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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Decorating with Antiques and Primitives: THE WOOD BENCH

Decorating with Antiques and Primitives: THE WOOD BENCH






Did you find a cool old farm house bench at your favorite salvage shop or flea market? Congratulations! Is it still sitting in your garage or basement waiting for your inspiration? You are not alone. Decorating with antiques and primitives can be tricky. The key is to add pieces slowly. Surround them with items from your current decor and ...this is important...give them a purpose! Primitives were built by our ancestors for use, not decoration. They can look very out of place if treated purely as art.

Lucky for us, benches are a great beginning primitive piece in interior decorating. They can be used in almost any room if done correctly. In the bedroom, use it at the end of the bed for dressing or placing your throw pillows at night. Tip: Measure the bench before you move it. It should be just a bit shorter than the width of your bed.


In the bathroom, place your bench near your bathtub. Draping towels and placing candles on the bench give your space a spa look and feel.


That triangle shaped wall in your stair way and mudrooms are perfect places for your bench. Place patterned pillows, a funky folded up blanket or even a sheep skin on the bench to add interest and comfort. And, add baskets below as catch-alls.




Bonus: 1) Try your bench as seating at your dining table. You will have the best luck if your chairs or table are a similar color to the bench. 2) Use the bench on your front porch as a table for your morning coffee and magazines.




Now take that bench out of storage and put it to use. Please let me know what you ended up doing. I love to hear your stories!

If you are looking for primitive and antique pieces like this bench, please visit Tillotsontrading.com.

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