Everyone’s seen expensive and beautiful antiques before. Whether it’s incredibly detailed handcrafted tiles for the bathroom, an outstanding chair with gold trimming or an old table made from some of the finest wood, there’s a lot of choices to pick from. However, using antiques isn’t just a case of simply buying something that looks nice and adding it to your home. If you do this too much, then your home is going to look like a bargain basement for furniture instead of a house.
If you really like the look of a certain antique or you’ve inherited a collection that you can’t wait to use, then here are a couple of tips on how to get your home to embrace the antiques rather than reject it and make it stick out like a sore thumb.
Personal Preference Is Important
People say that they can’t use antiques in their home because it’s too modern. That’s nonsense and couldn’t be further from the truth! In reality, antiques fit whatever situation you place them in. Do you have a modern room with bright white walls and laminate flooring? Then why not mix with with large comfortable antique chairs instead of ultra-modern office chairs that look like they’re out of a science fiction movie. If you think something looks great then go with it, don’t let other people influence your style! The more you worry about other opinions, the less likely you are to enjoy your final decor arrangement, making your antique purchase a useless one.
Form and Function
Many people think that antiques aren’t usable and are purely there for decorative purposes. Again, this is completely wrong because antiques can be refurbished and provide even better working quality than cheap flat pack furniture from Ikea. Not only are antiques refurbished to a usable standard, there are even some companies that will replicate antique looks in modern applications. For instance, Westland Antiques sell a variety of different antique fireplaces that serve their function well and aren’t just expensive decorations! If you plan to buy antiques from a car boot sale or a questionable merchant, then don’t let the usability put you off because you can always repair or refurbish them to a better standard.
Use Antiques All Around Your Home
If you’re going to use antiques then you need to apply your theme throughout the house, even the garden! One of the mistakes that many antique enthusiasts make is that they don’t spread out their antiques over the entire home. Instead, they stuff all of their antiques into a single room or two and they leave it at that. This makes your home look very tacky and the room with all the antiques inside feels like a showroom instead of an actual room that people live in. If you want to do your antiques justice, then don’t overflow a room with them. Instead, choose centrepieces that will become the main attraction in each room. In your dining room, use an antique dining table and dining chairs. In the living room, focus on antique sofas or armchairs. In the hall, use antique paintings or rugs.
XOXO
Debbie
