Our "different" décor in our living room

 When I said you never know what you will find around this cottage, I meant it.  I get inspired by so many things and really enjoy surrounding myself with those items.  I am quirky, an old soul, enjoy architectural salvage, and enjoy throwing my style in the mix of it all.  I like to think anything is possible even if the odds are stacked against me.  I like for my home to reflect my personality and that anything really goes.  Why place limits?  If you cannot express yourself in your home, where can you do it?  

You know I love what I call "Fancy Pants" décor from the past where so much effort was put into building. Above the sofa table is an antique marriage license I had made up for us after we were married.  On either side of it are iron decorative pieces.  When I found them at Hope Timber, I had no idea what they came off of, but I knew I wanted them to hang on the wall in our living room.

One day cruising through Craig's List searching for an antique gate, I found one and guess what decorative pieces were on this particular gate?  Yes, a perfect match to my scrolling Fleur de Lis pieces... The person indicated the gate came from a home built in 1920 and that the gate would have been built at the same time of the home so then I knew where these pieces came from.  I love them!  Unique for a living room wall, but they "fit" in our fancy pants décor.     

 

I found these odd pieces at Sparkle and Rust, Sharon had them in her shop, but not on her site which I check often.  You never know what she will come across, I have gotten some very unique pieces from her over the years.  I originally purchased them to go on our front porch on either side of our front door.  They are actually pretty light weight, we cannot figure out what they are made of, but look somewhat like terra cotta up close with an almost moss like shell growing on them.  

We did not think they would survive the elements outside in the winter so I found another place for them in our living room.  They have also been in our dining room, but I think I like them best here.  

I like anything quirky and not your standard off the shelf piece.  I have been curating this home for a while now and enjoy the hunt.  

We were known to scour antique shops on the weekends before covid hit, search high and low on auction sites, Ebay, and skim over Craig's List... 

I hope we get the opportunity to get back out there soon and resume looking for eccentric pieces for our home.  Although, this cozy cottage is getting pretty full so I may need to slow down a bit after all.