04/21/2026
“I love old things. Whether it’s a hundred- and fifty-year-old farmhouse, a dusty hardcover book or simply a rusty old nail. I am fascinated by the idea that objects – like people – have a story that has brought them from their beginning to wherever they are right now.
Antique and vintage decor and furniture is no exception. I’ve always paired interior design with antiques. Even when I was a kid I had small pieces of furniture or knick-knacks in my room from days gone by. I always say it comes from my mom, who took me to farm auctions as a kid and filled our house with all kinds of vintage and antique wares.
And just to be clear – I’m not talking about super expensive, “fancy” antiques. By antique and vintage I just mean something old. Not fake old like brand new furniture and decor pieces that are roughed up so they look “vintage.” I mean, why buy something that looks old when you can buy something that actually is? Especially when the new vintage-inspired pieces can cost way more than the real thing! My main advice for decorating with antiques and other vintage-y items is that they need to blend into your space, not stand apart from it.” -Larissa (self-proclaimed tree hugger) at Of House and Trees
Meanwhile at Gleaned Antiques…this time of year I might be a self-proclaimed lilac hugger! From the frothy white variety called Syringa vulgaris ‘Angel White’ that emit a heavenly scent, to the over-the-top heirloom variety from the 1890s, Syringa vulgaris ‘Congo’ that produces deep wine-red flowers that are as fragrant as they are pretty. The oldest known lilac in cultivation is a Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata) specimen at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts. This particular plant was planted in 1876 and is recognized as the oldest living lilac in the arboretum’s collection. No wonder lilacs look so self-assured in antique infused environments, yesteryear is their home turf!
While I agree with Larissa, “why buy something that looks old when you can buy something that actually is”; if you can’t abide the scent of natural lilacs, don’t worry this is the time to head to Hobby Lobby or shop small and local at Shelby’s Floral for an arm full of luscious faux lilacs that will marry up with your antique vessels whether they are iron stone pitchers, weathered galvanized buckets, Roseville pottery vases or antique gathering baskets. Regardless of your style, elegant sophistication, or rustic and earthy, using your antique containers in new and interesting ways as you bring blooms (real or faux) indoors is a game changer. Individualizing your Spring vignettes is a blast when using antique vessels, such as old, chippy, ice cream-maker buckets (filled with the blooms you want to hug) to set the mood on your porch, dining table or kitchen counter. At Gleaned this week my faux lilac blooms are spilling out of 1930’s tin containers with original pastel paint and decals without triggering anyone’s allergies! Paired with a chippy wicker side table, a 1950’s turquoise General Electric clock radio, and a couple of pink enamel baby bathtubs, the vibe is definitely chill and distinctively poignant. Just in a stunning 1960’s kidney shaped mahogany lady’s desk with drawers galore and a glass topper which will guard against water stains regardless of the blooms you style on it in your favorite antique vase.
The aura of lilacs and antiques is keeping antiques real at the Uptown Shopping Center this week; Gleaned is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
