Summer Mantel and...What to Do With Old Windows

Juni 06, 2012

I love to change our mantel around. I always have issues with it, though; it doesn't come easy to me. Part of my problem is that it's still dark brown and I'm dying to paint it white. My other issue is that I just don't have enough STUFF, although that feels very spoiled and ungrateful to even say when really we have everything we need in life. Truth be told, if I had closets full of knickknacks I'd feel claustrophobic and have a big-time need to hold a garage sale. So it's really better this way. I just swipe things from other rooms to make the space feel new to me.

So anyway here's what I did. I bought an old window for 15 bucks (more on that later), and it just fit. The empty blue frame is from my spring mantel, the sisal wrapped jars are from our vacation last year, the fan is from a flea market, the grass is one of two I had on our dining room table for Easter, the bike art used to be in our foyer, and the starfish are just to make it look summery. Here are some Instagram pics because let's face it, they just make everything look more artful.

I liked it all... and then I added the black-and-white photos to the window. Now I'm not so sure. Opinions? I didn't want to do anything permanent to the window for fear I might change my mind.

True to form, I searched Pinterest and Google Images for ideas on how to decorate with old windows. Here are some of my favorites:

I like the picture-on-top idea. The wreath is okay too, but I'm looking for less shabby chic and more just chic. The problem is old windows lend themselves to a vintage vibe. Here are some more pics.