Where do you keep your crystal?

For years, probably more than I actually remember, we have had a huge collection of Crystal bowls. Some large, probably technically called a punch bowl, right down to what I lovingly refer to as mousse bowls as it's what the chocolate mousse was served in each Christmas Day.

They have been in my family for around three decades if not a few more and when I moved out they came with me.

Their home for a long time was the very back of the bottom shelf of the kitchen cupboard under the dinner plates...whew what an address.



That all changed a few months ago.




That there is my ensuite vanity. I used to have an ugly old wicker basket holding all our crap on the sink because it was cheap and I couldn't think of another way to bring my style to a room where there are not many options to decorate without painting, re tiling, or drilling holes in the wall - all options not generally allowed to those who rent.



Ensuites are generally small, and ours is on the small side of small so adding a towel rack or shelving of some sort wasn't an option it's also that icky rental peach/cream combo so if I added colour it had to be something that would make the marble look laminate bench top fade into the background.



One thing you'll quickly learn about me is I LOVE Pinterest. It's a great resource that I fully  encourage everyone to use.



I had seen so many candy jars and mason jars being used in bathrooms and as I stood staring at my old wicker basket wishing I had a cupboard full of mason jars I realised I had something better...Crystal! What was better still was I had a whole cupboard full of Crystal in varying sizes and it was just gathering dust waiting to be appreciated, no one would miss it if it disappeared.



Now I have three Crystal bowls proudly sitting on my vanity, giving the ensuite a chabby chic/vintage feel and the best part of it is it didn't cost a cent!



The wine glass holding our toothbrushes is the sole survivor of my favourite set and I figured it was safer and would go on surviving if it was sitting on my vanity than if I left it sitting in the cupboard my two year old has now discovered.



So the tip to take from this is look around at what you already own. If any of it can be transformed or re located to a new room to help create your style do it. If you don't have a heap of Crystal just lying around op shop it. Op shops have a tonne of awesome old vases, glassware, bowls even tea cups and saucers, something for every style and usually each under the $2 mark. If by some rarity your op shop is out of Crystal take a trip to your parents house and raid their cupboards, they don't need to know why all of a sudden you have a great need to be the new owner of grandmas Crystal bowl.



Skye