Updating the Look of Antiques and Vintage Pieces with a Fresh, New Style
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Few things are more creatively satisfying than having antiques and vintage pieces to mix into your current day decor. Circa 1950 glass cocktail table with a gilt “wheat sheath base? Curtis Jere’ raindrop mirror? Yes! Today we’re talking about updating the look of antiques and vintage pieces with a fresh, new style.
The fun in this type of project lies in finding the right fabrics and furnishings to create a ‘mix of old and new’. The perfect sofa, chairs and coordinating fabrics pull the eras together into a visually pleasing way. This approach to decorating may be more challenging than purchasing all your furniture at once, but the outcome is a home that looks uniquely personal and creates an amazing, meaningful living space.
Benefits of Using Vintage and Antique Pieces
By blending eras, your design schemes will evolve much better and stay in style longer. You won’t be replacing everything at once, in fact you probably won’t be replacing much at all except changing out the fabrics every fifteen years.
Decorating with vintage and antiques looks better. The appearance is less cookie cutter. The whole environment is more original.
Updating Vintage and Antique Pieces with Color
When blending vintage and antiques with new fabrics and upholstered or slip covered seating, think first about the coloration of the wood.
Light, ashen wood tones look stunning with black, red, cobalt and taupe fabrics. The yellow tones inherent in pine work well with Kelly green and dark, bluish red. Cherry wood stains work well within many color schemes.
What about white interiors? They’re best with painted furniture.
Placing Antiques and Vintage Pieces
Placement of your antiques and vintage pieces is key. You want to use them with more modern items such as new sofas, chairs and lamps.
Unless space is confined, place your favorite antiques and vintage furnishings to be seen first as you enter the room. I do this in the living room and entry areas especially. Wherever there is something particularly beautiful, I emphasize or call attention to it in some way.
Antiques and Vintage Pieces Have Meaning
Antiques and artwork have provided a solid design direction in some of the grandest homes in the country.
Yes, they add history but for me, mixing old and new elements is not only beautiful but meaningful too. I especially love the sentimental aspect of using and reusing things that are special to my clients.
For my own home I love using pieces we had when my son was young and still living at home.
Tips and Tricks of Using Vintage and Antique Furnishings in Your Home
When furnishing a home with antiques, try working in some current fabrics and accessories to bring them up to date. Mixing antiques and vintage furniture with modern day pieces is easier if you find a common denominator such as color and fabric styles.
To collect artwork, research, evaluate and buy pieces that attract your eye. Choose each individual work in a way that forms meaningful groupings, also called collecting.
The term antique as applied to furniture is defined as being at least 100 years old, while vintage is defined as at least twenty years old.
Don’t be quick to discard your old wood pieces, antique, retro or vintage. Try using them as the catalyst for your next design
project.
project.
Get Started with a Free Download
To get started on a home where you feel healthy, happy and connected grab my complimentary design and wellness download, The Wellness Home, 5 Steps to a Beautiful, Restful Home for Women Who Value their Health and Wellness!
It’s the prettiest little book. It’s a quick read with super easy design solutions that help you lead a beautiful, healthier lifestyle at home, plus my 3-to-5 Things Framework that gives you step by step actions to get started and stay on track.
That’s it for today. Thank you for stopping by!
Shiree’
And if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, check out my blog post, “Hiring an Interior Designer”.
July 9, 2020
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