A New Sign for my Kitchen

I've been admiring antique signage lately, but the "real deal" usually carries quite a hefty price tag. So I made my own!

I liked the natural rough-sawn texture on the backside of some old salvaged beadboard that I had, so I glued two pieces together to make a perfectly aged canvas for my sign. I painted it a creamy buttermilk color, and then used a brush and a rag to age it with some watered down paint in a couple different shades of golden tan and greenish grey, before painting "Hallberg Nursery" in black, with some heavy sanding to scuff it up.

It looks right at home above the window in my small but sunny rustic kitchen.

Photo courtesy of Country Living

I used a picture from Country Living of designer Nancy Fishelson's kitchen to pattern my sign after. If you've never seen Nancy's work, you are missing out - the rooms she designs are absolutely gorgeous, with a subdued color palette and stunning primitive antiques, including many wonderful examples of antique signs that are used as art.  

Photo courtesy of Country Living

Photo courtesy of Country Living

The thing I love about antique signs is the personality they bring to a space. I love the worn patina and the wonderful old typography, but most of all I love that they are specific and one-of-a-kind; uniquely and utilitarianly inscribed with the names, dates, and advertisements of businesses from long ago. A sign that reads "Hallberg Nursery" with a hand-painted arrow pointing the way sparks the imagination in a way that a generic "potting shed" or "garden" sign never will.

Does your house need a little personality? Add a sign!