4 min readSeasonal decor doesn’t (always) have to be impulse buys from the aisles of a big-box store. For environmentally friendly fall decor ideas that will stand the test of time, consider a visit to your local thrift shop instead. These 10 vintage and secondhand decor finds will instantly cozy up any corner of your home this autumn.
Rockingham Ware
First produced in 1745 by Yorkshire’s Swinton Pottery, Rockingham ware is known for its mottled brown glaze. (In the U.S. it’s sometimes generically referred to as Bennington pottery because that Vermont company made large quantities of items in the style in the mid-1800s, but it was produced nationwide well into the 1900s.) Many vintage pieces are unbranded, making them tricky to date but more affordable. Unmarked bowls and platters typically run from $30 to $60, with larger pieces fetching up to $100.
Apple Cider Jugs
Originally stored in stoneware jugs, hard cider was a go-to drink for early American settlers. (Its alcohol content made it safer than water was at the time.) As Prohibition took hold, makers began bottling a pasteurized, unfermented version. While most was sold in standard glass jugs, beginning in the 1930s, companies such as Martinelli’s and White House (which made apple cider vinegar) stood out with
apple-shaped containers, some of which were later hand-painted (pictured). Both styles typically sell for $30 to $50 today.
Brown Transferware
You can hardly thumb through an issue of Country Living without spotting this centuries-old country house staple. First made in England in the mid-1700s for the growing middle class, the transferware approach to pottery making uses tissue paper to affix a wet ink pattern to a ceramic ahead of it being fired. Though blue and white was the first colorway, dozens of makers such as J. & G. Meakin and Wedgwood expanded into other colorways, including brown, which feels especially right this time of year. Patterns range from the casual, such as F.J. Emery’s bird-patterned “Rangoon,” to the flowery, like Royal Staffordshire’s “Safe Harbour” (bottom center). Depending on age and rarity, pieces can go for anywhere from $10 to several hundred dollars each.
Coal Hods & Scuttles
From intricate carved wood to industrial galvanized metal, these coal storage containers tried their best to add beauty to what could easily be a 1900s household eyesore: piles of dusty black coal. The terms are essentially interchangeable, but hods are boxlike (bottom right), while scuttles typically refer to open-topped, brass or metal, bucketlike containers (bottom left). Brass versions often feature ceramic handles and other molded details and go for $25 to $100 depending on size, while large wooden hods can cost $300 each.
Pheasant Dishes
Native to Asia, ring-necked pheasants were introduced to America for game hunting in 1881 by Oregon pioneer Owen Nickerson Denny. Their colorful plumage made them a prize catch, and the birds’ likenesses proliferated on both dinnerware and display dishes throughout the Victorian era and beyond. While you’ll find a breadth of brands within this category, we're partial to pieces by Spode and Johnson Brothers. (Don't miss the variety of pheasant motifs in Limoges and Majolica form.)
Apothecary Cabinets
These wooden, multidrawer countertop cabinets were first crafted for pharmacists in the 1800s as a place to store the ingredients they needed to mix tinctures and medicines. (And, thanks to those early associations, they bring a subtly spooky effect to any fall decor display.) Values generally increase from $60 to $3,000 with age, size, and patina, but cabinets that still bear their original stenciled ingredient labels (center right) are guaranteed to bring in a pretty penny.
Brass Candlesticks
A classic addition to any fall dining table or bookshelf, ubiquitous brass candlesticks make for a high-gratification collectible. Stick to a motif (Georgian-style curves, Gothic shapes) or brand, like Virginia Metalcrafters, a famed 20th-century candlestick-maker whose wares upped in value (think $100 for a pair) after their 2005 closing.
Grain Sifters
A vintage grain sifter serves as a rustic base for fall foliage. To make, use wire to attach dry floral foam along the bottom left inside of a sifter. (You can also search “bentwood sieve” for similar.) Add preserved floral moss with hot-glue, then insert colorful leaves, feathers, Hypericum berries, and dried wheat for additional texture. Attach acorns with hot-glue.
Apothecary Jars
The amber glass vessels evoke the colors of the season, while old-school labels added to squash (think “cyanide”) serve up an “evil lab” kind of spooky. To make, remove the stem from a Honeynut squash and use a pumpkin carving tool to hollow out a hole in the top, then insert a cork. Use Mod Podge to attach a vintage or premade apothecary label.
Oak Biscuit Barrels
Used to store and serve cookies come teatime, these sturdy vessels also beautifully prop up a fall floral display. Consider filling one with dahlias, a native-to-Mexico sun-loving stem that grows in a range of warm shades, including the maroon ‘Night Butterfly’ and orange ‘Melody Dora.’
