Sit a Spell

Worried about the weather taking its toll on your outdoor antiques and textiles? Protect wood from the elements with several coats of lacquer, and shield pillows and rugs from the damp with a tent waterproofing spray. Janelle reports that lacquer conserves the finishes of wood furnishings well, and her 8-foot-long church pew—a $70 bargain—is left outside year-round, even in the northern Ohio snow.

Everyday items get repurposed in imaginative displays on Janelle’s festive front porch, which features a weathered washtub, a vintage door and recycled sections of faded fencing. “I don’t like anything that looks new,” she says with a laugh.