I know I probably sound like a broken record. You do not have to spend loads of money to make your home look fabulous. All it really takes is some creativity and keeping an eye out for bargains.
The architecture of my home is Mediterranean and sets the stage for my decor. We are situated on the lake so I have curated a relaxed lake house feel in our home; big comfy leather furniture, lots of wood and natural finishes, with industrial accents. I tend to use fewer large pieces rather than numerous smaller items. Primarily a more masculine, relaxed, elegant look.
But I also love more feminine touches. One of them being silver pieces. I have collected some stunningly beautiful silver pieces over the years. Some I inherited from my mother and family members, others I found at thrift stores over the years. I love using them in my home. It creates a more eclectic look mixing in a few refined, more feminine pieces with the predominantly masculine, industrial look of my home.
I love rubbing rustic, industrial pieces up against more refined, elegant items. The contrast between the rustic and the refined makes for an unexpected combination and keeps things looking much more interesting.
If every single item in your home is all the same style, it may tend to look very kitschy and predictable. It will look like everyone else’s home that is the same style. It will lack a certain je ne sais quoi, that indefinable, elusive quality that will make your home unique from any other home.
It’s great to mix things up a little, add something unexpected to create some interest in your decor; not with another “Farm Fresh Eggs” sign, please 😩. The other issue you will run into if everything in your home is all one style, when it goes out of style, when it’s not the “in” look any longer, your home will immediately look dated and tired.
It happened to me back in the 80’s with the country look (yes I have been doing this for a long time) I went in 110%. Everything from the floral wall paper, all the furniture pieces and all the accessories in my home were country in style, everything. It eventually went out of style, making my home look tired and outdated. Eventually when I tired of the look, it took a huge amount of effort to change it. Lesson learned. Don’t make the same mistake I made, learn from my mistakes.
So what does all of this have to do with upcycling silver? Silver is that unexpected je ne sais quoi element in my home. It’s the refined element that I use to create some tension against the more masculine, industrial items in my home.
Lucky for me, nobody seems to be enamored with silver the way I am. I have found some of the most beautiful pieces for under $5. I suppose it’s because no one has the time or desire to polish it. It gets tarnished and loses its luster, making it hard to see and appreciate its beauty. So it gets donated to thrift stores where it is marked down to ridiculously low prices. That’s a score for me!
If you are willing to put in a little elbow grease to polish up silver pieces you are going to be pleasantly surprised at the beautiful treasures you will uncover.
Bar Keepers Friend is a soft cleanser that I prefer to use and makes short work of polishing silver. Just apply it liberally with a damp rag, rub lightly and the tarnish comes right off. Then rinse the piece with cold water. This stuff works like a charm! You can order it from Amazon here.
Look at the difference after just a few minutes of polishing. It brought out the luster of this silver water pitcher. It’s gorgeous!
No one looked twice at this silver bowl. But I loved the clean simple lines of the piece. Look how beautifully it turned out once the tarnish was removed. It’s hard to believe that it’s the same piece. An amazing transformation!
Before 
After
Look at how nicely this silver dish and creamer cleaned up. Apparently no one could see past the tarnished finish to appreciate the beauty of these lovely pieces.
Before 
After
You can easily find treasures like the ones I found on my most recent thrift shop adventure. All these pieces cost me less than $20, but with a little elbow grease they look like a million bucks.
I encourage you to upcycle some silver pieces and add them to your decor; pair it with something more rustic. Whether it’s an inexpensive thrift store find or a piece you inherited from a family member, give it a little polish and it will go from looking like a hot mess to a million dollars. A diamond in the rough! I guarantee it will add that unique je ne sais quoi to your decor like no other inexpensive items can. Silver has a shine and rich look like nothing else has.
Go on, order a bottle of the Bar Keepers Cleanser and make a trip to your favorite thrift store, I guarantee you will find loads of silver pieces for a song. Or get out that old silver tea service from your grandmother and polish it up. Pop in a bouquet of fresh flowers and enjoy the timeless elegance of a beautiful silver piece.
Let me know if you decide to add some silver pieces to your decor. I would love to hear about how you use it in your home!
Great blog! I am loving it!! Will come back again. I am bookmarking your feeds also.
I appreciate new decorating ideas using thrift store funds. It’s the only kind of unique shopping I can afford. It’s especially difficult to find “great deals” at thrift stores in the Bay Area, California!!!
Keep looking, there are treasures to be found out there. You just have to dig through a lot of stuff to find them ☺️