It is awesome when things that are intended to be functional are also decorative. Sometimes it’s inadvertent. The designers of the blue Ball jars probably paid attention to good aesthetic lines, as good product designers do, but function was the most important design element. They could not have imagined that decades later, blue Ball canning jars would be cottagecore decor staples. This week’s fresh to market vintage has three functional items that are advertently decorative.
An ashtray’s purpose in life is to hold ashes and rest a cigarette. Until the late 1960s, every house, every restaurant table, every hotel room, every car, and every airplane had them because 40% of the population were smokers. Hence, there are tons of vintage ashtrays out there. Designers made boring utilitarian plain glass ones that were inexpensive for use in places where they might be broken or heisted. But designers did so much more with ashtrays. There are some real beauties out there, like the Raytheon copper ashtray in this week’s fresh to market vintage.
Tape measures are also essential. We’re all familiar with the utilitarian fabric or vinyl tape measure that you store by rolling it around your hand and stuffing it in a drawer. The celluloid tape is something a sewist or needleworker would love, it performs it’s function, but it’s also pleasing to look at and show off.
And the California state spoon is not just a pretty thing. It’s also a functional teaspoon. Flatware can be decorative, but this spoon raises the bar on regular flatware design.
What vintage things do you have around your house that are functional but also decorative?
Raytheon Copper Ashtray
This ashtray reminds me of how much my Commonwealth of Massachusetts has evolved, from the earliest days of our history, when the making or production of needed items required two skilled hands that could work in the barn, weave cloth in a small shop or house, forge metal items and make furniture, among other things. Later came the scale up to small mills, manufactories and forges, bringing more workers together weaving cloth, making furniture and metal items on a greater scale.
Fast forward from those days to missile production. This copper Raytheon ashtray has a missile on it. Massachusetts is also the area in which many people using different technologies and many, many types of engineers were put to work in buildings on America’s Technology Highway, Route 128 to move into the Space Age! My! How some things have changed even in my 73 years.
Raytheon Missile Systems Ashtray, $46.99
-Mary Ellen, Aunt Hatties Attic
Basket of Fruit Tape Measure
If you sew you know a tape measure is essential. This tiny basket of fruit would have been someone’s go to many years ago. It’s made of celluloid and shows its age and use. now it would be a wonderful addition to a collection. Something to add to a curio and show off. Tape measures, although utilitarian, were often decorative as well. That twist on usefulness and decorative makes these items collectible now.
Antique Fruit Basket Tape Measure, $52.95
-Pam, Vintage Renude
Hand Painted Glass Vase c 1920s
I love this white glass vase with a bright floral design painted on the front & a simple spray design on the back. It harkens back to the 1920s, when times were bleak and flowers were a simple way to brighten your home. Middle of winter and not a bloom in sight? No problem…this sweet little vase can stand on its own.
Vintage Painted Glass Vase, $36
-Linda, Selective Salvage
California State Seal Teaspoon
We’ve seen the souvenir state mini spoons that people collect, but this is a state spoon that asks to be used. Made by Oneida, this silver plate teaspoon can be integrated into your flatware. Imagine how much fun it would be to have a whole collection of state teaspoons to put next to the coffee pot. Imagine the kids fighting about who gets to eat their ice cream with Indiana.
Oneida Community California State Seal Spoon, $12.
-Laurie, NextStage Vintage
While we’re thinking about decorative functional things, we can also think about functional things that we do not want to be decorative. We do not want a shoehorn edged with ornamental spikes. Nor do we want an electric fan with a plush fur covered front. Thank heavens most product designers also have common sense.
Making your life easier is also common sense. One way to eliminate the stress of worrying that your might miss one of our posts is to subscribe to our email newsletter. You get one email a week with links to all our posts. Your info is safe with us. We would sooner try to dry our laundry on a clothesline with sharp barbs than ever share your information.
