Tag

antique furniture

Some of the most popular interior design trends today revolve around a clever use of all things vintage and antique. What’s more, the newfound love for mixing and matching the old with the new allows for a lot more freedom in home décor as well as a unique and personal touch. In general, well matched antique bits and pieces can add dimension, texture and warmth to your home environment.

Image source: modern-homedesign.com

Looking for antiques

You may get scared at the mention of the word “antique” and assume that just one piece can cost you an arm and a leg. Of course, that can be true – if you look for your furniture and décor at antique galleries and shops that deal with centuries old, extravagant pieces. However, antique nowadays refers to anything that simply doesn’t look modern and is reminiscent of the past decades. So, if you don’t want a Queen Anne’s cabinet for your bedroom, you can definitely find some great deals and vintage pieces at flea markets, thrift shops and even garage sales. This, however, means that the best finds will await you only if you take the trouble to patiently browse and look through all the offers that come your way.

Image source: edeprem.com

Matching the furniture

When it comes to vintage/antique furniture pieces, as mentioned, the hottest trend nowadays is to match them with the modern ones. For example, vintage chairs can look absolutely stunning when matched with a modern dining table or a coffee table. The same effect can be achieved with antique tables and modern sofas and chairs. This balance is necessary if you don’t want to overstep the line and end up with a kitsch and gaudy look that doesn’t feel pleasant. Moreover, matching the old and the new in your bedroom can be effectively achieved if you stick to the color pattern. In case you have an antique desk or a wardrobe, make sure that the nightstands and bed have the same shade of wood. If only one furniture piece in your entire room is antique, introduce vintage-inspired wall décor, such as large paintings, to add some harmony to the whole look.

When it comes to vintage/antique furniture pieces, as mentioned, the hottest trend nowadays is to match them with the modern ones. For example, vintage chairs can look absolutely stunning when matched with a modern dining table or a coffee table. The same effect can be achieved with antique tables and modern sofas and chairs. This balance is necessary if you don’t want to overstep the line and end up with a kitsch and gaudy look that doesn’t feel pleasant. Moreover, matching the old and the new in your bedroom can be effectively achieved if you stick to the color pattern. In case you have an antique desk or a wardrobe, make sure that the nightstands and bed have the same shade of wood. If only one furniture piece in your entire room is antique, introduce vintage-inspired wall décor, such as large paintings, to add some harmony to the whole look.

Introduce little details

Mixing and matching your furniture and other larger objects is a tad easier compared to the smaller decorative bits and pieces. In general, you have a better grasp of what furniture layout fits your taste and achieves a good balance. On the other hand, it’s fairly simple to get overwhelmed with antique decorative details. You should be very careful not to overstuff your personal environment with these because you will only create clutter, and there are no benefits to living in a cluttered space. What’s more, too much antique clutter can again look really distasteful when paired with the rest of your furniture. In that respect, use these decorative details as statement pieces. A vintage tea set, intricate statue or some other figurine, a music box, a vintage mirror, etc., can all look absolutely stunning if they are the main display piece in your room. Of course, other sleeker and more modern details can match these nicely if you keep your decorating task minimal.

Image source: tileideaz.com

What about kitchens and bathrooms?

For some people, it’s relatively easy to work with this interesting interior style when it comes to their living room and bedroom. However, kitchen and bathroom can prove to be a bit of a challenge. Don’t feel pressured into piling up antique décor in these two rooms. Your kitchen can look amazing with all of your modern elements if you just add a set of antique pictures or even a tapestry. Furthermore, you can always use decorative plates and pots for pops of antique décor, as well as create your own backsplash with vintage-inspired vinyl wallpaper. Similarly, dark timber in your bathroom can make a huge difference. Free standing tubs can look great, but if you don’t want to invest in renovation, feel free to mix the wooden elements with antique gold details. Thanks to the waterproof metallic spray paints, you can transform any surface you want.

There are plenty of other interesting details that you can add to your mix of modern and antique home interior. Rugs, cushions, curtains, antique-looking frames, and lighting shades are just some of them. Still, as mentioned before, you have to make sure that the antique bits and pieces don’t overshadow the modern ones and vice versa. Always strive for balance and harmony as you keep the desired impact in mind.

Although vintage is getting more and more popular by the hour, some people are not that fond of introducing it in their homes. Their main argumentation is that they don’t want for their home to look like it is trapped in time. This doesn’t mean that they dislike the antique look in general. From time to time, you are bound to encounter an antique piece of furniture. At that moment, you will think it’s just perfect and when this happens you will need to know how to combine it with the rest of your home. Because of that, here are some tips and tricks on how to decorate with antiques.

Identifying Antiques

First thing you will need to know is a true antique. As we already mentioned, vintage as a style is extremely popular which means that antique looking furniture is everywhere. However, you are not interested in antique-looking but antique.

Decorating with antiques

Image credits

What you need here is usually a closer inspection and the texture of the wood cannot lie. First of all, the traces of aging should be all over the surface (even if they are covered up). Furthermore, these replicas are usually not handmade. On a true antique, you will be able to recognize a work of a true carpenter by the asymmetrical carving marks. Finally, the quality and diversity of wood you can find in true antiques will always be greater than that of even the best replica.

Epoch Is Not the Only Theme

One of the most important rules that you need to remember is that when it comes to decorating with antiques age is not the only theme out there. Even if you don’t sort your furniture pieces by the epoch they belong, this doesn’t mean that they must look out of place. You can also group these items by the same color, lookalike ornaments or some other physical similarity. A white vintage lamp is always going to look good, next to your contemporary blue sofa. Even though they are made almost half century apart.

Old and New Combo

A modern living room with vintage elements

Image credits

Next thing you can do is try and find a way not only for your old and new items to live together but to achieve a symbiosis. For example, there is no reason whatsoever why your brand new LCD TV wouldn’t look good on your antique stand.  The same is pretty much applicable to any other piece of technology as well. In fact, you can take this even one step further and get your home a decorative piece of vintage technology . This way, by pairing them up with the tech you currently use, you can reach a strong yet unique visual impression.

Room by Room

Although some people are in love with vintage, they simply hate the idea of their home looking like a museum. There is really no need for you to transform your entire house. You can make this transformation happen in a single room. The choice here is great since there are some great inspirations for both vintage kitchens and. This way, you can still enjoy all the benefits of having a contemporary home. Of course, with the addition of installing antique nightstand, vanity and shower-head in your bathroom. Some would call this getting the best of both worlds.

A vintage living room full of antique furniture pieces
Image credits

As you can see, decorating with antiques is not that difficult and it gives you a plethora of options you can decide to go with. Furthermore, seeing how there are no strict rules here but only guidelines (after all, it is interior design we are talking about) you will have a no small amount of customization in front of you. Because of all this, decorating with antiques can be both aesthetically rewarding and fun at the same time.

Feature image source: Newknowledgebase.com

Much as we want to keep up with the changing times, it is undeniable that antique furniture still dominates with regard to quality and durability. As the furniture market continues to expand, a lot of counterfeit and substandard fittings have continued to emerge, most of which are only designed to generate profits. Purchasing such furnishings for your home or office is highly detrimental as they will break within a very short period and force you to spend more money on repair and replacements. It is for this reason that many people have now gone back to the traditional English furniture.

Antique furniture for your house

Perhaps you too should consider purchasing this antique furniture for your house. There are countless benefits of using conventional fittings as opposed to the modern ones. For starters, conventional furnishings are created with high-quality materials that have been tested and tried. Therefore, you are assured of quality, which is the most important thing to look for when buying furniture. Most of these fittings are made from hard wood, freshly cut from indigenous trees. This type of wood is hard enough to resist breakage and other kind of damages such as pests. Your traditional furniture will still retain its original value over a long period of time.

There is something unique about the traditional English interior designs. They make a house look expensive and elegant. Top it up with a set of antique furniture and you will have a jaw dropping interior style that will help you make the right statement. Antique fittings are designed in unique styles that represent quality, strength, and resistance. So, if you are looking for unique ideas to give your house a facelift, these furnishings are a nice option. They not only improve your home’s appearance, but also add value to it.

Modern furniture is created using unreliable technologies that are sometimes less effective. Antique furniture on the other hand uses traditional methods coupled with contemporary technologies to bring out the best results. It is joyous to own vintage fittings as the amount of hard work that goes into designing them is clearly visible in every angle. Apart from being manufactured from quality wood such as mahogany, these traditional furnishings also be appreciated by the sight of unique craftsmanship and their almost tactile appearance. These furnishings are also popular because of their practicality and historical significance. A good example of antique bedroom furniture is the one that existed in Regency, Edwardian, and Georgian periods.