Something Unexpected.

Once upon a time we owned an 1880 Victorian Home and furnished it with antiques purchased at estate sales, flea markets and antique shops. Every weekend included a jaunt to small town shoppes and frequent acquisitions quickly made our house a home. This little Victorian settee was my favorite piece, passed over by others at the Lakewood 400 Antiques Market and highly discounted to us to avoid loading it back up at the end of the show. The settee is petite sized and features beautiful hand carved rosewood and a velvet upholstery that I suspect was part of someone's 1980's restoration. I like the gold upholstery and have left the piece As Is.

Because of its small scale, it was an easy piece of furniture to move from room to room, easily finding a place in hallway ends, entrance foyers, and at the foot of beds where it would kindly keep our blankets and our pet cats snuggly.

The smaller size also meant it was an easy piece of furniture to store. So where as wardrobes and halltrees and antique sleighbeds did not transition to the smaller family home we purchased after quickly building our family, this little settee discreetly nesteled into closets, basements and attics, quietly awaiting its rotation into use again.

When we converted our unfinished attic space into a master bathroom last year, Lizzie Rodgers (@cozy_in_georgia) • Instagram photos and videos , We found ourselves pulling the settee out to contemplate where to store it next. We intended to add a recessed gas fireplace on the long side wall, and briefly parked the settee there. But, when we had guests over to see the bathroom progress, they complimented the settee! Convenient and useful, quirky in its new digs, we decided to leave it.

So at least for now on the long side wall it remains. And over it hangs a yard long print that formerly hung over an antique sleigh bed and accommodates the sloping second story cape cod knee wall. The settee serves as a place to sit while the large tub fills with water when drawing a bath and is an excellent place to have a cup of coffee or tie your shoes... really it is just a nice little place to rest.

Is there anything you have repurposed from one home to an unlikely place in a new home? Giving life back to forgotten treasures is an excellent way to create quietude in your home. Be adventurous! Try moving pictures, chairs, and lamps around your home to change the atmosphere and enjoy living creatively in your spaces.

You can find information about the Lakewood 400 Antiques Market here. Lakewood 400 Antiques Market | Atlanta | Home Page (lakewoodantiques.com)