Antiques: Timeless Treasures in Modern Design

Let’s talk about antiques, specifically antiques in interior design.  No, I’m not talking about that Queen Anne reddish/purple/orangey/shiny stuff- I’m referencing the patinated, old, worn pieces with a million stories to tell.  

Antiques have been in my blood since I was a kid.  My mother and aunt would frequent local antique stores in Southern California looking for the perfect find.  Often driving to rather sketchy areas to acquire the best “finds” as they called them.  They would come home with smalls, like silver pieces, knick-knacks to put on display, or large pieces like sideboards or chests of drawers.  I grew up with antiques surrounding my home and let me tell you, a peach pit badly etches a marble finish. Just a lousy peach pit wrapped in a paper towel which I placed atop the antique marble of my mother’s prized English sideboard.  That was probably 37 years ago and still lives like yesterday in her memory. 

So how can antiques fit into your life?  First, let me advise you to keep your parent’s antiques, not all of them, but some of them.  Small pieces, large pieces, tiny pieces- keep some.  Design is not about one style or purchasing from one vendor- true design is an amalgamation of many genres of design, different eras, different patinas, and different styles- and yes, they all can work together and tell your story.   

For us at Blend Designs, we love to source antique pieces from large shows like Brimfield here in Massachusetts.  We visit antique stores, frequent estate sales, or the ever so easy- shopping on Etsy or 1st Dibs or Charish.  Need some keyword search for the perfect piece, be ready to be enthralled with the term: “bleached wood…”  Fill in the blank with what you are looking for.  These ages, worn pieces will fit in any home.   

You do not need a house full of antiques, or to break the bank, but yes, you need antiques, I hesitate to say vintage because these could be from the 1980s or 1990s and that is an entirely different look- not recommended.  How about using your grandmother’s old porcelain dishes, or a silver ladle to serve your next meal?  Antiques can be as small as a spoon or as large as an armoire, just use them.  You can thank Blend Designs for the hot tip and keep peach pits off all marble surfaces.