ garden:

Concrete Fence

And just to compare here’s a photo I took of the fence in Biarritz. This particular section of fence is probably quite recent, as they replace segments as needed, but many parts are still vintage to at least the 1950s:

Fence in Biarritz, France

What an elegant and whimsical way to add texture to your garden, don’t you think? Here are a few more nice antique and vintage pieces I found around the grounds:

Tin Star

Iron Finial

Iron Post

Now, for the big exciting finale, I’m going to show you the famous President Taft doors:

Shuttered Doors

I love the little duck silhouettes!

Please don’t crowd – there’s room for everyone. Okay, so the story is these green shuttered beauties were once part of a cabin nestled into the scenic countryside of rural Quebec. The cabin was a summer-house for none other than 27th President of the United States William Howard Taft. In the 1990s the cabin was renovated or torn down, and my parents were able to buy these doors on one of their many picking trips to Quebec. They now mark the entry to the compost pile which is admittedly not the most noble of places but makes them very useful nonetheless.

Almost too much excitement for one garden tour right? Oh but there’s more. Not only did my parents get the doors, they also bought an entire small shed from the Taft property. EDIT: Turns out I was wrong! My dad left a comment to explain the origins of the shed. Here is his quote: “I have to clarify that the small Taft “shed” you  illustrate is actually something I made from four Taft shutters (presumable from the same guest house as same color and construction) and a tin shingled top of some birdhouse or something,  Bought on a different trip to Quebec.  I noticed one day that the shutters where the same width as the top sides, and I had a screw gun in my hands so I put it together.  People have had many interesting theories about its use. Ventilated out house, smoke house, threshold to another dimension. It’s good to have theories.” Thanks dad! That’s actually a much more interesting origin story for this unusual piece:

Shed

How about them apples? How bout them somewhat historically interesting apples? And yes, while there is no official certification to prove the President Taft story, my dad says it’s true so that’s good enough for me. Even if it wasn’t true and those Quebec dealers used the pure unadulterated excitement of President Taft to sell these things, they would still be worth the purchase. They are lovely antique objects that are durable, decorative, and still very useful in the garden.

You may now return from the edge of your seats. The garden tour is over! Thanks for coming along and I hope you enjoyed it!

Antiques in the Garden – Part 1

Posted by thenewcollector in Antiques, Decorating with Antiques, Vintage and tagged with , , , , , , ,

The weather is warming up and that means I’m starting to think about the garden. Even though we have a small space I find it very satisfying to dig in the dirt. I’m a pretty easy-going gardener. If something works, great. If not, oh well. Dig it out and try something else. I educate myself through the internet and books here and there, but my most important go-to expert is my mother. She’s an amazing gardener and with the help of my dad she cultivates a number of vegetable and flower gardens. My mom’s advice for the novice gardener is pretty straight forward: It takes five years to establish a perennial garden, so patience is key. Plant a mix of foliage, colours and heights to create interest. Most of all, enjoy the process and understand that gardens change so trying to create a static “perfect” garden is silly and frustrating. It’s one of those journey and not the destination things.

Gardening is quite the popular hobby these days, and along with it the desire to create outdoor “rooms”. Gliding chairs, sectional sofas, fire pits, elegant lighting and even rugs are now common elements in the outdoor living space. As we attempt to include more decoration in our outdoors, antiques find a new home. Many antiques are durable enough to grace the outdoors year round, especially industrial or architectural pieces. I looked around my parent’s garden and found many antiques that work perfectly amidst the flowers. I took a lot of pictures so I’m going to break it up into two blog posts.

The first item I noticed in the garden was this vintage plant stand made out of chain. The paint is wearing off, which I quite like, but you could easily spray paint a metal object like this if you wanted. I love the idea of using a plant stand for a birdhouse too. This stand creates a nice tall focal point in the middle of the yard:

Near the plant stand are two large concrete urns or planters. These are from the Victorian period, and I love the classic shape and weathering on them.  They look softer because of their age. A nice thing about planters is that you can change the plants inside them whenever you wish to suit the season.

Another item in the antique concrete category are the two balls that sit near the entrance of the garden. I think the moss and speckled surface of the concrete is quite lovely. These may have perched on the top of a stone fence at one time, perhaps flanking the gate to a grand estate.

These items are wonderful but they take up ground space. What if you are like me and have to make every inch count? Well, you can still use antique items on the walls of your outdoor space. Check out what I found on the back fence:

It’s a piece of gingerbread trim from a house. When old houses are renovated or torn down, architectural elements like this are sometimes thrown out. Thankfully there are many people who salvage these items and repurpose them. In this case, trim that decorated a house for a hundred years finds an excellent second life as a backdrop in the garden.

Along another section of the fence, I found these two antique grates. These durable cast iron beauties were probably used over heating vents.

Finally, this selection of interesting shapes were mounted on the storage shed. The wooden rectangular piece is another architectural remnant, perhaps from a house but I’m not sure. The wooden “X’s are even more mysterious! I had to ask my dad what they were. Any guesses? They’re used in fishing to wind up the nets. I think originally there were rods in each arm (you can see the little holes), connecting two “X” pieces together, and the net would wind up between them. I searched for more information or images of these things but without luck. If you know anything please share because I’m curious!

So that does it for part one! I love my parent’s garden and there’s so much to see. The next part of the tour will feature giant locomotive wrenches and a set of doors that may have once belonged to former US President Taft. I’ll post that soon. Until then, I have some weeding to do 🙂 Enjoy the weather!