Vintage Fall Home Decor: Old Crate & White Hydrangeas

It’s late August, and the Limelight Hydrangeas are in magnificent bloom. Cut a few blooms and drop them in an old rustic crate. The contrast is extraordinary. Enjoy this vintage fall arrangement on the porch or wherever you like until their pink fall hues arrive, and then we can do it all over again. At least, that’s what I’m planning on doing.

Fall Season & Fresh Blooms

I was back in Vermont this past weekend to restock and refresh my vintage fall window booth, collect some mail, work on some fun upcoming collaborations coming your way very soon, and get a few unfinished necessities wrapped up before we finish our summer in Maine.

Sunday was a warm yet cloudy day, perfect for styling and photographing content from our Vermont porch. My neighbor strolled over and dropped off some amazing fresh-cut blooms from her garden, the perfect fall color palette.

See more of what I was photographing in this Fall & Halloween DIY Grazing Table with MacKenzie-Childs post.

After I finished photographing our vintage fall home decor on the porch, I moved these fresh blooms inside to enjoy their vintage charm on our craft/sunroom space coffee table. They were so fresh and brilliant in color, giving off all the cozy vibes.

And don’t these blooms represent the change from summer into fall so tastefully on these pink vintage trays?

As a home decor ambassador with MacKenzie-Childs, you may enjoy this Summer Desserts with MacKenzie-Childs Check Designs post.

The Rudbeckia and Coneflowers were in their seasonal bloom, showing off The Green Mountains in their backdrop. And the feel of fall was most certainly in the air.

And truthfully, I can not wait for it! It’s my favorite time of the year. You may also enjoy this 7 Ways to Add Autumn Spirit to Your Front Porch this Fall post.

While I was here, I deadheaded and trimmed our sunflower plants. They aren’t nearly as beautiful as my neighbors’, but a small bouquet of fresh blooms in a vintage fall pitcher is still so charming.

You may see more in the Refreshing Weekend Junket Home to Vermont post.

Find more vintage fall inspiration in this Fall Decor Trailblazing in Blue and White post, see the 5 must-haves, and why creating first and consuming second is this year’s fall trend.

Limelight White Hydrangeas

The Limelight Hydrangeas—well, let’s say they were ready for cutting and display. We usually cut our limelight trees back at the end of each blooming season, but we decided to let them go this year. They must be 8′-10′ feet tall now, easily doubling in size.

I prefer the Limelight Hydrangea trees, short and stout, but they are truly handsome either way. Which way do you elect? Tall and wild, or short and trimmed? Let me know in the comments below.

Limelight Hydrangeas trees have a mountainous display of soft green cone-shaped blossoms each summer that transition to soft white, cream, and finally, pink through the fall. They are exceptionally low-maintenance and yield gorgeous blooms, perfect for cutting, drying, and displaying for vintage fall earthy tones displays.

My friend Skye over at Hamilton House Designs on Instagram is my go-to for all things Hydrangeas. If you don’t follow her, you should be!

Getting back to our place in Vermont for just the weekend and seeing these amazing Limelights in full bloom now has me holding on a little bit longer to summer, well maybe just a little bit longer… Aren’t they just amazing?

You may also enjoy the 6 Best Foraging Basket Arrangements for the Off-Season post.

Old Vintage Fall Crates

I recently found this vintage fall crate in an antique store. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Vintage pieces like this are a great way to add contrast and a touch of farmhouse decor to your vintage decor.

Where can you find a vintage fall crate like this one? The best way is to look through vintage shops, thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, a thrift shop, Etsy, eBay, etc. Find more ways to shop for vintage items in this How to Shop For Vintage Decor Online.

To fill this old crate to the brim with summer-to-fall Limelight Hydrangeas to bring back with me to enjoy in Maine for the next couple of weeks of summer.

You may also find inspiration in this Pie Safe Antique Kitchen Cupboards Decorating Ideas post.

The best of both worlds, truly.

You may also find vintage fall inspiration in this Decorating with White Pumpkin Ideas post.

And when we return, these Limelight Hydrangeas will be a delicate shade of pink that I’m looking forward to embracing with all their rustic charm in fall vignettes with vintage style.

You may also enjoy our Vermont Fall Foliage Home Tour from last year.

So, before we leave and finish up this time of year, I’m going to enjoy this time between summer and fall with my Limelight Hydrangeas in this old rustic vintage fall crate, my time before we head back to Vermont to usher in our favorite autumn season.

Vintage Fall Centerpiece

If you like this post, you may also enjoy more fall treasures in this Fall Hydrangeas in an Old Crate post. Where I decorated with these same vintage fall Limelights in an old United Farmers crate, another the first year we planted these Limelight Hydrangeas.

Old vintage finds like crates pair well with all styles of hydrangeas; another favorite cozy look is filling old crates with evergreens in the wintertime, which will be here before we know it. See more in my favorite Vintage Ski Lodge Decor Series.

You may also enjoy Vintage Wicker Picnic Basket: Beyond the Picnic post.

See you back in Maine, friends!

I hope you found lots of vintage fall decor ideas among the Limelight Hydrangeas, old crates, and fresh blooms today!

I’m back in Maine and this vintage fall arrangement is in need of some fresh water, but it’s still beautiful.

Did you see this pea stone patio we designed and built in less than two days for this teak table set?

Vintage Tea Crate

Prompted by a reader, I did a little more research on this vintage crate. It turns out it is a very historical tea crate.

Based on the writing on the side of this crate (see above photo), this vintage tea crate with the writing “Choice New Seasons Uncolored Japan Tea” and “Pacific Railway” on the top carries significant historical value. It reflects a fascinating period in international trade, particularly between Japan and the United States, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The wording “Choice New Seasons Uncolored Japan Tea” indicates that the crate contained high-quality Japanese tea, specifically the first harvest of the season, known as “shincha,” which is prized for its freshness and superior flavor. “Uncolored” emphasizes that the tea was natural and free from any artificial coloring, a practice sometimes used to enhance the appearance of lower-quality teas.

The mention of “Pacific Railway” suggests that the tea was transported across the United States via the transcontinental railroad, which was completed in 1869. This railway was crucial in connecting the East and West coasts of the U.S., allowing goods from Asia, especially tea, to be efficiently distributed throughout the country. The inclusion of “Pacific Railway” on the crate highlights the logistical route taken by the tea on its journey from Japan to American markets.

A tea crate with such markings is a valuable historical artifact, representing the global trade routes of the time, the rise of Japanese tea as a key export commodity, and the role of the transcontinental railroad in distributing goods across the United States.

Pretty neat, right? And a lesson in researching our vintage finds…

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