Practical and Beautiful

It's become apparent that a lot of items that I use to decorate my house are things that were once strictly utilitarian- items that at one time were just useful, not decorative. For some reason I'm drawn to these "useful" things, and love having them sprinkled around my home.

Some of these things still are very useful, though are now not used for their original purpose, like these suitcases and trunks.



Even though they no longer carry clothing or other personal items long distances, they're still great for decorative storage.

This trunk has served as storage and a great side table for years.

I like using these old milk bottles as catch-alls or flower vases.

I love balls of string and twine. I don't know why. It's obviously very functional and I use it all the time for various projects, but there's something that I like about using a ball of twine in a decorative way like this.

A globe will always be useful and beautiful at the same time.

This tin pitcher is no longer used for what it was intended, but even as a planter it's still very handy. Of course, there are plenty of items that I have that were once functional but are now purely decorative- the old hole punch, for instance. It actually works like new, but I just like to display it. And the child's shoe form will probably never be serviceable again, but I love that it was once.

This old cheese dome now houses a little bird's nest, just because I thought it was pretty.

The age and wear of this worn out lunch box thrills me to no end. It's battered and beaten, and I have it displayed in my house because of these qualities.

I'm starting a collection of old rolling pins, beginning with these two. They'll never be used for baking I'm sure, but something about their very practical nature really appeals to me.

Even something as useful as a basket isn't always used for anything.

And my string of empty wooden spools serves no other purpose than to make me happy.

Do you have anything around your house like this? Something that, maybe even just a few years ago, would have been considered strictly utilitarian but is now used as decor in your home?