Decorating with Antiques and Primitives: THE RUSTIC LADDER

Decorating with Antiques and Primitives: THE RUSTIC LADDER by lsamsam featuring turquoise home decor

A good old rustic ladder can offer many solutions to the trickiest design problems. They add height, without bulk. They can transform a blank wall into a display of your most treasured items. They can also be a household workhorse, keeping your most used items an arm's reach away.

Tips:
-Attach ribbons to frames and hang from the rungs for a gorgeous wall of photos.
-Gently remove any debris from the ladder to avoid staining linens.
-Add shelves to the rungs, to display larger items.
-Choose narrow walls or empty walls to display your ladder. Walls with other tall items will compete and make your design look cluttered.
-Search salvage yards (www.tillotsontrading.com) and flea markets (gonewengland.about.com/cs/shopping/a/aafleamarkets.htm) for ladders that show their history. Splattered paint, worn wood and good construction are what give this design piece its charm.

Eclectic Laundry Room

Rustic Dining Room by Other Metro Media & Bloggers Dreamy Whites

Eclectic Porch by Raleigh Media & Bloggers Brittany (aka Pretty Handy Girl)

Eclectic Home Office

Traditional Bathroom by Norwich Architects & Designers Smith & Vansant Architects PC

Rustic Kitchen by Crosslake General Contractors Lands End Development - Designers & Builders

Traditional Hall by Mechanicsburg Design-Build Firms Farinelli Construction Inc

Contemporary Spaces by Salt Lake City Photographers Lucy Call

Traditional Dining Room by Thousand Oaks Interior Designers & Decorators The Old Painted Cottage

Got a good ladder idea? Please share!

Decorating with Antiques and Primitives: THE WOOD BENCH

Decorating with Antiques and Primitives: THE WOOD BENCH by lsamsam featuring tribal throw pillows

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.

Farmhouse Bedroom by San Anselmo Architects & Designers Jennifer Robin Interiors

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.

Rustic Bathroom by Huntsville Interior Designers & Decorators Urban Rustic Living

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.

Traditional Entry by Boston Architects & Designers Jan Gleysteen Architects, Inc

Traditional Staircase by Chicago Architects & Designers Lewis Giannoulias (LG Interiors)

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.

Rustic Dining Room by Mill Valley Interior Designers & Decorators Jute Interior Design

Traditional Porch by Charleston Interior Designers & Decorators Alix Bragg Interior Design

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.

Witty and elegant interior design

Witty and elegant interior design by lsamsam featuring chevron stripe curtains