Vintage Herbarium Wall Art Ideas for a Master Bathroom Makeover
IF YOU’RE TIRED OF THE SAME OLD BATHROOM DECOR, HANGING VINTAGE HERBARIUMS AS WALL ART IS AN EASY WAY TO ADD CHARACTER, CHARM, AND A LITTLE BIT OF NATURE TO YOUR SPACE.
Though our master bathroom renovation came out beautifully, the empty walls made it feel like something was missing.
I thought for quite a while about what I wanted over the bathtub area, since that’s really the focal point in this room. This wall sat empty for well over six months.
In this house, I won’t just buy something to fill space; it has to feel right.
After several months, I remembered how much I love vintage herbarium wall art and realized hanging a set of those would be ideal here. Both in scale and style.
What Is Vintage Herbarium Wall Art
If you’re not familiar with herbariums, they are pressed botanical specimens, often labeled. They most often are from other countries like Sweden or Switzerland and the antique ones (early 1900s) are amazing.
Back in the early 1900s, herbariums weren’t made for wall art; they were created to study and preserve plants. Pressing flowers and leaves allowed people to keep a record of what was growing around them, and it became a common part of education, especially in botany classes.
Once dried and mounted, a plant could be labeled, compared, and referenced for years.
In the late 1800s into the early 1900s, creating a herbarium was also considered part of a well-rounded education, especially for women. Botany was one of the “acceptable” sciences to study, so young women were often taught to collect and press plants as part of their schooling.
These collections could be quite beautiful, with careful handwriting and thoughtful arrangement, which is part of why they feel so special today.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, herbariums were especially popular in Europe
The problem (for me) now is that these aren’t easily found, which is why this wall took me so long to complete.
Why Vintage Herbarium Wall Art Works So Well
Botanicals are always great for a soft, organic feel in almost any setting. They’re neutral and go with almost all styles of decor. However, antique herbariums are even more elevated with their texture and history.
And each one is totally unique!
framing herbariums
The one thing to keep in mind with these is that they are an unusual size, as with most vintage and antique art, so that impacts framing.
Fortunately, I did find frames (for under $5!) at Hobby Lobby that fit these perfectly. The size of these is 11 X 17, slightly bigger than the herbaiums.
What’s also great about this frame in particular is that inside the frame is black, so you can place the herbarium and it has a black outline, no need to worry about matting. The only downside is that I can only find these in black. That’s fine for this room, but in other rooms I’d like to have a wooden or antique brass frame.
What I did to hold mine in place was use a tiny piece of tacking putty on the upper back two corners of the herbarium. Instant tacky will hold it, but it’s not permanent. This way, if they’re ever taken out of these frames, the pages themselves won’t be ruined.
Where to Find Antique Herbariums
I had found my first one a few years ago at an antique store. That one is hanging in my living room as part of a gallery wall.
Then I found one for my bath from a friend who sells antiques. After I had the first one secured, I started checking Etsy and other online sites, but at the time, nothing was available for months.
Finally, a few more popped up from a seller in the UK. This seller had several listed, so I bought 4 (even though I only needed two more) since I was going to pay shipping and tariffs anyway.
After I received those, I also found someone selling a whole set of these from Finland that were truly amazing. It wasn’t cheap, but I was interested in having more of these to use throughout the house. Now, I have dozens of these, many of which I haven’t even sorted through yet.
After I select a few more to use in our smaller bathroom, I will begin listing some more in my Etsy shop (there are a few available now), and will also have some for sale in my local antique booth.
How I Styled My Herbarium Wall
To display my herbariums, my plan was to either have a set of 3 over the bathtub or do a grid of 6. Because of their height, six would’ve been too tall, so I stuck with three. I placed them side by side right on the wainscotting, almost like a little art gallery.
As it turned out, the first one I bought had just a hint of purple in the flowers, and two of the next four did also. That was a happy coincidence.
The one on the right features pansies. I especially loved this one because pansies were my grandmother’s favorite flower, so that one has extra meaning.
They really fit perfectly with the overall style in my bathroom. I’m so glad I didn’t settle for something else just to fill space.
Our new house feels very country/cottage vintage style, so hanging anything too modern on the walls would look off (see my antique plate wall for example). Everything here that isn’t a fixture is old. And even with the newer items, such as the light over the tub, they have an antiqued feel.
Tips for Hanging Vintage Herbarium Wall Art
These herbariums are great alone, in a gallery wall, or grouped together for a display. I did a side-by-side display, but I also imagine a grid grouping for a vintage botanical gallery wall. I imagine this in groups of 6, 9, or 12- that would be a real show stopper.
The inexpensive frames I used have a hanging hook on the back, which makes these super simple to hang. I used a hook in addition to setting them on the molding for extra security.
Real vs. Reproduction: What Should You Choose?
These herbariums can really range in price, but rarely are they on the very low end. Of course, you can get the look of botanicals for less (or free in our printable library for subscribers), but once you have the real thing, it’s hard to compare it to anything else.
The antique herbariums also add a level of character that can only be achieved with vintage items. However, if your home leans more modern, you can get away with more inexpensive versions. You can readily find printable botanicals on Etsy for very affordably.
One more idea is to look for books with drawings of botanicals and use the pages for framing. (I have some of those in my local antique space as well).
Final Thoughts: The Easiest Way to Add Character to a Bathroom
I love this new view (beats staring at that blank wall)!
I’d like to use more of these in our smaller bathroom next. But for that room, I don’t love the black frames. I’m currently looking for frames in that same size but with a wood or brass finish. Those have been challenging to find at a reasonable price, but once I do, I’ll keep you posted on where.
These were the perfect choice for my walls because they bring my love of antiques, gardening, and home decor all together in one beautiful element.
MORE WALL DECORATING IDEAS YOU MAY LIKE:
