Repurposing Vintage Treasures and Mixing with Modern Pieces

Reader Contribution by Stephanie Nickolson
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Stephanie Nickolson has designed residential, commercial and eco-conscious environments for more than 24 years. Her firm, Stephanie Nickolson Design, promotes the use of sustainable, non-toxic, recyclable and environmentally-friendly products and services. The firm works largely with clients who have allergies, chemical sensitivies or who have children with special needs.

Gone are the days when I longed to present my home to guests filled with everything bright, shiny and new. Aside from my design aesthetic changing, along came two children and a dog, and I finally came to terms about the practicality of actually living in a home and making it comfortable. I no longer gasp when I nick my kitchen table or the dog adds a new scratch to my wood floors. My taste is now an eclectic blend of vintage and new; the juxtapositioning of a distressed accent piece of furniture with a shiny new glass vase. 

A distressed antique table with some plants and modern accessories. Photo by Stephanie Nickolson Design.

My neglected exterior projects went by the wayside as my kitchen renovation took precedence. I now will happily embellish my paint-peeled deck with some fabulous terra cotta pots accented with bright colors and a plethora of pretty flowers. I will get around to having that railing repainted, but I’m not going to lament over it for now.

Beautiful potted flowers are my focal point, not the neglected, paint-peeling deck railing. Photo by Stephanie Nickolson Design.

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