How Charming: Decorating with Antiques
As we move into the new millennium, many of us are turning to the past few millenniums to add interest and charm to our interiors.
Antique and estate items are a great way to give a new or old space some history and character. Whether your decorating scheme is eclectic, Williamsburg, Victorian, or even Art & Crafts or modern, a few select pieces from the past can really add to the overall ambiance of a room. Not all antiques are the feminine, Victorian pieces we often think of. Modern chrome and leather designs from the 1920s would be great in an ultra-modern home. Mission-style furniture works wonderfully with today’s popular contemporary rural look, and vintage posters and advertising can be fun to use in almost any décor. Whatever your style, there’s a period in our past that will echo and mesh with your interior selections.
So many of the furniture lines mass marketed today are preconceived, cookie-cutter styles that can leave clients with a room that lacks any real character, warmth, or uniqueness-especially if they purchase a matching set of dining or living room furniture. They end up with the look of a furnished apartment, indistinguishable from half of their neighbors, who shop at the same store.
Antique accessories and décor can turn this humdrum space into something truly personal and unique. By adding some artwork, lamps, vintage linens, or even some fill-in furniture, you’ll break the monotony of your matching, pre-fab furniture.
Collections are another great way to add some personality to a room and to show off your unique interests. You can start with just a few pieces and then collect similar shapes in all different patterns or a variety of shapes in a similar pattern. Interior designers have used collections successfully for ages to bring life and charm to an otherwise ordinary room. Delft plates, Majolica, and Canton are all popular in our area, and we incorporate them into our clients’ décor, delighting our clients with the results.
Another plus when considering antiques is that they tend to hold their value, while craft store bargains depreciate. They leave a legacy and history for future generations of your family to treasure, and they give us a feeling of being in another time and place. In essence, they invite us into our own homes with their warmth. TPW
Antique and estate items are a great way to give a new or old space some history and character. Whether your decorating scheme is eclectic, Williamsburg, Victorian, or even Art & Crafts or modern, a few select pieces from the past can really add to the overall ambiance of a room. Not all antiques are the feminine, Victorian pieces we often think of. Modern chrome and leather designs from the 1920s would be great in an ultra-modern home. Mission-style furniture works wonderfully with today’s popular contemporary rural look, and vintage posters and advertising can be fun to use in almost any décor. Whatever your style, there’s a period in our past that will echo and mesh with your interior selections.
So many of the furniture lines mass marketed today are preconceived, cookie-cutter styles that can leave clients with a room that lacks any real character, warmth, or uniqueness-especially if they purchase a matching set of dining or living room furniture. They end up with the look of a furnished apartment, indistinguishable from half of their neighbors, who shop at the same store.
Antique accessories and décor can turn this humdrum space into something truly personal and unique. By adding some artwork, lamps, vintage linens, or even some fill-in furniture, you’ll break the monotony of your matching, pre-fab furniture.
Collections are another great way to add some personality to a room and to show off your unique interests. You can start with just a few pieces and then collect similar shapes in all different patterns or a variety of shapes in a similar pattern. Interior designers have used collections successfully for ages to bring life and charm to an otherwise ordinary room. Delft plates, Majolica, and Canton are all popular in our area, and we incorporate them into our clients’ décor, delighting our clients with the results.
Another plus when considering antiques is that they tend to hold their value, while craft store bargains depreciate. They leave a legacy and history for future generations of your family to treasure, and they give us a feeling of being in another time and place. In essence, they invite us into our own homes with their warmth. TPW