Home Decor Hand-Me-Downs

As a girl, I would occasionally get hand-me-downs from older friends and relatives. These hand-me-downs consisted of clothes that were outgrown long before they were worn out. However, as an adult, I've become part of a new type of hand-me-down. Over the past decade or two, I have been the recipient of countless home decor hand-me-downs.

These home decor hand-me-downs usually come into my life because someone is either decluttering or downsizing. Despite going through this purging process, people still want their discarded items to go to a good home. Our home is a modest, post World War 2 brick Colonial. It is neither grandiose nor spacious, but it is a good home. Over the years, we've willingly opened our home up to a myriad of home decor hand-me-downs. It never takes long for these previously loved treasures to become key pieces in our home decor, as well.

Some of these items include :

• Civil War era quilts

• antique metal bed frame

• antique wooden rocker

• pump organ from 1913

• vintage typewriter

• men's antique pocket watch & stand

• old books, letters, & recipes

Many of these objects, and countless others not listed, came from our own family members and friends. Being a caretaker, of sorts, for pieces that were once a significant part of someone's life is special type of stewardship. As we adopt these treasures into our home, I think of the people that used these pieces and the lives they lived. It's like curating a piece of history within my own home.

I recently "inherited" two medium-sized boxes with the word WEDGWOOD written on the top in black marker. As I opened these boxes, I was stunned by the amount of vintage Wedgwood dishes that were neatly packed inside. It was obvious, as I washed each of the 16-piece place settings, that this collection was used, but gently used. As I put the Wedgwood dishes away, I thought about the special events in the past, such as Christmas dinner or an anniversary, that might have caused these beautiful dishes to be put to use.

Aside from adding character to our home, these cherished pieces tell a story of a bygone era. So, as long as we have the space, I'll continue to open our door to home decor hand-me-downs.

In addition to adopting home decor hand-me-downs, I am also a children's author and host of The Final Thoughts Podcast. You can get the latest updates on my website, thefamilyjourney.net