6 Easy Ways to Use Vintage Silver in Home Decor
Using vintage silver in home decor and for everyday uses is one of my favorite ways to bring a curated, vintage style to our home, especially during the winter season. Â Check out 6 of my favorite pieces of vintage silver to use around our home to bring a curated sense of history to a variety of styles of home decor.
​
If you have been following along with my home decor over the past years, you already know that metallic finishes and vintage pieces are one of my favorite ways to add a touch of sparkle around our home during the winter season. Â I have several beautiful silver decorative objects that I really enjoy using and it made me think that maybe you might enjoy some ideas for how to use vintage silver in home decor too!
In everything from table centerpieces in the dining room to tabletop vignettes in the living room to beautiful vases for faux and/or fresh flowers, a touch of silver brings an instant touch of elegance to any room. Â The beauty of vintage silver in home decor brings timeless style and mixes perfectly with everything from primitives in color to minimalist modern homes decorated in earth tones.
In fact, I think every space should have some timeless touches that make the room feel like it was curated over time. Â Antique silver pieces are a great way to add that timeless, curated look.
Ready for a quick story?!
My own love for using vintage silver in home decor goes back several years to when I visited a vintage market that was being held locally. Â My friend Jennifer from @wishesanddreams, also a vendor at one of my favorite shops, @rehabvintagemarket, was a vendor at the market. Â As I walked around the corner into her booth, I immediately fell in love with the centerpiece she had on a pretty dining table.
A collection of about 50-60 vintage silver chalices in all different sizes lined the middle of the table. Â Some were stacked to create even more height variation while others held pretty little bottle brush trees (this was held during the Christmas season). Â When my sweet friend offered a deal for the whole collection, I simply could not resist. Â I have enjoyed this collection of tarnished pieces since that day. Â In fact, I’ve added it to it over the past few years with vintage finds at flea markets, local thrift stores, yard sales, and antique stores.
Speaking of thrifting, I shouldn’t get too far ahead of myself…

​Thrifting With the Gals
I am so happy to be starting another year with a group of blogging friends. Â We call these monthly blog posts “Thrifting With the Gals” and enjoy sharing some of our thrifted finds, home decor tips, DIY ideas, and thrifting adventures with each other and all of you!
Since I just picked up two more beautiful silver pieces at the thrift store this week, it was the perfect month to share some fun decorating ideas with these talented blogging friends and all of you! Â At the end of this blog post, you can find a sneak peek of each of the ladies’ thrifting treasures this month along with a link to read their blog posts too. Â You won’t want to miss all of the vintage goodness!
- Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse
- Ann from Dabbling and Decorating
- Lora from Create and Ponder
Since the four of us are literally spread out around the country, it is always so fun to see the kinds of thrifting and vintage finds everyone shares each month.
Make sure to subscribe to our blogs and pin your favorite decorating ideas to save for later! Â It’s an honor to join these ladies each month and I know you’ll love their decor ideas too!
​What decor goes with silver?
As I mentioned earlier, I think vintage silver in home decor is such a perfect decorative accent because it can go with such a wide variety of styles. Â When you use vintage silver in home decor, no matter what design style, it adds a curated look and a sense of history. Â Old silver is not only a timeless decorative object, but has also been part of functional, everyday use for hundreds of years!
Pieces of vintage silver in home decor can add function and character to a more minimalist, modern decor styles. Â At the same time, old silver can mix perfectly with traditional styles, such as Grand Millenial. Â It can also be a beautiful finish to add to vintage cottage style decor and even coastal decor! Â I use old silver pieces year round in my decorating, mixing it with rustic western, coastal grandma, French country, and vintage cottage decorating styles.
What should I do with old silver?
I love to use vintage silver in home decor because it adds another metallic decor piece with a reflective finish. Â Even small decorative objects, like silver candle holders in a coffee table vignette or an old silver tray under a plant and candle on a night stand reflects the cozy glow. Â Silver plate pieces can become a great base for a simple vignette on any table top. Â This is one of my favorite ways to decorate in the winter season, especially!
Vintage silver pieces can also be part of your everyday decor. Â For example, silver bowls can hold fruit on the kitchen island while small silver containers can contain cotton balls and q-tips on the bathroom counter.
Here are a few other ideas you can use to mix vintage silver in home decor:
- Group a collection of silver on a shelf
- Use bowls and containers for home organization
- Mix brass and silver candle holders together on a mantel or table centerpiece (use with THESE flameless candles!)
- Fill a large silver bowl with pine cones or other filler
- Use old trophies as flower vases
- Hang a silver tray on the wall as a magnetic board
- Use a silver ice bucket or champagne bucket as a planter
- Contain kitchen utensils on the countertop with a silver trophy cup
We are going to look at even more ways to use some of these antique silver pieces and ideas to style vintage silver in home decor.  These are just the ways I have actually used vintage silver in home decor around our home, so of course, there are many, many more ways you could use vintage silver pieces for both home decor and everyday uses!
Hopefully this post sparks some creative ways that you can curate and style your own home with these beautiful silver decorative objects!


6 Easy Ways to Use Vintage Silver in Home Decor
​
1. Ideas for Vintage Silver in Home Decor: Chalices
As I shared at the beginning of this post, my collection of vintage silver chalices are so fun to use and they make a wonderfully unique centerpiece for the dining table! Â I have added to my collection with pieces of vintage silver chalices here and there over the years. Â While I often see them at antique stores/malls, I have also found some at local thrift stores and flea markets too!
Typically, I use this vintage silver in home decor and special occasions during the fall and winter seasons.  In the fall, I like to add small pumpkins resting on top of some of the antique silver pieces.  THESE flameless votive candles are the perfect size to combine with the silver chalices too.  I love how the cozy candle glow reflects on the tarnished pieces of silver.
During Christmas season, I have added small bottle brush trees and a variety of flameless candles.  You can see how I don’t add a candle or decorative object to all of the vintage silver pieces.  Instead, I try to space them out with a little bit of a random pattern while still looking intentional.
After Christmas, I love to add as many cozy textures and finishes to my winter decor as I can.  These chalices are beautiful to use vintage silver in home decor for the winter also.  Cozy flameless candles and touches of winter greenery complement the old silver and tarnished pieces perfectly!
​

2. Ideas for Vintage Silver in Home Decor: Champagne buckets or silver ice buckets
Vintage silver champagne buckets or silver ice buckets make a beautiful display all on their own! Â At the same time, they are one of my favorite things to use for vintage silver in home decor in the winter. Â I have a vintage silver champagne bucket that is the perfect size to hold a table top winter tree for a quick and easy dining table centerpiece.
At the thrift store recently, I spotted this gorgeous silver ice bucket. Â While it is from Pottery Barn and isn’t actually vintage, it definitely has that look! Â For only $3.99, I snatched it up and it is a gorgeous planter to go along with my winter decor now!
​


3. Ideas for Vintage Silver in Home Decor: Old trophies
While I love old trophies, they are often expensive and just aren’t worth it to me for the price. Â However, at an antique market awhile back, I found this trio of old trophies for only $25! Â I couldn’t resist, as they are perfect to use for shelf decor or table top vignettes.
To soften them a little to blend with my cottage-western-French country decor style (is that a decor style?! Â Haha!), I added a little sprig of faux winter greenery to one of them. Â In the trophy with a little wider mouth, I rested one of THESE small flameless candles. Â Then, I added a large glass cloche. Â I love that the candle is on a timer so it just flickers on each evening, adding a cozy little glow to this corner. Â It is one of my favorite winter decor vignettes for the living room now!
Old trophies look amazing added to a sports themed room or “man cave”. Â However, they don’t have to only be used in a more masculine design setting. Â You can see how I tucked a couple into the vignettes on my dining room shelves. Â I love how they add a pretty finish and a lot of character!

4. Ideas for Vintage Silver in Home Decor: Silver bowls
​Decorative bowls have seemingly endless possibilities for home decor!  One of the easiest ways to add vintage silver in home decor is with a large silver bowl.  Awhile back, I purchased two tarnished silver punch bowls.  They are so beautiful and I filled one of them with ornaments at Christmas.  It made the perfect statement piece on my dining table.
However, vintage silver isn’t just for the holiday season!
​Another fun thrifted find is this wide silver bowl.  Because of the relatively flat base, it was perfect to nestle in some pillar candles for an instant centerpiece!
In another silver bowl, I created a vignette of taper candles. Â This is still one of my favorite ways to use silver bowls in home decor!
How to make a taper candle centerpiece in a bowl
- ​Fill the bowl 2/3 with decorative rock or sand.
- Secure an odd number of taper candles in the bowl.
- Add more rock or sand, if needed.
- Light the candles and enjoy!
I also did this with my flameless taper candles since they can turn on and off with the remote and also have a timer.  This was one of my favorite winter centerpieces!  So cozy and full of vintage charm too!


5. Ideas for Vintage Silver in Home Decor: Old silver pitchers
​It is very rare that you’ll find flowers in a regular vase in our home!  Why use a plain glass cylinder when you can level up your arrangement with a beautiful vintage piece, right?
Often, I use pretty pitchers as flower vases, whether they are crazed ironstone, pretty glass, or, of course, vintage silver!
If you are just starting to use vintage silver in home decor, I highly recommend thrifting for a pretty silver pitcher. Â You’ll be able to enjoy it all on its own, sitting on a shelf or styled with pretty dishes. Â Or, you can use it for faux or fresh flowers or greenery too.
Plus, there’s basically no styling needed. Â Just cut your flower stems to the desired length and set your silver pitcher in the middle of the table or even by the kitchen sink for instant vintage charm!

6. Ideas for Vintage Silver in Home Decor: Silver candle holders
Candle holders are one of my go-to decorative objects for fall and winter decor for any room in my home. Â If I can’t figure out what to use to make a space feel finished, I almost always add candlelight! Â While brass candle holders are my usual choice, I do love using silver candle holders also. Â In fact, I love how they look mixed with the brass!
Pro Tip: Â For easy styling, use an odd number of silver candle holders in different heights. Â
Here are a few simple ideas for vintage silver in home decor:
- Try adding three silver candle holders with a plant to a pretty tray for a quick and easy coffee table vignette.
- On a winter mantel, add a grouping of 7 or more candle holders to make a cozy statement.
- Add three candle holders on each side of a pretty floral arrangement for a classic centerpiece. Â And no, the candle holders don’t even have to match for a vintage cottage style! Â Either use all silver, all brass, or mix the two finishes!
- Invest in realistic flameless candles on a timer for a convenient and super cozy glow around your home in the evenings.


​If you don’t already have some vintage silver pieces laying around, just waiting to be used in your home decor. I hope you are excited to hit up the thrift shops and antique stores to see what you can find! Â
Using vintage silver in home decor is an easy way to add a a reflective finish to contrast with flat wood tones. Â At the same time, old silver has been around for a very, very long time. Â It instantly adds character with timeless style to any home.
I am currently enjoying quite a bit of vintage silver in home decor around our house for the winter season! Â Thanks for letting me share it with you today!
You can browse my other curated winter home decor HERE on my storefront!
Don’t forget to check out the thrifted treasures and vintage decor from the Thrifting With the Gals today too!
Lora from Create and Ponder
Ann from Dabbling and Decorating
Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse
​
You may also enjoy these popular home decor blog posts:
- 60+ Thrifted Home Decor Ideas to Decorate on a Low Budget
- The Best 7 Thrifted Fall Home Decor Items to Shop For
- 10 Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas for Your Home
- How to Use Thrifted Art in Your Vintage Home Decor
- How to Use Antique Wall Decor for Vintage Charm
- 10 Ways to Decorate a Cozy Winter Bedroom Retreat On a Budget
- 23 Easy Ideas to Decorate Empty Living Room Corners
- 45 Easy Winter Decorating Ideas for a Cozy Home After Christmas
​
Blessings,


Love all these different silver collections Robyn! One of my favorite items to decorate with is silver. Thanks for all the new ideas!
You have a wonderful collection of silver, Robyn! Love those big ice buckets and the trophies…I’ve never come across any. I have a handful of coffeepots and teapots and sugar and creamers; using them for Valentine’s decor this year. Thanks for all the beautiful inspiration; loved it!
Great ideas …. Very inspiring !!