Shop Ski Country Antiques & Home's antique furniture on 1stdibs
Shop Ski Country Antiques & Home's antique furniture on 1stdibs

Decorating With Antique Furniture

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Judy Rom

decorating with antique furniture guide ski country

Wondering how to decorate with antique furniture? The secret is utilizing contrast. Matchy-matchy décor can feel boring but embracing different styles will give your home texture and depth. This decor technique is called layering and can be accomplished by mixing the period, shape, color and form of your pieces. Harmoniously arranging antiques with modern items makes a room feel fresh and exciting. Want some ideas for how to incorporate contrast into your home? Here’s our top tips for how to decorate with antiques.

Balance Your Colors and Textures

When you are decorating with antiques, it’s very impactful to balance color, shape, textures and styles. For example, bright colors juxtaposed with pieces from historic periods can add an element of surprise.

Decorate with antiques

Source: Elle Decor

Concentrate your antique accessories

Grouping antique accessories together will create a focal point in the room. Antique vitrines and hutches are great for showing off your favorite collection.

Decorate with Antiques

Source: Country Living

Pair the Old with the New

Create contrast by pairing antique items with modern pieces. A traditional desk like this is a beautiful investment piece. Pair it with a modern chair for a dynamic combination.

decorate with antiques

Image: Stadshem

Similarly, a modern table with antique chairs stands out and creates character. Or go the other way and place modern chairs around a farmhouse table.

decorate wth antiques

Image: decorapatio

When decorating with antique furniture, contrast is intriguing. Unexpected pairings create an exciting dialogue. This concept works with antique artwork and paintings as well. Add one or several paintings above a contemporary sofa. By contrast, the clean and structured sofa will make the artwork pop.

Decorate with antiques

Image: Architectural Digest

Or you could hang a modern piece of art to contrast with your antique furniture piece. This modern painting harmoniously enhances this sophisticated 19th Century Louis XVI style desk.

Decorate with antiques

Image: Harpers Bazaar

Rethink the Original Purpose

Contrast means embracing the unexpected. An antique dresser can also look great outside of the bedroom. Rework it as a TV console or as a focal spot for art in your living room.

Decorate with antiques

Image: Domino

Add Glamor

Glamor never goes out of fashion. French antiques, gilt mirrors, and other timeless pieces can give your home a rich look historically enjoyed by aristocrats. Group a collection of antique mirrors to create a dramatic and gorgeous wall display.

Decorate with antiques

Image: The Spruce

Take Time to Finesse Your Look

Decorating with antiques takes time. Don’t feel rushed to buy everything at once. Rather, wait until you find pieces that you absolutely adore and let your look evolve with time.

Shop the Look

 

Want to learn more? Check out our top 5 tips for how to care for your antique furniture.

Posted in decorating with antique furniture, decorating with antiques, how to decorate with antiques


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