Add These Old Furnishings to Your Newish DecorBy: Leah French
A house where all of the furnishings are brand-spanking new looks like an catalog page, at best, instead of a home. Adding a few old pieces to your mix helps create a personalized, layered look. Even if you prefer a contemporary look, you still need a few old pieces to add depth.
Here are some of the antique and vintage touches every home needs:
Vintage LightingWhether it's a wall-mounted sconce dripping with crystal beads or a mid-century modern Spunik-inspired chandelier, every home needs at least one old lighting fixture. Old table lamps serve the purpose too. Choose a piece that complement your decorating style, but do let the lighting fixture or lamp serve as a statement piece.
An Old ChairNo matter what your taste, you can find an old chair that suits your preferred look. It can be large or petite, wood or upholstered, casual or formal. The look can be retro funky or refined. Just get one in there. It may become your favorite seat in the house.
An Old Wooden PieceEvery home -- perhaps even every room -- could benefit from a piece of antique stained-wood furniture. Newer finishes don't have the same luster and depth, no matter how expensive or how well made. The piece doesn't have to be rustic, though it certainly can be. And, don't be afraid to choose a shape and style that contrasts with the rest of your furnishings. Sometimes the contrast is the very thing that makes the mix striking, the thing that makes the entire look work.
A Bit of MetalWhether it's an old lab table made of stainless steel or a freestanding Art Deco-style kitchen cabinet, every home looks better with a piece or two made of old metal, which has a patina the new stuff can't mimic. A metal piece also gives the eye a break from the usual wood and upholstered surfaces, which adds interest to the space.
Vintage ArtworkWhether it's original art created long ago or a bit of architectural salvage you decide to hang as artwork, every home needs something old on at least one wall. You can mix vintage artwork in with your newer pieces to create a grouping or let it hang alone as a statement piece.
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