A chip off the old...

If there's one thing the Yankee and I can always  usually occasionally agree on, it’s the addition of unique, decorative items to our little cottage and farmstead.

There's just something about rusty, crusty, chipped paint on metal

 or the flaky, timeworn patina of old paint on wood

that adds such warmth and character to any décor.  And...aren't those two traits essential to make any home more inviting?

Currently around my home—both inside and out—there are quite a few relics of the past that have been drafted into duty for everyday use. 

Oh, I know...that sort of decorative element isn't everyone's cup of tea.  But, it works quite well here around our cottage farmhouse.

For instance, on one of our porches, we've used a number of items with a fairly high degree of the "chippy factor." 

See the cute little table in front of the antique wicker settee above?  It wears no less than three

different colors of old flaky paint. 

The ornate vintage smoking stand—used purely for its decorative appeal—is rusty and crusty and sports very little of its originally finish.  But...

its intricate "scrolly" design more than makes up for that!

The beaded-board boxes, displayed on the table, model lovely vintage patinas—each with varying degrees of chippyness. 

In this photo, you catch a glimpse of my collection of vintage mourning baskets beside the settee—some of them chippy, others near pristine. 

What makes it all work?

The freshly painted porch rails and floor, coupled with the crisp white linens on the settee—accented by a cushy, new down-filled pillow—provide a clean backdrop for the older weathered and worn elements.

To us, the built-in character a piece develops over time is well worth the little imperfections it may exhibit.

Our desire at the Brambleberry Cottage is to have something—even if it's a little thing—tucked here and there, around various areas of our home and farm, that makes us smile…

something that reflects who we are and what we want others to experience when they visit us. 

It's a matter of transforming a tiny cottage farmhouse into an inviting home that radiates comfort, character, and hospitality. 

Shouldn't that be what "home" is all about?

Linking my front porch to the summer blog party @

Now follow me over to the Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday.

Categories: Porches , Rusty Metal , Shabby Chic , Snippets of the Cottage , Tables , The Chippy Factor