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Honoring a Legacy: Styling Inherited Family Heirlooms with Vintage Thrifted Goodies
By Rachel
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Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by Rachel
In this thrifted goodies volume 45, I’m honoring a legacy. You’ll learn why inherited family heirlooms are the heart of a soulful home and how to style them with ease!
Sometimes, creating a home filled with soul often means looking backward to move forward. Following the recent passing of my Grandma Dor, I’ve found an immense amount of comfort in blending her cherished heirlooms with my latest thrifted finds. I want to show you how the most beautiful spaces are the ones built on love, not trends. In today’s installment of Thrifted Goodies, I share how I’m honoring a legacy and my grandma’s memory by weaving her precious things into the everyday fabric of my home. Join me for styling inherited family heirlooms with vintage thrifted goodies!
Inherited Decor: The Heart of the Home
To me, inherited heirlooms and thrifted finds are two sides of the same coin-both tell a story of a life well-lived. In this post, we’re moving past a ‘shopping trip’ to a ‘legacy story’. You see, secondhand decor, whether thrifted or inherited, creates a home with character, warmth and spirit.
Join me for this special post honoring my grandma and see how old relics from the past can become the heart of the home!
Honoring a Legacy: Styling Inherited Family Heirlooms with Vintage Thrifted Goodies #44
Hello, guys!
Welcome, or welcome back, to the blog and to the next installment in the ‘Thrifted Goodies’ series! If you are new around here, welcome!
This is a monthly series where my friend MaryJo from the blog Master’pieces’ of my Life and I share thrift hauls, thrifting tips, and general thrift shopping advice.
MasterPieces of My Life
My partner in this series, MaryJo, is sharing a post all about transforming thrifted porcelain into spring decor. How great is that?!
After you are done here, head over to her post and say hello! You may find just the thing you are looking for.
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Tips for Honoring Inherited Decor
This month’s thrifted goodies is extremely special to me, probably the most exceptional one to date. Yes, all of the thrifted decor that I find on a monthly basis is special, but not to the extent that inherited items from my late grandma are.
If you are in the same boat that I was in when all of these inherited items came into my possession, you might be wondering what to do with it all. Here are a few key tips!
Curate with Intention: This is a gentle reminder that you don’t have to keep everything to honor someone. Really be mindful of this as you are going through their things and take only the pieces that speak to you. Be sure you have a spot in your home where you can use them, or display them, rather than taking everything just to ‘help out’.
Display Memories: Rather than keeping an inherited item(s) stored away, where you won’t be able to see it on a daily basis, make it functional! Ask yourself ‘where can I put this so it can be used practically or appreciated?’ Really think about it…walk around your house and get very detailed, picking out two or three places that could potentially work. Then, try the item in all three spots and see which one looks best.
Grandma’s Treasures: The Legacy Pieces
My grandma Dor had A LOT of stuff. Like…a lot. For a single lady in a small apartment, it was quite the work to go through it all. She definitely loved her treasures and trinkets.
Being a minimalist, I’m very mindful of the things I bring into my home. So, when deciding what I wanted, if anything, it was very important to me that each thing served a purpose or that there was somewhere for it to be displayed in my house. After all was said and done, I acquired four heirloom pieces that I’m so proud to be the keeper of.
The funny thing is, all of the items that I chose were all pieces that she had, or was using, in her bedroom!
Small Cherub Light
The first item to share is this adorable vintage cherub lamp. Grandma had this sitting on her dresser and I think it acted as a nightlight for her. After all, it does cast the most magical warm glow in the dark!
When I saw this, I knew immediately that I had to have it to use in my hutch. I mean…can you even with the pleated shade?!
So, that’s exactly what I did!
I already had a small hole cut in the top of my hutch to be able to run my Christmas village cords, which worked out perfectly for this little light. I simply placed it on the top shelf, ran the cord up through the hole and down the back of the hutch, plugged it into a power strip, and voila!
At around 5 PM every night, I turn it on, and it’s a quiet little reminder of grandma in my busy days.
Gold Mirrored Tray
The next inherited item was also sitting on her dresser, not far from the cherub light!
Grandma used this gold mirrored tray flanked with beautiful flowers, which is absolutely gorgeous, to hold her perfume and jewelry. Now, grandma had a very strong perfume, not sure what it was, but she wore this perfume her entire life. From when I was little up until just last year, it was always the same and, whenever I would give her a hug, I would smell like it for a little while!
So, this tray, being used to hold that same perfume, had soaked up that smell over the years. It’s getting less strong now but for a few weeks after I had it, I would walk into the house and it literally smelled as if grandma were here.
Anyways, I am using the tray on my bathroom counter to hold my perfume, lotions, and hand mirror (which happens to be from my Grandma Jean). Another side story…the other day, as I was brushing my teeth, I had the realization that Grandma Dor’s tray is holding Grandma Jean’s hand mirror and I just about cried. Like…how special is that?!
These are two items that can tend to blend into the background of everyday life because you just get into that mundane routine but I literally use them everyday. I look at them probably ten times a day and sometimes it doesn’t even register what I’m looking at but, if I force myself to slow down, I realize that both of my grandmas are tangibly with me, everyday, no matter what, and that’s immensely comforting.
Antique Silver Jewelry Box
Have you ever seen a more unique and intricate jewelry box?! Because I haven’t. It was buried in one of grandma’s dresser drawers and guess what it was full of?? Spare change! I never remember ever seeing this at her house…who knows where it came from or how long grandma had it.
You guys…this is old. The outside is silver and has the most gorgeous filigree work! The top is fabric and contains a scene. To me it looks like a ballet or ball or something…almost baroque style.
The inside is lined with luxurious red velvet, complete with a mirror inside the lid. Oh boy oh by am I ever excited to use this for Christmas!
The bottom of it has the most beautiful etching on the silver..and…can we talk about the little feet on the corners?! I mean..come on.
I’m just so proud to have this heritage piece in my vintage decor collection. For the time being, I have the jewelry box styled in the curved glass curio cabinet. It fits right in and looks so beautiful amongst other vintage and thrifted pieces of decor!
Vintage Glass Jewelry Box
The final item that I inherited from grandma is another jewelry box. This one is square with glass sides, complete with an adorable scene on the lid. I do remember that she had this box sitting on the mirrored tray on her dresser. When I acquired the box, there was quite a good amount of jewelry inside it that she wore on a regular basis.
When I look at this cute box, I think bedroom aesthetic, so that’s where it sits. 
I have this little jewelry box styled on my dresser. It’s acting almost like a riser to hold a milk glass creamer and as a bookend for a row of antique books. It actually completes the look of this vignette perfectly!
The Monthly Haul: Thrifted Goodies Companions
Okay! With that, I have a few more thrifted goodies to share as normal in this series.
I feel like these last two thrifted finds feel right at home next to grandma’s pieces. Vintage decor is timeless and never goes out of style. The fact that I can pair grandma’s old items with my ‘newer’ thrifted finds makes my heart sing!
Milk Glass Compote
Would it be a thrifted goodies without a piece of milk glass?! I think not!
Yes…here she is…a glorious vintage milk glass compote. The day that I purchased this one, there was a whole bunch of milk glass on the shelf. I’m pretty sure someone donated their entire collection BUT this was the only one I could find that had the ring of fire present! I’d never come across this pattern before…the pattern paired with the pedestal shape reminds me of a Tulip, perfect for spring! I paid $3.99 for this one and I think that’s very fair.
Currently, it’s sitting on the mantel for the rest of winter. Next month, I’ll start re-arranging and bringing out spring, so this compote will see some spring flowers very soon!
Ironstone Tureen
Last, but certainly not least, I found the most incredible ironstone tureen for just $5.99!! As the story goes, I was doing my Friday thrift store run. I hadn’t found anything and was almost done.
Then, as soon as I entered the dish aisle, I spotted it. It’s like it had a halo and angelic wings, just waiting for me! It’s very rare that I find these old tureens with the lid still present, at the thrift. And! This one is in perfect condition…no chips or cracks of any kind.
Also, it has scallops everywhere! The handles are scalloped, the lid is scalloped, the edges have scallops…say no more.
When I got it home, I carefully cleaned it and then set it proudly on the top shelf of the hutch. Donned with some simple lace ribbon, it’s the perfect transitional decor between winter and spring!
Styling the Two Together: Creating a Curated Look
Before we close, I wanted to briefly touch on how to best style inherited decor with thrifted finds and decor that you already have.
This can sometimes be a tricky slope. Doing too little makes it look unintentional and bare. Doing too much can make things look cluttered. So, I’m here to break it down into manageable parts!
Mix Old and New
To ensure family heirlooms don’t feel like museum pieces, you’ll want to mix the old, inherited decor with newer pieces. Now, by new, I don’t mean brand new from Target or Home Goods.
In my eyes, ‘new’ decor comes from the thrift store! I mixed my grandma’s lamp in with vintage dishes from my collection, all of which are thrifted. By choosing to blend the older pieces with decor items that you already have, you can curate a cohesive and meaningful display.
Updating For a Modern Home
To make an inherited piece feel fresh in a modern space, utilize fillers such as faux greenery, candles, baskets, or ribbon. This brings an updated feel to an old item, making it feel like it’s been a part of your home all along!
Visual Harmony
To help bridge the gap between your different finds, I suggest using color palettes or textures that complement one another.
This can look like:
- Pairing a vintage metal trinket box with a wooden bowl.
- Placing an antique white tureen against a green painted cupboard.
- Styling a vintage art piece with brass candle sconces.
Closing Tidbits on Honoring a Legacy: Styling Inherited Family Heirlooms with Vintage Thrifted Goodies
Thrifted decor finds always make my home feel loved and special. But, these legacy pieces inherited from my grandma make it feel extra loved, like wrapping my house in a big, comforting hug.
My grandma Dor was such a special person who was loved by so many. I know she is watching over me and smiling down from heaven, knowing that I am the keeper of some her beloved treasures. Love and miss you, grandma.
If you find yourself in a season of life where you have inherited items that you don’t know what to do with, I hope you can take this is a sign to bring them back to life in your home.
Be encouraged to press on, carrying love along the way.
Leave me a comment! Do you have a favorite inherited piece in your home? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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2 Comments. Leave new
This is precious Rachel. I’m all about legacy pieces and carrying on memories. You are honoring your grandma in your home in such a beautiful fashion. XO- MartJo
Thanks, friend!!