How to Choose Antiques for Your Home

Browsing antiques, in our opinion, is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. From specialist fairs and auctions to discovering fascinating pieces in local vintage shops, choosing antiques for your home can be an enriching experience, adding character, history, and unique aesthetics to your living space.

Offering a tangible connection to the past, with each piece telling its own story, the process of selecting the right antiques requires thoughtful consideration and a discerning eye. Whether you are a seasoned collector or a beginner, understanding the key factors involved in choosing and styling antiques can help you to make informed decisions that will create a harmonious blend of designs. This guide will explore essential tips and insights to help you navigate the world of antiques and select pieces that complement your style and enhance your home's charm...

How to Display Antiques in Your Home

Marrying Old with New

Incorporating antiques into a modern interior scheme adds character, depth, and a rich narrative to any room. Mixing unique antiques with contemporary finds creates an inviting home that values longevity and heritage over fast fashion and fleeting trends. Often crafted with a timeless quality and craftsmanship rarely seen today, antique furniture is a worthwhile investment that can endure for years to come.

Antiques often offer beauty through their 'pre-loved' charm, so don’t overlook items that appear a touch worn, as they can often be revitalised. Below is a great example of how reupholstering this antique chair in eye-catching modern fabric allows it to sit comfortably between a treasured oil painting and an ultra contemporary table lamp. Similarly, covering the minor imperfections on this majestic chest of drawers with a classic William Morris wallpaper has breathed new life into it, seamlessly integrating it into its modern setting.

Be Fluid with Function

The key to adventurous interiors is thinking outside the box and antiques shouldn’t be an exception. If you really like something, but it’s not quite right in its traditional guise, consider displaying it in an unconventional way. With a bit of imagination you can transform an antique vase into a beautiful table lamp, an apple crate into a side table, or a piece of sculpture into a pendant light. Also consider pretty crockery as decorative wall art, or featuring beautiful books to inject colour into your home. The possibilities are endless...

Don’t Be Afraid of Colour

Discouraged from buying antiques due pieces looking too heavy or old-fashioned, we often hear people don't want to run the risk of their room ending up looking like an antiques fair itself. However, with an injection of colour you can enjoy the craftmanship and individuality of antique furniture that sits comfortably in your modern-day setting.

Reupholstering antique furniture with a modern patterned fabric injects colour, pattern and freshness into a traditional design, or transforming an old mahogany table with some quality paint will breathe new life into pre-loved furniture. Don't underestimate how a colourful lampshade can remodel a treasured heirloom, or re-framing the pages of a vintage book can become much-loved works of art for your walls.

Sometimes, Less Can Be More

It easy to get carried away when surrounded by so many beautiful items, and adding too many bold pieces can take attention from other aspects of the room. Before you go shopping, decide whether you’re on the lookout for one statement piece, like a luxurious chandelier, or a collection of pieces that celebrate a certain design period, such as mid-century or art deco. Sourcing antiques is a process that takes time, consideration, and is one that should not be rushed, and starting with the focal pieces of the room will help you to build its foundation. From there, you can find artwork, sculpture and accent pieces which will help your room to evolve.

Be Playful and Have Fun!

The allure of antique shopping lies in the thrill of discovery, as you never know what treasures await. With items changing from week to week, it offers the chance to acquire unique, extraordinary pieces that are truly one-of-a-kind. Whether it's stumbling upon something from your childhood that evokes strong emotional memories or finding a high-value item at an affordable price, antique shopping is a journey full of fun, thrill and reward.

Best Antique Pieces to Buy for Beginners

If you are starting out on your antiques hunt, or are looking to shop on a small-scale, these items, in our opinion are a safe place to start:

Mirrors

Evoking a sense of nostalgia and adding a touch of vintage charm to your space, mirrors can be found at most antique fairs. A single mirror with a striking shape or several smaller ones clustered together make for an eye-catching wall display. Just check that mirror can be hung in the orientation that you intend and that the hooks are intact and strong.

Chairs and Side Tables

Transcending trends, antique chairs and tables are not subject to the whims of fashion. Plus, the durability of antique furniture ensures that it remains functional and beautiful for years to come. Make sure to check its strength by having a seat. Checking that each leg is securely attached and that pieces don't wobble or rock.

Door Knobs and Handles

It’s often the little details that make a room, and vintage doorknobs, knockers, and handles are an excellent example. Glass and porcelain door and drawer knobs can be especially striking, whereas metal drawer pulls sit well in studies and kitchens. A small addition that makes a big impact, replacing new fittings with antique ones can transform modern pieces into characterful furnishings.

Artwork

From pottery to paintings, arts and crafts pieces are the easiest and most popular antique form to incorporate into your home. They bring depth and intrigue to walls, shelves, and dressers. If you’re interested in a particular time period, be sure to do your research and seek out a reputable dealer from which to buy. If you’re not sure what style would fit with your home, look for pieces in colours that match your room's palette instead. You’ll be surprised at what catches your eye!

Shopping for Antiques

There's a wealth of opportunities to purchase antiques across the UK. From flea markets and car boot sales, to dedicated antiques fairs and auctions, both in person and online, here are 'four tips to shop by' when you are out and about...

1. Come Prepared

If you know where you intend to place your antique in your room, take a picture on your phone. Bring along the measurements of the space, plus any doorways it will need to fit through for larger items. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember these things on the spot, so a little forward-planning here will serve you well.

2. When You Know, You KNOW!

It may sound obvious, but trust your gut and only buy an antique piece if you are really drawn to it. This makes any profit you make in years to come purely, a bonus! As you would with any decorative purchase, take your time to think about why you really like it.

3. Bring a Friend

When you’re mid-haggle, or doubling-back for a second look, it can be helpful to hear honest and impartial words of advice. Bring a partner or friend who you know will help you make a balanced decision.

4. Check Thoroughly Before Buying

Always ask before picking a piece up but don’t be afraid to take your time checking it over once you do. Open drawers and cupboards or look at the interior to check the material corresponds to that on the outside. Modern fixings such as nails, hangings or screws can be a giveaway as to whether a piece has been altered – older fixings will usually be made of wood.

Finally, ask, ask, ask! A trustworthy seller will welcome questions and be more than happy to tell you what they know about a piece. For larger or higher value items, it is always worth checking the authenticityof the seller. Confirm if they have affiliations with large, regulated bodies such as or The Association of Art & Antiques Dealers or The British Antique Dealers' Association in the UK and The National Antique and Art Dealers Association or The Antiquities Dealers' Association in the USA,

We Can Also Help...

With years of experience designing peoples homes plus an extensive network of contacts within the antiques world, our interior designers can help to source and advise you on choosing antiques for your home. Whether it be furniture, artwork, sculpture or home accessories, we will work with you to select pieces that will become treasured items for you and future generations to enjoy.

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