Help With Decorating with Antique Tools

**foxxyroxie** · 03-25-2009, 09:23 AM

My DBF has not done much decorating in his living room with the exception of a new odds and ends of knick-knacks and pictures of his granddaughters. He has a modern clock and a small shelf on one short wall. One wall which runs the entire lengh of his living room (prob. 15 ft) has nothing on it. Underneath he has the sofa which is an very textured cream with narrow blue-grey stripes. The walls are white. There's lots of white in the room and lots of natural sunlight.

Now here's the question... he has a whole toolbox of old hand tools that belonged to his late daddy. I think it would be cool to decorate this wall with them. The only 'example' of this I can think of is Cracker Barrel Restaurant, and while it looks good on barnwood-type paneling, what would it look like on a white painted wall? Has anyone done this? Anyone care to share pics. Does anyone know what other things I can mix with the tools to make it not look like a garage/shop wall? Wooden framed pics? Shelves? Wall candle sconces? Help!!

**stinkbug** · 03-25-2009, 10:24 AM

I would paint a large area on the wall a contrasting/coordinating color...maybe the blue grey from the couch. Then hang the tools in a grouping inside the *box*. If you really wanted to make it stand out, you could frame out the colored square with moulding.

**rainbowgc** · 03-25-2009, 12:44 PM

One rule of decorating is that like items look better grouped so I second the idea of taking one wall and hanging them all artistically there. Try arranging on the floor before hanging to get a layout you like and then go for it.

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 03-25-2009, 08:30 PM

We used to have four large 2 man saws, 2 bow saws, several wooden clamps and a whole bunch of bark peelers on one wall in the livingroom. Sold them all when times got bad.
Saws were not painted just lightly oiled. We laid them out on the floor and spaced them out tilwe thought it looked good. Got tons of compliments on them. DH mounted a track light to show them off. Your biggest thing will be watching the dust. Once every six monthes.

On another wall we hung an old quilt I had. Really gave the place a country feel.

Laurie in Bradenton

**TerBearFlitt** · 08-24-2011, 09:20 AM

If you have a couple of tool his old tool boxes you could place a few tools in each box anf use them as book ends orjust as conversation piece you could place the tools on top of a coffe table and place a piece of glass on top using a wooden block at each corner to hold the glass above the tools.

**TerBearFlitt** · 08-24-2011, 09:22 AM

If you have a couple of tool his old tool boxes you could place a few tools in each box anf use them as book ends or just as a conversation piece. You could place the tools on top of a coffee table and place a piece of glass on top using a wooden block at each corner to hold the glass above the tools.

**peppermint66** · 08-24-2011, 03:39 PM

Look around at flea markets, yard sales for old soda crate or other smallish wooden boxes that you can use to frame or shelve the pieces on the walls.

**shoiji** · 08-24-2011, 04:37 PM

Depending on how large the tools are you can also put them in shadow boxes and them hang them on the wall. On the blank wall you can also put a large enough shelving unit which would also give you space to display the tools.