What makes a home special is the one-of-a-kind decor pieces that tell a story. The ones you go digging in thrift and antique stores to find, or the ones you find in your parent’s basement or that use to sit in your great grandma’s dining room. Not only do they have character and charm, they hold sweet memories that are woven throughout your home and can be carried on for generations to come. In this post I will share tips for styling an antique buffet and gallery wall. These tips can be applied to adding decor throughout your entire home.
Collect Unique Pieces Over Time
If you want to have meaning and intention behind your decor, you can’t just run to hobby lobby real quick and pick out a handful of pictures you want for a gallery wall. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with doing that, but that is not my style and will not give you the character and charm that one-of-a-kind pieces will give. You have to be patient when it comes to finding unique pieces you truly love. Finding these pieces typically requires a little more work on your end. You have to sift through cluttered antique and thrift stores. Take the time to stop at unique shops along road trip adventures. Go to estate sales, garage sales, and things of that sort. For me, it has been all of the above. The adventure in finding these hidden treasures is part of the fun for me. I LOVE a good antique or second-hand store. You never know what you are going to find. Before shopping, it is helpful to have a vision for your gallery wall. Save ideas to Pinterest and collect pieces you love over time, keeping that vision in mind. As far as finding an antique buffet goes, I would say Facebook marketplace and estate sales may be your best bet.
Mix and Match and Add Texture
The beauty of a gallery wall is that you can make it anything you want it to be. You can add baskets, mirrors, frames of different shapes and sizes. I recommend mixing things up and adding various textures to your gallery wall. I personally love gold as an accent color and knew I wanted mostly gold frames, but didn’t want to overdo it. So I mixed it up with wooden frames as well as one black frame. While every picture is different, I chose to stick with an animal theme. You can stick to a theme or not. It’s all about what brings YOU the most joy. Maybe that is antique portraits, florals, hand drawn art, or abstract pictures. I recommend laying your pieces on the floor before hanging them up to see how you like them positioned. You can also place painters tape on the wall to envision how the different shapes and sizes of your pieces will on look the space you want to hang them.
Can Never Go Wrong With Greenery
You can never go wrong with low maintenance, air purifying plants in your home. Not only do they add a fresh touch to any space, they can reduce stress, improve air quality, and create a cozy and welcoming environment. If you aren’t currently a plant person, I recommend starting with spider plants or snake plants. Both can do well with a little neglect and will survive in various lighting situations throughout your house. They are also easy to propagate. Bringing nature within the walls of your home has so many benefits and brings a cheerful touch on any dreary day.
Nothing is Permanent
Okay ya’ll, I LOVE to rearrange and mix things up over time. If you ask my mom, she will tell you I wanted to rearrange my bedroom and the living room furniture in my childhood home about once every few months. I just love a little change to make a space feel new and fresh. The same goes for your home. Nothing is permanent. If you get tired of the layout or a certain picture, no worries. You have the freedom to change it up a bit. Maybe you like to decorate seasonally. Maybe you see something online and feel inspired to change your space. That is the beauty of being a maker of your home. Fill the space with what brings you joy. Keep homemaking an exciting task by changing things up every now and again.
Avoid Clutter
Antique buffets are one of those pieces that don’t require anything else to make it beautiful. They typically are beautiful in and of themselves. I was blessed to already have this piece in my home, left from my great aunt and uncle when I first moved in. I really try to avoid setting a bunch of stuff on top of it. Not that I am good with dusting anyways, but I don’t want to add a bunch of clutter that I have to dust around. Not only that, clutter can easily cause unnecessary stress and become overwhelming. I personally try to declutter our home once about every six months. I reevaluate what we use and need versus what is just sitting around taking up space.
Keep it Functional
Along with avoiding clutter on top of the buffet, avoid letting clutter collect inside of the buffet. I know it is easy to tuck things away in cabinets like this and forget about it. But keep your buffet functional even on the inside. Since ours is in our living room, one side is for board games. The other side holds my photography equipment and the drawers hold gifts bags and tissue paper. I try to keep it organized and functional. Again, the less clutter, the less stress.
A Note of Encouragement
Here is a gentle reminder to not fall into the comparison trap while looking at home decor online. I know firsthand that is is easy to do. But just remember, though something may look perfectly polished online, no one’s life is perfect. We are all a little messy, along with our homes. Hence the dust under my buffet table and the missing trim board. Find inspiration and beautiful ideas online, but guard your heart against covetousness. There is no one size fits all to decorating a home. Every home is different and everyone’s taste is a little different. Take the pressure off of yourself and enjoy the God-given task of homemaking and be thankful for the many gifts you have already been given.
