Decorate Your Own Condo by Finding Old Things and Using Them in New Ways

The fun thing about decorating your place is finding and using old things in new ways. I love to browse consignment shops, antique stores, and junk shops.

I have a friend who has a wonderful, eclectic sense of style. Her home is filled with carefully selected pieces of furniture from consignment and antique shops. It is fun to wander through her condo and see how she uses all her old finds in new ways. She collects perfectly “beat-up” furniture with peeling paint and uneven legs, filling each room with beautiful, organized chaos. I love the way she has decorated her home in this uniquely relaxed style. Her condo reflects the kind of generous woman she is. Her home has come together in a warm, welcoming, and creative way.

Recently, while meandering through an antique store, I stumbled upon a dusty, old oil can in a little roadside place in Northern Vermont. It is that classic-looking metal oil cans found in every wooden kitchen cupboard and taken out regularly whenever a door hinge squeaked or a bike chain needed to be greased.

My new find is perfect! It was a bargain and has a lot of patina. It reminds me of my friend and how she lines up several old oil cans on her windowsill in her condo’s kitchen window. I put my new oil can near my kitchen sink to put my rings and bracelets around the spout for safekeeping while doing dishes.

Having this oil sit in my window makes me happy. It feels festive. It reminds me of this woman’s free spirit and her clever sense of style, and I also enjoy using the antique can in a new, fun way.