trading the new for the....old?

Justin and I have been married about a year and a half next week. Goodness, time flies! We purchased our little home a few months before we got married, worked on it a bit during our engagement (what better way to dream about your future together...), and then moved in when we got home from our honeymoon. Although I am not the perfector of design, I do enjoy nice things for our home and enjoy making all the knooks and crannies cozy. I would like to say our tastes are sorta traditional, ecclectic, country. Well being blessed with wonderful family means being blessed with some of their wonderful hand-me-downs and they have helped us to turn our little house into a home. My encouragment for you....instead of trading the old for the new, be bold....trade the new (or in our budget case...the idea of the new) for the old. :) Try something new...head out to a local flea market (Traderbaker's is a great one in LaGrange), antique shops (Crazy Daisy and Goss Avenue Antiques are great ones in Louisville), local auctions, and even Goodwill. Take a look at how we've placed a few older pieces through our house to make this new home of ours "pop" in a special way.

This piece was found before we got married and I HAD to have it. An antique country style table that invites you into our foyer. --Begged for it for Christmas. Cost...$0 (gift)

Check out this little two-tiered antique table that sits next to our entertainment center. PERFECT for holding my Real Simple and Country Living magazines and our favorite picture albums. Given to me by my fellow flea market lovin' aunt as a gift. :) Cost...$0 (gift)

This coffee table was part of a three piece collection (coffee table and two end tables) my parents found at an auction. They couldn't pass up the deal. ($20....for all 3 pieces) They hauled it by our house, we said yes....meet our living room collection. :) Cost....$20 for this piece and two end tables. (See pic below)

Yes, this is an old style end table. Our goal is to change hardware and possibly update the wheel pieces on each leg. However, I LOVE the little compartment that the baskets fit in. A modern touch for an old-timey piece. So Pottery Barnesque.

A closer look at the basket...a perfect storage option for books, remotes, and camera cords.

This four-post bed was a hand-me-down that I treasure. My parents had it handmade when they first got married. Cost....$0

Enter our extra bedroom. This iron bed is a family antique that has been passed down from generation to generation. LOVE IT! There is nothing a fresh coat of white spray paint can't help! Cost....$0

What about you? Are you like me and you value the old over the new? Or does the thought of antiques in your house make you cringe and think of cobwebs and dust?

There is just something so special in having those antique pieces that are passed down in the family or those one-of-a-kind budget-friendly finds that just "fit" your home. Try it...let those new furniture catalogues inspire you. But let the old pieces you treasure hunt for find a way into the heart of your home.