There are lots of ways to transform your home using antiques. But before you begin shopping, it helps to know how to seamlessly add the right pieces to your home.
Here are some tips to do just that!
Meeting Your Home’s Needs
Living and dining rooms are perfect places to introduce antiques, as so many pieces are aesthetically pleasing and multi-functional.
A reupholstered antique chair injects style and history into your lounge. A Victorian or Regency chair complements a contrasting modern sofa or can a statement piece in the dining room.
If you have a small home or living room, antique furniture can help keep clutter at bay.
Hidden storage can sometimes be found in antique coffee tables or secretaries, perfect for stowing away paperwork or magazines.
Grandfather clocks also make a great addition to a living or dining room, proving practical while bringing all of yesteryear’s charm.
Antique sideboards or dressers can look rustic in the kitchen and are useful — cutlery can be stored in the sideboard drawers and your best dinnerware set or favorite collectibles can stay in the dresser.
In the bedroom, antique bed frames can evoke vintage charm, and a Victorian iron bed is often higher than a modern frame, leaving more storage space underneath.
Uses in Bathrooms and Gardens
Antiques can be showcased in all rooms of the home, even in spaces you might not expect, such as the bathroom or garden.
If you have a spacious bathroom, use an antique chest of drawers to sit below a mirror, or to play home to your toiletries and trinkets. Alternatively, use it to store towels or bed linens.
If your garden is your haven, antiques can prove versatile outdoors.
An ornate mirror can be attached to a brick wall to create a whimsical effect or you can use a cast-iron drinking fountain as a birdbath.
Choosing Antiques to Decorate
Knowing where to place antiques is one of the most important parts of using them to decorate or accentuate an understated area of the home.
You could accessorize a blank wall or floating shelf with vintage or antique photo frames to capture those special moments.
If you have an antique fireplace or mantel, make use of the shelf by adding antique clocks or sculptures to increase the appeal of a roaring fire.
Contrasting Antiques with Modern Decor
Placing an antique against a contemporary backdrop can give your home the wow factor.
If you’re a fan of antique artwork, a 17th or 18th-century oil painting set against a clashing wallpaper print or color will really stand out.
Alternatively, you could contrast an antique console table in a long hallway with a piece of modern art or minimalist decor. Often antiques speak for themselves, especially when set against contrasting colors or styles.
Lighting Up Dark Spaces
If a particular space in your home needs lighting, or you have a room with little to no natural light, certain antiques can be used to help.
Dramatic or statement antique lighting can prove not only practical but may also command guests’ attention. An antique chandelier, for example, will not only bring a dark room to life but will also become its focal point.Antique wall lighting can help you create the right glow if you have a darkly painted wall or nook that needs brightening.
Victorian or Edwardian brass candle sconces can help complement a log fire when used to light either side of a chimney breast.
Antique mirrors can also bring a dark room or space in the home to life by enhancing any natural light and making a small room seem bigger.
A showstopping Baroque design or gothic fireplace is also a great way to generate warmth and light in your living room; particularly desirable in the colder months.
Reflect Your Style
An attention-grabbing antique may be the finishing touch your home needs.
Antiques should reflect your personality and your interior style, so take your time choosing them.
Do you have tips for using antiques in the home? Share them in the comments!
