Barn Finds – How to Style Vintage Glass Bottles

I love going to flea markets, antique stores, and barns to find treasures to bring home. My husband’s family has an old farm with a couple barns and I love “shopping” there! Before the quarantine, we visited Gramma and Pap and I was able to go “shopping”. I’ve been through these barns so many times you’d think I couldn’t find anything else to bring home. But every time I go – I find something! This time I found a box of vintage glass bottles covered in dust and dirt. I didn’t get a good look at them while we were in the barn (I had a couple screaming children with me) but I knew I wanted to dig through the box. Sure enough under the dust and dirt, I discovered beauty!

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I talked to Pap about the box of bottles. He always shares stories with me about the pieces we find in the barn. That’s a huge reason I love shopping on the family farm. It’s not just bringing home something that looks awesome, it’s bringing home something with a story. Generally, I imagine all the stories of the pieces I bring home, but when I go shopping with Pap I get to hear them!

These bottles were collected over the years by Pap. He found them and thought they were pretty cool and didn’t want to just get rid of them. But he didn’t know what to do with a bunch of bottles, so he put them in a box. Pap knew what he was doing! It was full of awesome vintage bottles and even before I had them cleaned I could see their beauty. The entire time I was digging through the box I was thinking about the places these bottles had been and the places I was going to put them now that I had them.

Vintage Glass Bottles For Home Decor

Faux Mantel

Remember the mantel I painted recently? I added a few bottles to it! When I decorate a space, I like to pick a handful of elements and repeat them over and over to give the space consistency and flow. For the mantel I used books, glass bottles and brass candlesticks. These bottles continue the theme of vintage on the mantel when combined with the vintage books and candlesticks.

The really cool thing about the mantel and the way I styled it is the way it makes my family feel. The mirror, the books, the bottles, and the chicken feeder are all from my husband’s family farm. When we walk to the basement and see this as the focal point in the room we see family. It makes the space feel like home, not just a pretty vignette.

Top of the Pie Safe

Styling the pie safe with these vintage bottles was so fun! I did round one of putting the bottles up there and then asked a friend for her opinion. I had so many beautiful bottles I really struggled to decide which should stay and which should go. Once we paired it down, I asked my family what they thought. After asking those closest to me (and using my own discretion) this is the final product.

I absolutely love it! I’ve styled this pie safe a million different ways, and this is by far my favorite! Again, I think it’s because of the things I see when I look at the collection of vintage glass bottles on the pie safe. When I do more than just see them, when I actually look at them, I see our family and where we come from.

I’m so glad I took a chance on a box of dirty vintage glass bottles! Connecting our home decor to our heritage is invaluable to me. Now every time I look at these spaces I think of where we came from and how grateful I am for those that came before us. Home is more than a place for me, it’s a collection of stories that got us to where we are. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week! XoXo