I wish to protect and love things more

Everything is different

Renata and her husband started creating their homes in the housing house in I among the Ilgis Lake five years ago. At first it was only the foundation. Because the plot in the regional park, construction was accompanied by many specific requirements and various restrictions.

When the roof of the chips was covered, the windows were placed, the hosts tried to do the other work themselves – internal and exterior trim, terrace, stairs.

« A well -known contractor behind the head was grabbing – we did everything differently than, according to him, normal people, » laughs the interviewer, calling her home styles, because it is rich in authentic, new life.

The door handles are ancient klemka from the barns, and the door of the house is from old boards of different thicknesses with joints from the barn hinges.

From grandmother’s treasures

Asked to have a remote tour of her home, Renata starts with an outdoor porch where the old wooden shell is a great place to put on landing shoes and tools when you come from the garden.

The original window curtains fall in the eye. They are different in each room, but all decorated with beauties from Renata’s grandmother’s chests. The grandmother weaved beautifully and dived in a crown. « Aunt retained her legacy and gave me because my mother was not interesting to those ancient handicrafts, » says Renata.

Some curtains are decorated with grandmothers crocheted napkins, others in grandmother crocheted cushion pillows called staples. The linings themselves did not take time, and the lace Renata managed to save the lace. Another curtains are made of grandmother’s towels (Abrods), woven from grandfather -grown flax. He has been in the ark for over 30 years. The same amount of time was used for its intended purpose before finally becoming stylish window curtains.

« A little bit of admin, starch, still batist – here’s a new original curtain for you, » smiles R. Jeliseyeva.

Thought: From an old grandmother’s blanket – the original back of the antique sofa. / Photo by R. Jeliseyeva Personal Archive

Gives a second life

The goldsmith calls not to hurry to give it a scrap of metal and old household utensils. A little effort, soap, a few rust binder – and an old aluminum bowl can turn into a great sink in the boiler room.

« Initially, I tried to turn a wooden shell in the sink, but it turned out to be impractical. After all, we are not doing it just to be redesigned, but to make the newly reborn items comfortable to use, » explains the interviewer.

When asked what determines such metamorphoses – the need for a particular object or inspiration to give the old thing a new life, Renata replies that both.

When you need something specific, you first travel to Užupis village near Alytus, to the eternal grandfather’s home, where Renata’s dad is now hosted. There are many good things in his nursery since his grandfather. If nothing right is found, you will look at the flea, trunk market.

« I just buy what I know, where I will use. My latest purchase is an ancient wooden bucket. As soon as I saw it, I already knew where I would build, what flowers I would plant, » laughs a woman who recently performed another experiment.

The antique sofa had a beautiful cover for the back of the sofa. It became … grandmother’s woven blanket. Of course, it was a much bitter but argued and arranged acquired a new purpose.

Variations: How many windows in Jelleeev’s home are both a variety of curtains. All of them are decorated with Renata’s grandmother’s handicrafts. / Photo by R. Jeliseyeva Personal Archive

The hobby infected with the man

Renata claims that her dad cannot calmly pass the old but valuable thing. Once upon a mushroom, he found a pile of debris in Dzūkija forests and four oak doors. The heart prevented them from leaving them there. So he returned home, sat in a car with a trailer and brought them all.

« Said: if no one would need – it would be in the oven. But I needed it. From the first door I made a decorative wall with hooks to hang kitchen tools. It took more than a year to concentrate on an important project.

Renata and her husband have no special knowledge of how to renew old things. As you succeed, it does. They do not engage in more serious restoration of things. The furniture purchased from fleets usually leaves the way they have found: after all, all beauty is their authenticity, they say.

While the husband was still working, she was not very interested in her hobby, but when he retired, he was happy to help his wife. « This is what I infect it, » laughs. « We both think now to turn the old refrigerator frame into a hood. »

In museums we see a lot of old things that are still beautiful, functional and not subordinate. Now people just buy and throw. We lost our sense of beauty and beauty.

Admiration for authenticity

According to the profession, Renata is a clothing designer. Twice a week, she goes to the capital with her clients. Although this craft is unrelated to the renovation of old things, Renata is interested in everything beautiful, original, authentic.

Always, when traveling somewhere – Lithuania or abroad, pays attention to the carving, prison and folk art of the masters of that country. Very fond of stained glass windows.

Is the origin of the thing and its history important to her? According to Renata, it would be really interesting to see who owned and where the item was used, but most of the facts do not know.

« I found one hand -carved ornament in the Norwegian market. I don’t know what it was used, but I made a cornice for curtains, » he explains.

The interlocutor is disappointing how many good things people simply throw or change new -fashioned people. Recently, he says, he saw on social networks, as people changed the porch of an old house into plastic and were very happy about it. « After all, such a beautiful carving of old masters was… » – Renata laments.

Idea: a sink from an old aluminum pelvis. / Photo by R. Jeliseyeva Personal Archive

The old fabrics are more durable

Same with grandmother’s ranges. « If old, moth -cut – cut are unfortunate. Why not make the cushions or anything else. If you look like a new one, you would not have a hand to cut, » he says.

People often take photos to social networks with clothes made from grandmother’s woven. According to the designer, such clothes will not be very comfortable. First, the old wool bites, and the weaving itself is hard. Unless the garment is made of linen tangles or thinner sheets. Wearing it would recommend clothes from modern fabrics with traditional Lithuanian patterns.

According to Renata, the present linen is much faster than the one she weaved from her grandmother. In the past, flax was naturally softened, cut, broken, sunblified, and now it is done by chemistry. Therefore, the result is inferior.

Same with wool. The designer invites you to compare today’s yarn with ancient wool. They can be used many times – neither wear nor bud, the thread is even thick, and the sweater knit from the present wool is no longer fell together.

Do you have time to knit? « It’s more of a long winter evening activity, » he admits, adding that he only wears his own clothes. Trying to sew, to set them up for as long as possible.

Relatives support

Things Renata buy at the flea markets are inexpensive. Maybe only furniture and luminaires that come from France are more expensive. The woman calls her home style rustic, but adds that she also likes the French Provence.

How do people of Renata look at such a hobby? Are you losing to prove that old things can be beautiful too? Most importantly, they say that the sons with a marriage agree.

« I have three sons. All of them live in the city, but when I tell you that we want to go out with my husband for a week’s vacation and need to look at home, just a lot of spells, who will have to live in the homestead, » laughs her hostess, whose holdings are decorated with many flowers.

Not just planted at home, but blooming in original pots made of old rusty structures. The man cut them into three pieces and came out of such round raised beds that are very fashionable today. The whole problem is that Dzūkian land is poor: sand and stones alone. However, flowers are suitable.

Does sons not ask for advice on how to create similar beauty in a city? Renata claims that she does not share her advice. « Let the young people learn from their own mistakes. It is human to make mistakes. For me, some ideas fail, » he is not afraid to admit.

Where do they get from? Sometimes you find online: after all, a gauge is omnipotent and people’s wisdom is immeasurable, so why not use it?

Benefactor: Renata not only creates her home, but also gives apartments to crowns that are not lacking in the yard. / Photo by R. Jeliseyeva Personal Archive

Call the house in Rumšiškės

Renata is pleased that her husband is gradually becoming a villager: « At first she said she doesn’t pay, can’t, and now she is boiling, and she is boldly mastered. »

How do guests respond to Renata’s wisdom? The woman laughs that her mother calls their home in Rumšiškės. Perhaps it is really a great idea to turn a home into a museum, or at least open the open days to make others see how new is the old one? – I suggest.

« Oh, no, we and my husband from those people who like privacy, » he excuses, even though the facebook group « Second Chance » is happy to share his ideas. They say they want to show that old things can not only be discarded or recycled, but also change their purpose to a new life. Moreover, he notices that the old things are much more durable, durable.

« In museums we see a lot of old things that are still beautiful, functional and not subordinate. Now people just buy and throw. We have lost a sense of moderation and beauty. So I wish people to protect and love things more. Better to buy one more expensive, but quality. R. Jelisejeva.