Decorating with vintage and antique pieces is one of my favorite ways to make a room unique and add character. I have a soft spot for things that have endured longer than themselves, and a well-crafted dresser or dining table will far outlive the fast-paced trends of today and tomorrow. There has also been a revival to incorporate elements from the past in design with many home and design stores offering sourcing for vintage items. I think we all have an innate need for a connection to the past, to believe in a story, and create a sense of history in the spaces we inhabit. Think about how we display family pictures and meaningful books throughout our homes. While some of us are are lucky enough to have been gifted cherished pieces from generations past, others of us are searching through markets, stores and estate sales to find that perfect piece.
Incorporating antiques and vintage furnishings is simple, we are just blending the old world with a sense of the new. Strive for comfortable living spaces of character and beauty, no need to create a museum. The only rules to finding the perfect piece for your space are to simply follow your gut and keep an open mind on how a piece can be used. If you love it, you will always find a place for it.
Shopping for Vintage and Antique Pieces
When shopping for antique and vintage pieces, I look for interesting profiles — pieces that are well made and classic examples of the era, or a piece that is overlooked because it has such bad fabric and needs a bit of vision and love to bring it back to life. It’s a mistake to include pieces that are not compelling in some way, and to assume that for an item to be compelling it must be costly.
In our home, I have had a lot of luck on Facebook Marketplace hunting down vintage pieces. I keep my eye out for classic styles, solid craftsmanship and keep my imagination open. Sometimes a piece requires a bit of a revamp. I personally enjoy the process of refinishing and reupholstering furniture–but this is not for everyone and can be costly! I will say that the vintage and antique pieces I have are ones I plan to keep for a long time. They are unique, have timeless character and add so much to the spaces they occupy.
For example, the velvet teal chair is one my Grandma and I found and recovered. It is a bold statement piece amongst my relatively neutral home but it works! The lines are classic and it adds a pop of color to the room that I tie together with artwork and pillows.
In our dining room, our table is a vintage Facebook Marketplace find from the 1950s. The mid-century modern lines were given a fresh look when I refinished it by removing the old stain and cushions.
Vintage and Antique Finds I’m Loving
