YYou know that old rhyme we quote for brides getting ready for their wedding day?
Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue (and a sixpence in your shoe)
I suppose I carried that little tradition into my decorating. I’ve been asked to share how I mix vintage and modern pieces in my home, and while writing I had a small epiphany: my house actually contains every element of that rhyme. It clicked why these choices feel so right to me.
Something old or vintage stands for continuity and history. There’s comfort in carrying traditions and memories forward. I place vintage pieces throughout our home because they help tell our story.
A brass dinner bell handed down through the family sits proudly in the kitchen. We still talk about the day we found an eighteenth-century painting or the trips that yielded the colorful vintage books on our living-room shelves. Vintage items bring character and depth because each one has a story.
Something new conveys freshness and optimism. Mixing new with old keeps my home feeling current and flexible. A modern lamp beside an antique table or a contemporary print over a vintage mantle lets me express my taste without chasing perfection.
Something borrowed reflects generosity, resourcefulness, and the joy of discovery. Whether it’s a flea-market find, a thrifted piece, or furniture borrowed from another room or a family member, reusing items opens creative possibilities.
I move and rearrange things constantly—rugs, accessories, chairs—so the house often feels refreshed. Many pieces started as secondhand finds: rattan chairs passed down from my mother were painted and shifted from room to room and even between houses. Borrowing and repurposing keeps decor playful and impermanent, which I love.
I collect vintage pots and small accessories to reuse around the house. Combining these with modern storage solutions and seasonal accents lets me reshape a room’s personality without major changes.
Something blue is definitely part of my palette. Blue is classic and works with both vintage and contemporary pieces. It ties rooms together and, for me, carries a sentimental quality. Our first home as a married couple leaned toward blues, and that color still feels like home.
And the sixpence—traditionally a symbol of prosperity—may be more metaphorical here, but it still fits. A home becomes richer with every memory and cozy layer we add. Mixing vintage with modern, borrowing where needed, and keeping a thread of blue creates a lived-in warmth and a sense of blessing.
Music is another thread in our home. My husband, a musician, fills our rooms with songs old and new, which adds an intangible vintage-meets-modern atmosphere. One of our favorites happens to be by a band named Sixpence None the Richer—an apt little coincidence.
So, maybe my style really is summed up by that old rhyme: something vintage with something modern, something borrowed with something blue—and a feeling of abundance in the layers we build over time.
Today I’m teaming up with some blogging friends to share how they blend vintage and modern decor. I love seeing the different ways people create a home, and I hope you enjoy their ideas as much as I do.