Junk In My Trunk
Treasured Finds
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One of my gifts is for seeing potential in discarded treasures. My mother says that I have an eye for junk, and she means this in the best of ways. If my home were to burn down tomorrow, there is not much that is valuable from the world’s perspective but what I would lose are all the beautiful stories from my finds. Like people, each of the pieces I love have back stories like where I was when I found the item, what they used to be before I repurposed it, and why I think they are so lovely and interesting. Sometimes the stories are ones that I make up like wondering who the people were who owned them before me. What happened that someone discarded them? Did the owners die and family members fight for their right to own the obvious treasures and the remaining unloved items tossed out like refuse? Maybe they were replaced by someone who suddenly won the lottery and replaced everything with trendy and shiny and perfectly curated spaces. Stories make everything more valuable, even junk.
With A Little Imagination
I remember when my children were small, and I saw something interesting in someone’s garbage and pulled over to toss it into the trunk of my car. They ducked and fell to the floor of the car so quickly hiding themselves from the possibility of seeing someone they knew. But at the same time, being a single mother on a limited income, what I saw were old windows that could be turned into architectural art and a conversational piece for my walls.
Architectural art is one of the most cost-efficient ways to make a big statement without spending a fortune. Old stained-glass windows can become curtains by hanging them in front of a window. I have what I think is a decorative old church window that I have hung to give some interest and allow light to come into a space in which privacy is not necessary.
I once hung an old vintage French door that I bought at a salvage store for $25. It sat in my garage for some time until one day I had an idea. I was wondering what to do with a large space in my living room and I had the idea to mount that door horizontally with large bolts about 3” away from the wall to give it a 3D effect. So, for very little money, I created big impact and everyone who came into my house mentioned that door.
So, pursue the art of transformation with me and reimagine the possibilities.
