Upcycled Chic ~ Decorating With Vintage Windows

Happy Friday Everyone!

Things have been a little crazy around here this week. I have been gearing up for the holidays, creating new items, snapping photos and getting ready to upload them to my website and Etsy shop. Summer is barely over and I am hearing Jingle Bells in my head! My daughter keeps asking me when I am going to start decorating for Halloween. I am late this year. Hopefully I will have time to start that in a couple of days. It seems like my To~Do List is always growing and I can never seem to get ahead of the game! That’s the life of a wife, mom, crafter and business owner I guess. At least I can say I am never bored!

As you may know, I love revamping, re-purposing and finding new uses  for architectural salvage.  I love working with old windows and today I thought I would share some of my past window projects. Perhaps they will spark a few ideas for your own window project.

You can find old windows at salvage yards, thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores and even road side trash heaps. You know you are a true Junker when you lock up the brakes, veer off the road and stop for some old, chippy, dirty windows someone was throwing away!

Sometimes just a simple coat of paint can perk up an old window. I painted this vintage window a soft pink and it would look pretty just as it is, hanging on a wall in a cottage inspired home.

To dress up the window even more you can add a pretty piece of fabric, wallpaper or create a shadow box effect with layers of papers, doilies, buttons, ribbons and other embellishments.

I bought this window years ago at a yard sale for Habitat for Humanity. I removed the glass (not always an easy task), added mirror panes cut to size, painted the piece a nice navy blue and added a pair of shutters (painted to match) to complete the look. It sat in my living room for a few years and now it hangs in my powder room.

I love this piece. I bought this upcycled window at a local antique mall about 13 years ago. At $80, this was a splurge for me, but when I saw it I fell in love. Whoever created this piece added vintage mirrors behind two of the glass panes, added a classic Anne Geddes Baby print behind the middle pane and added some vintage drawer pulls for “hooks”.  Can you guess where this window hangs???

Yes it is in my bathroom, the same powder room the blue window resides in.

I was visiting Atlanta in August and spied this grouping of window panes hanging in a West Elm Store. I liked the look so much I just had to snap a picture. Hanging a group of windows at different levels on a blank wall definitely makes a statement. Create the look by suspending each window from the ceiling with chain.

I can’t remember where I found this large window. It sat outside in the dog pen for a year or so. This naturally aged the window so much so that the glass panes fell out one by one. Remember I mentioned removing glass panes from a window can be a tough job? If you have the time and patience, leave it outside and let Mother Nature do the job for you!

I painted the window frame one of my favorite shades of blue, hung it on the wall above the bed in my master bedroom and dressed it up with a grapevine wreath I bought on clearance at Michael’s. I plan on redecorating my master bedroom within the next few months and this piece is going to stay in the design scheme. I love it!

This old window got a new look by attaching a simple planter box built out of fence boards,  and a white distressed paint job.  Add a couple of potted flowers for a sweet country look. Use it inside or out!

Upcycled Window Box

If you are lucky enough to come across an old window and some table legs….

Build a coffee table! I love this table and wish I had kept it instead of selling it. Sometimes it is hard to let go of your creations.  If you have a large enough window you could make a full size dinner table by using longer legs and adding a large piece of glass to the top. Pull up some mismatched painted flea market chairs and you have a conversation piece!

The possibilities are endless! There are many creative people out there that are keeping old windows out of landfills and redesigning them into works of art. I hope this post will inspire you to tackle your own window projects!

Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great week!

~Lisa

 

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