Ideas to Style an Antique Scale in Vintage Kitchen Decor

Add vintage style to your kitchen decor with these simple and creative ideas to decorate old scales in your home decor. Find easy kitchen decor inspo here! Keep reading for my favorite ways to decorate my vintage style kitchen scale!

I have so many vintage treasures, as I’m sure my regular readers are aware. However, I have one thrifted find that especially blesses my husband if I ask him to move it. (Just kidding!) It is HEAVY and old and wonderful! Of course, you’ve guessed by the title that it is my vintage style kitchen scale.

It is an actual antique kitchen scale, probably used in a store originally though. Made of cast iron and some stainless steel, it is quite a beast of a piece. However, it is so fun to decorate in my modern farmhouse kitchen!

Today we are going to chat about some ideas for using vintage scales in your kitchen decorating. Even if you don’t have a farmhouse kitchen, vintage scales can be used in a lot of different styles of home decor. Depending on your space and type of scale, there are a variety of styles you can decorate with in a kitchen or even a dining room or living room!

Thrifting with the Gals

I mentioned that this scale is a thrifted find and I’ll tell you a little bit more of that story. First, though, it is Thrifting with the Gals day, which means I am joining some of my fellow decor-loving friends to share some of our thrifted finds, ideas for decorating with them, and even DIY tips and ideas.

We are spread all over the United States which means we find so many variety of styles when thrifting and antiquing! You’ll love what each of them share today:

Ann from Dabbling and Decorating
Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse
Kristin from White Arrows Home
our guest host this month, Sarah, from Sadie Season Goods

I will share a photo and link at the end of this post for each of their inspiring and fun blog posts too!

The rest of the story…

The backstory of this charming scale is kind of a fun one. We were at a barn sale and there were actually two scales. The gentleman had this white one but then he also had a vintage scale that was green. It was missing the removeable bowl and stainless steel tray part. Otherwise, though, it was in great condition.

Seeing how both scales were so heavy and he really wanted to get rid of them both, he said the white one would be $75. However, if we bought both scales, we would only pay $50 total. Haha! So, you can guess how many scales went into the back of our SUV? Yep! Two! We ended up selling the green one for more than we paid for BOTH vintage scales, which made mine basically free.

I should say, free in money but heavy in labor! Haha! There is a very good reason that this is pretty much a permanent piece on my kitchen counter! The good news is that it is a fairly unique piece, loaded with vintage charm, and easy to decorate in different styles!

Let’s chat about a few favorite ways to use old scales with creative goods and different styles for kitchen decor!

How do you clean vintage scales?

One of the great things about vintage scales is that they don’t require especially extraordinary care to clean them. Since they are usually all cast iron or some kind of metal, they easy to clean. For my scale, some soapy warm water, a sponge, and the hose to rinse it off did the trick.

If you have an especially old scale that has been neglected in the corner of a barn for many years, it may require a little more care to get any gunk, heavy rust, or layers of dirt removed. Dawn dish soap and warm water work wonders! I also use Goo Gone for sticky substances. Vinegar is great for rust removal as is the Rustoleum Rust Dissolver Gel.

Of course, if you’re only using the vintage kitchen scale for decor, a little rust won’t hurt and just adds to the rustic charm! That will just be up to your personal preference and whether or not it needs to be food safe!

Ideas to Style an Antique Scale in Vintage Kitchen Decor

How to Use a Vintage Style Kitchen Scale

In our home, our kitchen island and kitchen counter spaces work very hard for us. We don’t have a huge kitchen, which is 200% fine with me. However, making smart use of the space is helpful! Even though I want our kitchen to feel warm and inviting, a cluttered space would just make our everyday functioning a lot harder.

A unique piece like a vintage kitchen scale is a great alternative to the more popular tiered tray (though those are also very pretty!) Some antique scales lend themselves more to being functional in a kitchen than others. I don’t really use this scale for anything functional. However, it does make a big statement piece in the kitchen. This allows for statement decor while still having a lot of kitchen counter space for everyday use.

I also have an antique food scale that I have used in a farmhouse kitchen style. Antique food scales usually have a removeable bowl, which is a great way to have both a unique piece for decor purposes and also a functional item.

When I have this scale out in my decor, I use it to hold fruit for quick and healthy snacks. It definitely doesn’t have all the useful functions of the latest version of a digital kitchen scale. Haha! However, mine is is great condition and actually does weigh food items pretty accurately!

small ironstone pitcher with greenery next to a cozy candle, both on top of a large white scale

How can I make my kitchen look vintage?

Incorporating vintage elements, such as an antique kitchen scale, is a great way to add an instant vintage style decor touch. Combined with natural elements of wood and stone and a color palette with muted colors, a kitchen can have a timeless appeal that is warm and inviting.

Here are other items I like to incorporate into my vintage style modern farmhouse kitchen:

Stoneware
Crocks
Ironstone
Bread boards
Dough bowls
Vintage artwork
Apothecary drawers (part of my coffee bar)
Cast iron hardware and lights
Vintage style lighting

While I love using vintage items, you do want to be careful with materials that are food safe. Fortunately, there are great “new” pieces that have an old world, vintage look to them. You can find some favorites HERE to decorate with a vintage style but in a safe way.

How to Decorate a Vintage Style Kitchen Scale

I have decorated my old scales in different styles over the years. They are a lot of fun to use for seasonal decoration and can provide a great opportunity in a kitchen for a decorative seasonal decor accent too.

Some of my favorite ways to decorate my antique kitchen scale include:

Vase with fresh flowers
Vintage style vessel with branches
Pottery with faux stems
Smaller wreath with a candle
Berry bowl or dish with fresh fruit
Create a vignette with greenery and a decorative accent (like a dried gourd for fall or wooden nutcracker for Christmas)
Pretty pot with a fresh plant

How to Decorate a Vintage Style Kitchen Scale in the Dining Room

A dining room is another wonderful spot to decorate with old scales and vintage treasures. At the same time, it is a place where antique food scales don’t seem completely out of the usual either.

In a dining room, I would use old scales as a base, or vessel if you will, for displaying seasonal accents. One of my favorite examples of this is from my friend Becky over @becky.cunningham.home . She is one of my favorite Instagram accounts and I love her European cottage style of decorating. Becky uses a large vintage scale similar to mine as a staple decor piece on her dining room buffet. You can scroll through her account and see so many great decorating examples. She uses it for seasonal decor and sometimes even for adding levels to her buffet for serving food.

If your scale is not too heavy to move, it could also be a great everyday centerpiece idea. A smaller scale worked into a vignette with everyday dishware, flatware, napkins, and a favorite candle can add a lovely touch to an ordinary, functional tray.

side view of a chippy white table styled for Christmas with glass cloches, Christmas greenery, golden bells hung above, and a large white scale with a glass Christmas tree on top

How to Decorate with Vintage Scales in the Living Room

A living room is a less likely place to decorate with antique food scales. However, there are many different types of antique scales.

A beautiful balance scale or old postal scale would make unique shelf decor. Similarly, a small balance scale could be worked into a pretty vignette on a side table or coffee table. A really huge antique scale could become a statement piece in a cozy corner with a large plant or tree sitting on it.

One way to think about old scales, specifically in living room decor, is to use them in two different ways. First, you can think of them as a base for building a vignette. For example, adding a small wreath and candle or a pumpkin for the fall.

Secondly, you can think of vintage scales as a way to add different heights to a vignette. For example, if you’re styling a vignette of cute trees for winter or Christmas, you can put one of them on an antique kitchen scale with the other two (different heights, of course) tucked beside the scale.

Antique scales are wonderful vintage treasures that can be used in so many different ways for your home decor. They can also be used year round and for all seasons, so that makes them a great investment too.

view of the dining table, and behind that, a large white vintage scale on the kitchen island

Where to hunt for antique scales

Even if you are now totally convinced that you need an antique kitchen scale (I’ve convinced myself that maybe I need another style or two. Haha!), the question is: where to find a fantastic one?

Interested buyers may want to keep an eye open on FB marketplace, thrift stores, or even yard sales for a great deal. Those venues may take a long time when looking for a specific listing, so prepare to be really patient!

The Etsy app is also a great place to look for vintage treasures. I highly recommend the app, as it is a great resource for vintage and antiques. However, be watchful for shipping. With something like old scales, the weight and size could make the shipping high. If the Etsy sellers have their location or general area listed and it is a reasonable distance, you could also message them to see about picking up the item yourself to save on shipping.

Tip: When you start to browse, click “free shipping” in the filter to see those options first!

As much as I love shopping online and the convenience of great variety from online sellers, I also am a huge advocate for supporting small businesses. I try to support them as much as I can. I know how much I appreciate it when YOU support my small business by reading or commenting on my blog or social media or even shopping through my links!

If you’re shopping for old scales, definitely check out all of the antique stores in your area. An antique shop owner might be willing to write down what you’re looking for and notify you if a vendor brings something in like what you’re wanting. I’ve done that before and they are always happy to try and help me out!

Vintage markets, boutiques, antique malls, and flea markets are also great options when shopping for your vintage treasures!

kitchen island with metal barstools and a large white vintage scale

How to do vintage decor

If you’re reading this post, you’re probably already a fan of vintage home decor! You can’t go wrong with buying what you love and only decorating your home with pieces that make you smile. At the same time, investing in home decor vintage “basics”, like vintage scales, give you options that you can rotate around your home no mater the season.

I am linking some other posts below that can give you even more specific ideas for how to decorate with some of my own favorite vintage items!

I hope this post gives you some fun inspiration for styling some vintage treasures in your own living room, dining room, or kitchen. You won’t want to miss the other posts from the Thrifting with the Gals ladies today too. They are all sharing vintage home inspiration and it’s SO GOOD!

Visit Sarah from Sadie Seasongoods.