Free the Birds, Keep the Cages!

They say: "Birds of a feather flock together."

I say: "Let them flock and get the heck out of their cages so I can use them to decorate!"

Now, before I get into how I use birdcages to create a charming space, I want to make one thing very clear:  I am not a bird fanatic, nor am I a crazy bird lady that likes to be surrounded with bird paraphernalia. I am simply a blogger and home decorator that can appreciate the appeal of a vintage birdcage (or vintage-inspired). I would like to pause and highlight the word vintage. Regardless of the used cage's character (it could be well used with chipped paint or classic metal with just the right amount of rust), I can tell you this: a new cage from the pet store does not have the same appeal.

Believe it or not, I have 2 birdcages in my home (hmm..this does not give my "I'm not a crazy bird lady" statement much credibility does it). Let me tell you how I use them and, hopefully, I can inspire some great ideas in you!

Large birdcage:

My large birdcage was purchased at Scott Antique Market in Atlanta, Georgia. I fell in love with this cage during an antiquing trip I made in preparation for my wedding. I thought it would be a unique way to collect and display wedding cards that often stack up and slide off of gift tables. Not only was the cage vintage inspired to fit with our theme, it provided a layer of protection (ain't no one getting in to swipe a card or two). I now use the cage as part of a vignette on top of my kitchen cabinets. I've also positioned the cage on a large shelf with a stack of books displayed inside of it.

Small birdcage:

I love this little guy. He is so cute and perfect on the side of my bathroom sink. Even serving no purpose at all, I love the rustic element it brings to my delicately-decorated master bathroom. But, as you all know, I like to repurpose; so I used this cage to hold my earrings, bracelets and miscellaneous jewelry. Cute and functional. Win-win!

Happy decorating!

One Door’s Past, Present & Future

As many of you know, I am newly married and I used my wedding day as an opportunity to combine my love of all things vintage with my love of repurposing. The culmination was a day I will never forget, and a ton of great repurposing ideas I can share with all of you! 

It’s hard to say what my favorite repurposed item was. But, for the sake of this blog post, I am going with the 100 year quarter sawn oak door that I found at a local salvage warehouse. Man, did that door have character and I fell in love with it immediately. 

After thorough investigation, we determined this relic needed a good cleaning and a little TLC to take care of some light water damage. Georgia’s Crew was up to the task!

We used Formby’s Furniture Refinisher, a fantastic product that allowed our team to easily redistribute the original stain without affecting the patina. After a coat of tung oil we had our result - a fabulous vintage door ready for repurposing.

To me, doors are symbolic. On our special day, we positioned the door front and center as guests entered our wedding ceremony and reception venue. Adorned with a large moss “B” (for Bechtold, my married name), the door welcomed our guests and symbolized the entrance to our future.



Photo Credit: Carasco Photography 

But that’s not the end of the story for this great piece. After our wedding, we brought the door back to our new home: a modern loft with bright white doors, 12 foot ceilings and expansive hardwood floors (except for white carpet in the bedroom - something I would like to change, but that's a topic for another blog). We immediately tore down our white, boring master bedroom door and replaced it with our 100 year old vintage one. The transformation to our condo was immediate. To this day, the new door is not only a great conversation starter, it warms up our condo and brings me such joy when I enter my bedroom each night. We'll take this door with us every place we move because it is something we truly treasure.

Bittersweet for Fall Decorating!

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. The air is crisp (well, at least here in the Midwest it is), football season is back in full swing, and bittersweet, a perennial vine, is ablaze with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. Did you know there are two main types of bittersweet in the United States? American, also known as false bittersweet, is distinguished by berries found at the ends of the vine. Oriental bittersweet has thorns and the berries grow along the entire vine. Both varieties provide amazing Fall color both outside and in. I  think cut bittersweet is such a versatile “floral” item because it looks great before it fully blooms in a beautiful vase filled with fresh water or dried and arranged in a vintage crock that can serve as a stand-alone centerpiece or as part of a great vignette. Many local florists and national chain grocery stores are stocking bittersweet right now.  In fact, just last night I was at my local Whole Foods and they had a great selection to choose from.

Happy bittersweet season!

Do you have a great idea on how to use bittersweet or where to get it in your area? We want to hear about it. Leave us a comment.