Decorating with Antiques

By Barbara Hobbs

Range hood is rimmed with reproduction tiles, tile insert is re-creation of an 1868 panel, and countertops and ceiling are reclaimed sculpted oak. ?Photo courtesy of Debby Gomulka

Who among us has not visited a home where we admired a beautiful antique sideboard topped with a vintage tea service? Or were impressed with a lovely collection of 18th century glassware displayed in a buffet? Or admired an interesting architectural feature like old beams, antique tiles, corbels or stained glass windows that had been incorporated into a house?

Antiques lend a sophisticated touch to your décor whether you fill a home with them, use architectural features, or add a single piece to one room. Vintage items will frequently become a focal point that adds charm to the room, and adaptive re-uses of furniture make the items the ultimate “green” product. An armoire provides kitchen storage. A bookshelf holds towels. A glass pitcher becomes a vase. A wall-mounted mantle holds picture frames.

Pat Weaver, owner of Antique Wish in Selma, calls these pieces “repurposed furniture”. “You can get high quality pieces for less than new,” said Weaver, “and adapt their function to other uses while also adding an interesting feature to the room. Many pieces are not really valuable so go ahead and paint them to fit your décor.” In her own home a vintage bookshelf provides storage for towels in a bathroom, and a dresser in her living room holds a lamp and provides storage.

Jodie and Joe Hinge, owners of Revival Antiques in Raleigh, specialize in painted antique furniture. Their warehouse is full of unfinished antique pieces that can be redone to the client’s specifications. “Some old pieces of furniture are beyond refinishing,” said Joe Hinge, “or the cost to do it is prohibitive. Most of our stock is less than 100 years old and thus not antique by definition. We frequently put new granite or soapstone tops on items like dressers and cabinets if we repurpose them, add the paint, and, voilà, there’s a new feature piece for a room.”

ANTIQUES ARE NOT JUST DECOR
Buying an antique can be pricey, especially if you are looking for a large piece of furniture like an armoire or sofa. However, you can find antiques available at bargain prices now, according to Elizabeth Lindquist, co-owner of Whitehall Antiques, an upscale Chapel Hill antique store that features high end estate pieces. “The dip in the economy and the housing market definitely affected sales, and dealers now have a lot of inventory as estate sales and consignments continue,” Lindquist said. “But buyers are also discovering that antiques hold their value while contemporary reproductions do not. Antiques are an investment as well as a part of their décor.”

Older pieces of furniture as found in the warehouse below can be repurposed. This cabinet topped with a soapstone becomes a kitchen island. Photo courtesy of Revival Antiques.

There’s definitely an art to looking for just the right piece to fill your needs. Measurements and usage must be determined, as well as how it will fit. Searching for the piece may entail visiting lots of antique stores or you can enlist the aid of an antique dealer to help you. Debbie Freeman of Antiques & More uses contacts and sources not generally available to the public. “If a customer is looking for a particular piece, dealers can watch for it at estate sales and auction houses,” said Freeman. “That broadens the base of choices the client will have.”

GO TO AN ANTIQUES SHOW

Just 30 miles east of Raleigh is Selma, a town that calls itself “The New Antique Center of the South”. Its East Coast Antique Show, a three day event in October, attracts buyers from throughout the South. In addition to their antique shops, malls, specialty shops, flea market and restaurants, Selma fills several downtown blocks with vendors of both antique and unique merchandise. A homeowner might spot just the right piece here.

Reid’s Country Sampler is one of the many antique shops in Selma, and Donna Reid, Owner, has seen the rising importance and variety of antiques available there. “Our newest customers are just out of college and furnishing their first home, selecting singular pieces with the thought of repurposing the item. They consider these items to be a good value and significant in their long term decorating ideas. Our older buyers are often buying a piece that speaks to them in one way or another, evoking memories from early years.”

USE COLLECTIBLES AND ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

Displays of antique collectibles can easily be the focal point in a room. At Railroad Street Antiques in Selma, Owner Rose Wagaman specializes in collectibles. Her shop features vintage tools, lamps, advertising, clocks, beer steins, knives, guns and rifles, glassware and pottery. She displays a gun collection around a fireplace, glassware in a window, and a collection of oil lamps atop an étagère. “Buyers of all ages come in looking for additional pieces to match collections their parents or grand-parents may have started,” said Wagaman. For her, the method of displaying the items is as varied as the category of the pieces.

Fireplace mantles and front porch columns can find new life as headboards or bedposts for queen- or king-size beds. Raylene Jessup, owner of Selma Cotton Mill in Selma, has done just that. “Since there are no antique queen or king beds, we can create the feeling of an antique by repurposing other antique architectural features,” Jessup explained. “Porch columns become four poster beds, and mantles and fireplace surrounds become king-size headboards. We’ve made these very successfully for bed and breakfasts in the area.”

Antiques don’t have to be furniture—or originals. Debby Gomulka, Founder and CEO of Debby Gomulka Designs, integrates reclaimed wood beams and flooring as well as antique Italian tiles into homes to boost the ambiance. “Adding antique architectural features, whether they are actual antiques or reproductions, provides a comfortable and elegant environment for antiques the owner may have inherited or bought,” said Gomulka. “I have a client who bought an old house and wanted to include tiles, wood beams and a Carrera marble mantle into the home’s restoration plan. An artisan copied some original antique Italian tiles so that we could use them as an architectural feature throughout the house. In the kitchen wood beams, countertops made of reclaimed wood, replica tile insert on the wall behind the cooking area, and reproduction encaustic tiles rimming the range hood created a charming atmosphere completely compatible with the stainless steel appliances.”

MIX THE OLD WITH THE NEW

Blending the old with the new may require some ingenuity, but the results are well worth the effort. Hunt & Gather owner Kathy Mitchell confirms this. “From what we see here, we have the sense that the barriers are gone for blending old with new. While design basics are still strong, including symmetry, harmony, proportion and balance, the imprecise blending of styles, materials, and old and new, are really open to interpretation. It seems to be more about the colors, the feel of fabrics, and the contrast of textures that drive the blending of old and new.”

Incorporating antiques is a great way to enhance space and add charm to a room. Large or small, centuries old or from the 1900s, expensive or not, antiques often speak to the heritage of the family and to the tastes of the owner. Whether they are a focal point or quietly blend with their surroundings, they have a way of evoking admiration and commentary from guests.

In your next decorating project consider featuring an antique you may already have and which may have fond memories for you. If you don’t already own the piece you need, spend time scouring the antique stores for just the right piece to fill the space. If you need help finding or selecting your item, enlist the aid of an antique dealer or a decorator. Their breadth of experience and contacts can be invaluable. Educate yourself as to what is a good buy for you, whether this is a long term investment or an inexpensive substitute for new furniture. Combine the antique with reproduction furnishings to further the period theme. If considering a retro theme, frame magazine covers of the time slot to go with the 20th century furniture.

Photo courtesy of Hunt & Gather

Think outside the box. Assigning a new purpose to the piece can make it even more interesting. Antique frames can hold modern photos, mirrors or even contemporary prints. Flat topped trunks or suitcases can be covered with glass to serve as tables, placed in a hallway to serve as storage, or opened to display a collection like quilts, linens or clothing. Vintage china can be used as soap dishes or jewelry holders. Collectible boxes can become mail trays or remote control holders.

Decorating using antiques will not only enhance any décor but will also increase the interest and ambiance of a room. It adds more of the homeowner’s personality to the space, and speaks to your personal tastes and passions. It need not be confined to the interior of the home as both the outside of the home and the gardens are good locations for antique outdoor sculptures, lighting or planters. Treat your pieces with respect and your enjoyment of them will be a daily reward.

BARBARA HOBBS IS A FREELANCE WRITER