Decorating with Antique Car Memorabillia

Are any of you ladies interesting in decorating your homes with antique car stuff?

I've trying to do it and I think it would fun to share ideas. I would love to see pictures of what is being done.

I have several things around the house (with no spouse to complain about them; the cat doesn't care).

The coffee table is an antique cherry piano bench filled with emblems collected when I was a youngster...

Larger, many came from cars my grampa had worked on that wound up strewn about

the fields of our old home place.

The fridge is covered in license plates, though not quite as vintage as yours...

The dining room has a near mint '37 LaSalle grille (early take-off) in the corner...

Larger, it works well with my grandparents' 1940 dining room suite.

The DR also features some of my photos flanked by childhood Matchbox cars (and others) in a former

fluorescent light cover from the '70's...

Over my bed hangs this set of mint '58 Edsel wheel covers found in Grampa's basement in a

stack of hubcaps that had been there for years. They came off my late-uncle's '58 Citation

(killed in a car wreck in '64) and when I asked for them when I was a bout 22, Grampa said,

"You can have them, but never sell them for less than $25 each." Like that would ever happen!

Just for fun, in keeping with my penchant for all things Machine Age (Mid-Century, too), this "Flying Electrolux"

hangs over a desk in my home office. The dowdy drapes must go (haven't found suitable fabric yet),

but the streamlined vac will stay...

Larger. it has the optional automatic cord reel; gotta have options!

Knowing that you have much more to work with than I

(and sorry for your Father's recent passing), have fun with it,

do it for you and the memories these treasures bring. You'll never tire of it!

No pun intended (leave the tires in the garage or on a car).

TG

Whoa! I like everything you have done. I think your home should be in a magazine. The license plates on fridge are very cool. Did you attach them with magnetic strips? The piano bench with the emblems is to die for.

Also love the flying electrolux vacuum!.

I have some emblems in a frame myself I will have to get pictures of them posted soon. There is still a lot of stuff that I need to go through yet. Our house is a mid century ranch, and I'm not one for clutter, so I cant put everything up at once. but I rotate the decorations.

Thanks again for sharing.

Thanks for the good words, but I'm afraid I've some cleaning to do before House Beautiful arrives!

For the fridge I use good magnets about .75" around on 3 or corners per plate as the strips can't

carry their weight. Rotation is a good idea, too.

Have fun!

TG

It ain't only the ladies who decorate their homes with old car stuff! I have managed so far to keep it to framed ads (but am running out of walls) and I've pieced together a couple place settings of GM cafeteria china.

As a friend said several years back- "god help whoever has to settle your estate".

I said you want the job?

I have had a lamp made from a Crosley CoBra engine block, complete with overhead cam beside my chair in the living room for nearly 30 years. It sits on the end front down, gives me 4 piston holes to stuff misc junk at my finger tips. I machined a Crosley piston and fitted a small clock in the top of it and slid that in to one cylinder.

It does get comments when we have people visit that don't really know us.

It ain't only the ladies who decorate their homes with old car stuff! I have managed so far to keep it to framed ads (but am running out of walls) and I've pieced together a couple place settings of GM cafeteria china.

As a friend said several years back- "god help whoever has to settle your estate".

I said you want the job?

It's quickly becoming obvious that the men are owning this thread!

Here are a couple of things I found while web browsing. I gotta love that spark plug clock. Keep the pictures and comments coming.

That spark plug clock would look right at home in your Mid-Century manse!

You asked for more, so here goes...

This Timex watch display case spins and stands about 5'6" tall. This one will soon migrate from

the living room to the home office. Found it on the street in Manhattan 25 years ago, tossed

out for trash and grabbed it. You can still find them in old drug stores,

if the antique mall dealers haven't beat you to them.

Better than a fish tank! I have another (sans "flying butress" supports, 6' tall) in the garage with

sportier 1/43rd scale models. A friend has a table-top model about 4' high in his den.

It's still easy to find these English china/curio cabinets that were imported in a big way in the mid-'80's...

Add an extra glass shelf or two, a mirror, and a fluorescent light and you have a tasteful way to hide

a portion of the clutter of a lifetime of collecting toys and automobilia. Dust-free, to boot!

Larger

The case on the left was a bargain at an auction (90 bucks), made by the Waddell Company,

in business since 1889. Have no idea how it was originally used.

The Waddell case sits in the DR below this large poster for a 1981 show (with catalog) at

the Bibliothèque Forney in Paris (very near Notre Dame) and will eventually house my own

"Les Moyens de Transport" (The Modes of Transport) with models of ocean liners, planes,

a Domeliner, trailers, the Knotts Berry Farm covered wagon (a 1957 souvenir from, again,

my late-uncle), travel ephemera, etc. Though the poster is modern, I fell in love with its

nicely-reproduced '38 Lincoln-Zephyr ad art and couldn't resist!

This really is a sickness, but one for which I never want to take "the cure."

TG

I did this early Dodge Brothers decor in a restaurant a while ago....the patrons LOVE it.

Very Cute! Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming.

Donna

Here's a little idea I had years ago. I took an old windshield and put a cardboard backing in it and filled it with photos of cars I have seen and owned.....

Keiser, I like your WS treatment alot! I'd also like to take a walk in the neighborhood with you someday,

as you must have the most car-rich 'hood on the planet!

Th AACA Library posted some Parker Bros. Touring Games on Facebook that reminded me of some wall art

I made back in 1985 from one of those games...

Larger

TG

If it wasn't for decorating with antique car and motorcycle parts, I would hardly have any decorating at all !

mikeburch

daytonabeach,fla

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE - Twice

If it wasn't for decorating with antique car and motorcycle parts, I would hardly have any decorating at all !

mikeburch

daytonabeach,fla

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE - Twice

OMG! You have such a great variety of stuff. I love the grill and the windshield.

OMG! You have such a great variety of stuff. I love the grill and the windshield.

lunaperro ........................

Neither is for sale. They are both NOS Genuine Ford and I have had them for fifty years. They both fit one of my cars, a 1934 Ford Phaeton.

mikeburch

daytonabeach,fla.

This is the coffee table in our family room, its a great conversation starter.

This is the coffee table in our family room, its a great conversation starter.

I love that Packard! Coffee table is super cool too. My dad collected radiator emblems and give me a framed set that I have on my wall in the kitchen. It is a good conversation starter.

I have a tendency to re-decorate and move things around a lot, but right now, this old "Star Cars" sign is a focal point about our living room sofa.

Sorry photo is so small.

now we know where all the hard to find hood ornaments go. ahahaha

Not all of them... For more automobillia pictures you can view my images thru my user profile.