Antiques add story, character and create a sense of history in a home. Combining antiques from different periods and from countries makes for an interesting mix. It’s fun to give an antique new life with a fun fabric or repurpose it as something else. A house filled with only antiques can make a room feel dowdy and museum like. Here are my five tips for decorating with antiques so your house doesn’t look “granny”.
Repurpose Antiques
In one of my guest bedrooms, the beams were repurposed from old telephone poles. The tole trays are repurposed as art. The headboards are some sort of architectural detail from a building in India. I almost forgot the lamp was once a baluster.
In our bedroom we used old shutters to create a cabinet for the tv that houses books etc.
MIX ANTIQUES AND MODERN
In my bedroom the fireplace mantle holds a vintage painting of a child, made to look old candlesticks and brand new Studio McGee for Target vase and stone link.
In our family room we have mixed new upholstered furniture with a vintage round table, and a new coffee table. The junk shop round table is topped a lamp made from a repurposed wicker covered bottle.
BLEND ANTIQUES FROM DIFFERENT ERAS
This corner cupboard is American from the early 1800’s. The wicker chairs are vintage. Mixing it up creates interest. The floor lamp is Mexican and the coffee table is contemporary.
In our TV room vintage shutters hide the TV, a vintage pot holds old roses, on a twig table that was newly made (25 years ago by a local artisan) and a fairly recent purchase of vintage chinoiserie chairs. I know this is an unlikely mix but to me it works.
CHOOSE PIECES YOU LOVE
Sadly we don’t need a thing (especially now that we are downsizing), but if we find a great accessory we snap them up! This vintage travelling trunk is a newish addition to our entry. I searched for one for years and finally came across this one. I love everything about this vignette. I have a live plant that is still alive (hip hip hooray). An antique bowl is filled with a collection of moss balls and some naturally shed antlers and horn. The mirror is not old or vintage. You can find similar traveling trunks on Ebay here
We recently purchased the french brides box pictured here on my modern coffee table at Roundtop before Covid. We told ourselves we were not buying any more boxes (a bit of an obsession) before we left. We came home with three!
CONSIDER FORM AND FUNCTION
Antiques are often not very utilitarian. Many of the chests etc. just have a couple drawers and the top was meant to store blankets (hence the name blanket chest). It’s hard to find large dining or harvest tables. Many are too small or too big. Steve built our dining table over 30 years ago. The base is an old quilting frame and the top constructed by him. The chairs are fairly new (maybe 10 years ago). We had windsor chairs in here for years and finally had these built by our upholsterer, as they are much more comfortable.
On the table an antique tray purchased in New England over 25 years ago. We talk about how accessories make an outfit. Collecting interesting accessories make a home. If you buy/collect what you love, you will always find a place for it.
I had a cushion and pillows made for this antique bench in our family room to make it more comfortable and inviting.
Thanks for reading my five tips for decorating with antiques. You might also enjoy Ten Tips for Achieving Timeless Interiors ,Over 55 Decor, and Rethinking Your Space for the Way you live now. Most items in my home are one of a kind but you can check out my Shop My Home Page for items that are available.
For more information on decorating with Antiques you might enjoy the articles below.
Elle Decor How to Style Antiques and Vintage finds.
Cottages and Bungalows Magazine Designers Guide to Decorating with Antiques.
Have a Great day!
Cindy,
I love your style and this post. It is inspiring to see how you have been able to make the items you have collected over the years continue to work in your home. I agree that it creates the unique personality of the home. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Norine
Thank you so much for commenting. I am so glad you enjoyed the post!
You do such an awesome job with your antiques. So fun!
Thanks Pal!
I have an antique or two, along with transitional decor, in most rooms. I think they add some interest and depth. I love that you have repurposed many finds. I have a delicate, scrolled wicker chair that I found in someone’s garbage and brought it home, fixed it up,, painted it white, added a round piece of glass on the seat and mounted it on the wall beside a guest bed as a night table. It’s practical and whimsical.
I love that Joanna! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Doesn’t it make you feel so good when you can save something from the landfill and enjoy it!!
Beautiful home! Every room is so interesting you want to linger and take it all in.
And I love the fact that it is warm and inviting not the typical show home where it’s lovely to look at but not to live.
Great taste!
Hi Cynthia
Thank you so much, Our house is certainly lived in between the animals and the people who are just as messy and dirty!!
I’ve always been good with styling clothes for myself, but decorating my home, not so much. I am learning a great deal from you. Thank you!
Hi Julie
Thank you so much. We all have our strengths and weeknesses don’t we? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do it all?
I love every pic and have saved a bunch to Pinterest. Years ago a decorator friend told me that every room needs something old. I found this especially true when we built and moved into a new home 6 years ago. Even though I tried to style the woodwork in my new home to look like 1920s era, it’s still NEW! I can’t believe how much warmth I get when I place an antique chest, bowl, basket, whatever in a room. It just warms the place and for me it says “home”. Thanks for your inspiration!
Hi Linda
I completely agree with your friend, I cannot imagine a room with everything new. An antique or vintage piece just takes the edge off of an otherwise newly furnished space.
I have noticed you frequently use small olive trees in pots in your photos. Are they real or artificial? If they are real can you keep olive trees as houseplants?
Hi Theresa
I had a couple of faux ones but they really got crummy looking. I have had success with the olives as long as they get a lot of sun. I have two in my kitchen window right now and they are thriving. If you use them in a room that has less light you need to move them around. I am a pretty decent outdoor gardener but my gardening skills lack indoors. I am going to work on that when we move to a smaller place.
How old must a piece be to be defined as “antique” these days? I always thought it meant 100+ years but I think that number is lower now. Could you enlighten, please? I think the high-low principle of dressing is almost apt to mixing in old treasures with new in one’s home furnishings.
I have multiple pieces in my home that are antiques and that I treasure because of sentimentality as well as usefulness. Two big arm chairs from my childhood home have been recovered several times and look great since the bones of the furniture built then was better. I have a little desk and chair of wicker from a porch (I’ve been told) of the home in Pasadena where my dad lived as a boy. I’m guessing they are close to 100 years and are still in good condition.
I love having these timeless pieces around me. Since I’m a bit of an antique myself, I think some of the things I mentioned also must qualify!
100 years old is considered an ANTIQUE in AMERICA.IN Europe that would be considered a piece of old stuff………….
The trend about 25 years ago was making Vintage pieces out to be ANTIQUES!The Vintage / Antique world is like the HIGH/ LOW LOOK of today.
Thanks for your thoughts, Contessa! I have seen you from Cindy’s blog and trust that you know what you’re talking about. I remember reading that you once had your own antique store in Lafayette.
Hi Wren
Elizabeth is right an antique is supposed to be at least 100 years old to be considered antique but it has been used rather loosely over the years. Something vintage theoretically is supposed to be at least 20+ years. My husband is more of a purest than me. For many years all we had were antiques. He has warmed up over the years to us having some new mixed with the old. Give me something old anyday though and I prefer it!!
Thanks, Cindy~
I love every room in your house as well as the gardens and your clothing styles. Your taste is impeccable and I could move right in (except that someone else is going to). We are all waiting to see what you do in the next phase of your life. It’s really nice that your husband enjoys collecting too. Lucky you~
Beautiful! Your home is decorated with a timeless touch! I am more contemporary but got some antiques from my mother-in-law. They look great. Now I’m eclectic!! This is the house you sold, right? Are you staying in the area?
Hi Carol
We are still in our house it does not close until May 15. We will be staying in the area for awhile. Since we are suddenly homeless we are moving into one of our rental properties until we figure out what to do. Stay tuned for a fixer upper here on the blog. The house has great bones. Demo began today!
How can you leave this beautiful home?! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Teri
It will be very tough. We really hadn’t planned to sell for a couple of years but our friend and realtor said we should jump on it while prices were good. If we sold one we thought we would move in to the other. Low and behold, they sold within days of each other. We know it is time for another young family to enjoy.
Hey Cindy,
I love your house and garden. I nominate you for “Collected Style”. Love your mix of antiques with comfy upholstered pieces. My husband and I both love your fireplaces!
I was just wondering, since you are downsizing, what you will do with all your extra furnishings? How do you know what to keep, with such a gorgeous collection?
Hi Robin
Thank you so much! Good question about downsizing. First of all, we sold our lake house completely furnished and the buyers of this house are interested in some of the furnishings as well. We will probably sell most of the upholstered furniture and some things that are not near and dear to us. Our kids both like antiques and have a mix of new and old in their homes. We will save anything they want. This little house will be a good experiment for us. It is a bit smaller than where we plan to land! I am glad you like our fireplaces. I am thankful that we stuck with more of a traditional style. Most rooms have been painted a couple of times, the kitchen, laundry and office a refresh but that’s about it. The bathrooms need updating but that will be for the new owners.
Seeing these lovely pictures reminds me of a quote from Alexandra Stoddard “ you should love everything in your home.” I have on occasion walked through with that quote in mind and found there were somethings I didn’t really love anymore.
Thanks for you wonderful post
Cindy
Hi Cindy
Me too!! It is funny once you know you can’t take everything you realize you don’t want it all anyway. My husband the hoarder is even ready!!
I love your use of natural area rugs and not orientals. I just moved my rug to bedroom for a more RL look. Then bought my first jute rug for living room and WOW young and fun!
Hi Eileen
I love them, they are natural, biodegradeable and reasonable so if your dog or cat barfs on them too many times out they go!! I had nice rugs at one time and decided they weren’t for our family!
Your home is so very personal and inviting. It will be fun to see how your things will look in your new home! I like the eclectic mix and never match approach. And, of course, all of the attention to texture. It will be fun to see how your things will look in your new home! Our most unusual antique is a secretary we inherited from my husband’s mother’s uncle. He went to France after WWI and ended up buying three panels from the badly damaged Reims cathedral. Very gothic paintings! He found a cabinet maker in Iowa (he was in Topeka!) to build it. The uncle, we sadly think, was a cross between Madoff and Jay Gatsby, but we have the secretary and the story. It’s in its own “little room” library along with a curio cabinet of my husband’s grandmother who ruined the top with her ivy collection. Don’t tell her, but I gold-leafed that puppy! It turned out to be a room in tribute to the grandmothers. One was a rather flamboyant poet. The other raised…then cooked chickens and rabbits. And that’s the fun side of antiques!
ps I did notice there were no pictures of the wine cellar. You’re running out of time!
Oh my gosh I love those stories Patricia! I totally thought of you when I was posting those pictures. I may have to just send them to you! It is a bit dated. Steve is going to have to go back to using the big wall cooler that was passed on to us, and then our son. He and his wife in their spare time while being unemployed built a cellar in their basement. He is going to loan his dad some space until he fills it up! He will only be a few blocks away from our fixer upper!! Stay tuned for that. The house has potential!
Hi Cindy,
I love your collected look and all your lovely antiques. There’s so much warmth and character in each of your rooms.
I don’t think I have any true antiques, but I do have some “old stuff”: pieces that I love, pieces from my parents’ home, pieces found in weird little shops. That and all the books and collections make this house interesting to me! It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, definitely doesn’t fit a mold, but I love it!
Your post gives me things to think about, I’m refreshing and reworking things around here!
Xo Heidi
Heidi
Your house is darling! Who cares if a piece has “provenance”. Your house tells your story just as your art does. That’s what I love to see. When I saw your home via Kim I thought that is Heidi! Isn’t it sad when someone does their home for someone else? They are never happy then because it doesn’t reflect them.
Thank you so much Heidi. I can’t agree with you more.
Cindy,
I look forward to your home decor and fashion posts! I need to replace a large L-shaped sectional in our AZ vacation home. I absolutely love your sofa and loveseat in the family room. Classy meets comfort! Will you share the maker and model with me?Best wishes as your transition to your new digs!
Jane Pekar
Hi Jane
Unfortunately our sofas were custom made by my upholsterer.Serena and Lily does have the miramar sofa which is very similar. Any upholsterer could add nailheads. Here is the link https://rstyle.me/+8AcU2E_GcC2cv4qXtCiPkA. Thank you for the good wishes it will be a challenge!
Cindy, I love your home! Some many interesting pieces and stories. I think I missed something because I read in a comment above you purchased a “fixer upper” I cannot wait to see it and follow along.
Our house is a mixture of our collections, finds and new things as well. We have vintage fishing creels, a 500 year old Chinese wedding cabinet, a hand carved German cabinet, as well as pieces from Africa, and our travels in Europe. It is eclectic but it works and we love it.
I always learn from you, Cindy. Your mantle is amazing. All elements of antique and rustic persuasion, arranged to whisper a contemporary vibe.
I love the antiques when mixed with newer items. I love the antiques we’ve purchased along the way. Great tips, thank you.
xo,
Karen
Great post full of useful tidbits on styling with antiques! You make everything look fresh and organic! I love items that lend soul to a home!!
Cara Cindy condivido esattamente il tuo pensiero, la nostra casa deve rispecchiare ciò che piace a noi perché né facciamo parte ogni giorno, È bellissimo essere circondati da oggetti che hanno un vissuto, una storia. La mia piccola attuale casa in città è decisamente un misto di antico, arte povera, ecc ma il tutto si collega con gusto. La vita cambia, gli anni passano credo ti troverai bene comunque in una piccola casa he adatterai alle tue esigenze di adesso. Poi avrai più tempo per la tua splendida nipotina Summer.