6 New Uses for Old Things

Don't throw away your vintage finds. Antiques dealer Sean Scherer explains how to save money and clean up your home's messy piles with a few innovative ideas.


See More: 7 Ways to Declutter Your Antiques Pile


1. Put the Writing on the Wall


A fan of Russian art and design, Scherer found graphic appeal in a stack of '60s Ukrainian newspapers, just $20 at a Pennsylvania flea market. Then he placed the pages where he could really admire them-along two walls and the ceiling of a downstairs bathroom-using wallpaper paste and a flat craft sealant (such as Liquitex Matte Medium). Also in the room: an antique medical stand that acts as a caddy for hand towels.

See More: The Big Guide to Bathroom Design


2. Built-In Bookcase


To establish enough storage and display space for his growing collections, Scherer installed custom cabinets and shelves throughout his house. In each case, he combined salvaged furniture-from wood-paneled doors to full sets of lockers-with standard Home Depot materials, plus his own sweat equity.

The catalyst for this wide bookshelf in Scherer's living room? Three cabinet doors that cost a total of $75 at a local salvage yard. Scherer built the unit's frame, attached the doors in a playfully mismatched arrangement, and unified it all with a coat of white paint.



3. Vintage School Lockers


Wood-and-glass lockers from an old Pennsylvania school-$1,000 at auction-hold Scherer's glassware and ironstone in the pantry. By encasing the freestanding lockers inside a white-painted lumber framework, the dealer made them feel like part of his home's architecture.

See More: The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Decorating


4. An Old Farm Cupboard


When Scherer spied this massive 5'W x 7'H cabinet, he knew it would fit perfectly in the corner of a downstairs bedroom. To integrate the piece into the room, Scherer constructed a thin wood platform to place it on, then added a series of floating shelves that showcase all sorts of utilitarian finds, from metal file boxes to fire extinguishers.

See More: 5 Ways to Transform Ordinary Objects


5. Book Shelf Display


What many folks would write off as a skinny shelf support, Scherer saw as an opportunity to spotlight his tintype photographs. Over the years, he's collected the pictures from antiques shops and flea markets for as little as $3 (original images of Civil War soldiers can run up to $600). As for the frames, Scherer mixes thrift-store finds with ones from, yes, Walmart.



6. Vintage Postcards


Group multiples for maximum impact. Back in the late '80s, a college-aged Scherer scooped up this series of vintage Pompeii postcards for a mere $10. But it wasn't until he moved into this house nine years ago and started decorating the entrance hall that he had the chance to play up their appeal. "Because I went bold on the walls with Benjamin Moore's Marine Aqua," he says, "I relied on neutral accents that would really pop." Using bookbinder's glue, Scherer affixed all 45 postcards to a large canvas before hanging the work above an antique grain bin and a pair of mercury glass lamps.




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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.