{"id":3608,"date":"2022-06-15T10:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T14:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/?p=3608"},"modified":"2022-07-15T11:36:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T15:36:06","slug":"furniture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kimcookhome.com\/kchblog\/furniture\/","title":{"rendered":"Stylish, Green, Available: Antique Furniture Is New Again"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By KIM COOK
Associated Press<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s always been a taste for antique furnishings. These days, a widely acquired taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antiques are hot partly because of supply chain delays and higher prices for many custom or mass-market pieces. There\u2019s also the public\u2019s turn toward sustainability: Environmentally-conscious buyers are a<\/a>verse to throwaway furniture,<\/a> and are trying to reuse and recycle,<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as always, pop culture plays a role. Period-specific shows like \u201cBridgerton,\u201d \u201cDownton Abbey\u201d and \u201cOutlander\u201d have given the styles of bygone eras a romantic glow. \u201cMad Men\u201d stoked a hot market in midcentury modern furniture. And designers cite renewed interest in \u201970s and \u201980s decor, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s all led to crowds of designers and regular people at auctions, antique shops and estate sales. Online platforms, like vintage furniture retailer Chairish and collectibles site 1stDibs, also say sales are up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news from a design perspective is that it\u2019s easy and trendy to blend antiques into any room and mix them with pieces from any era, designers say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A classic 18th century cherry dresser might be given glamorous, brushed-copper modern handles. A curvy \u201960s floor lamp might light a room wrapped in prim Laura Ashley wallpaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More 20th century vintage pieces are popping up, whether it\u2019s a finely carved Edwardian side table, a Le Corbusier chaise, a Pop Art-era mirror, or something as charming and small as a vintage book or ceramic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The variety of old stuff is swelling beyond the boundaries of \u201ctraditional\u201d d\u00e9cor. And a mix creates interesting stories in a room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANTIQUES AFICIONADOS PAST AND PRESENT<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designers who became famous for expertly blending periods include Billy Baldwin, whom Architectural Digest called \u201cAmerica\u2019s dean of interior decoration in the 1950s and 1960s.\u201d He created swanky homes for society figures, and favored a mix of modern and antique furniture. Baldwin said an older piece \u2019\u201cgives a room flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jay Spectre, known for sleek, dramatic interiors, was enamored of Art Deco. And female decorators like Elsie de Wolfe and Sister Parish excelled at giving elegant, turn-of-the-century European furniture room to breathe in light-filled modern spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, designer Kelly Wearstler, for instance, brings an adventurous style to homes as well as to boutique hotels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy aesthetic is about mixology; always something old and something new, raw and refined, masculine and feminine,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georgia Zikas, a designer in West Hartford, Connecticut, says modern art and an achromatic rug create a nice foundation for mixed furniture styles and dispel any dowdiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example of an easy update: One of Zikas\u2019 clients had a beautiful pair of vintage, crystal, Waterford lamps from her mother. They replaced the dated pleated shades with crisp, white, tapered ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REGIONAL ACCENTS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different parts of the country seem to lean in certain directions concerning antiques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor example, in the South, where I\u2019m based, French antiques are most coveted because of our historically French heritage,\u201d says Lance Thomas, lead designer at Thomas Guy Interiors in Lake Charles, Louisiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found that coastal cities like West Palm Beach in Florida, and Malibu in California, gravitate toward vintage and antique Italian contemporary pieces. The Midwest leans toward American antiques.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas says more clients than ever are asking for antiques. He and his team recently took a two-week buying trip to France to seek them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOW TO BUY<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re purchasing antiques sight unseen, Thomas says, use a reliable auction site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are some very good fakes, and reproductions that would fool even the most experienced buyers,\u201d he says. \u201cA reputable auction site will usually vet and list whether or not the item is authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of his tips for identifying true antiques: With mirrors, \u201cpay attention to spotting. Old mirrors were made of tin and mercury or silver, and over time have oxidized to create a waviness and splotching on the front. This patina is a good sign that it\u2019s an antique.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For cabinets and dressers, check how well they\u2019re constructed. Look at the back of the piece, where it\u2019s less likely to be painted. \u201cAre there dovetail joints rather than well-hidden Phillips screws? And look for the hinging mechanisms \u2013 are they hand-forged or machine-made?\u201d says Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carved and painted details can help confirm a piece\u2019s age because they indicate the furniture-making capabilities of the era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany pieces in the 18th century will have similar embellishments to those of their 20th century counterparts. But the precision and exactness improved drastically between these two time periods,\u201d says Thomas. Curvy floral details, for example, probably won\u2019t be as rounded on an 18th century piece, because they didn\u2019t have the tools to create a perfect curve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Beau Ciolino, who with Matt Armato wrote the new book \u201cProbably This Housewarming\u201d (Abrams), recommends the app www.estatesales.net to get alerts about sales in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best part about antiquing is that it can be so accessible,\u201d says Ciolino. \u201cWhile the old-school auction houses have a reputation for fine antiques, we also love perusing Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, consignment stores and estate sales.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other options include EBay, Etsy and ZZ Driggs, which both sells and rents vintage furnishings. You might not be able to swing the $3,000 for a James Mont Art Deco leather lounge chair, but maybe you can afford its $75 monthly rent for a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One source that used to be reserved for the design trade has opened its doors to the public in New York City. The Gallery @ 200 Lex is 33,000 square feet of vintage and antique furniture from dozens of dealers. You can also see what The Gallery\u2019s dealers have posted on Incollect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FURNITURE FLIPPING<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ciolino and Armato say they\u2019ve seen a \u201cfurniture flipping\u201d trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile house-flipping may require a large amount of cash and time, many furniture flippers are taking worn pieces and either revitalizing them to their original glory or creating a completely new piece by re-staining, painting and replacing the hardware, and then selling them or keeping them for their own homes,\u201d says Ciolino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says it\u2019s usually best to leave reupholstering to the pros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wooden items, especially those without intricate details, are perfect for beginner DIYers, says Armato. \u201cDressers or side tables can typically use just a light sanding, paint or stain if you like, and a coat of sealant like clear enamel or linseed oil. Some metal pieces like outdoor iron chairs are also very DIY-friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary Maloney of Bee\u2019s Knees Interior Design in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, reawakens old wooden furniture by painting it in cheery hues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mom taught me how to spot great pieces in need of a little love and reinventing,\u201d Maloney says. \u201cI still treasure my first purchase \u2013 a sweet little dresser that I found on an antique excursion with her over 40 years ago. When I was updating our guest bedroom, I painted it a sunny yellow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antique furniture usually needs a gentle overall cleaning before any removal or covering of unwanted scuffs and scratches. Unless antique lamps have already been rewired, it\u2019s best to bring them to a pro. And you\u2019ll probably want to update the shades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim Cook writes frequently for The AP about design, d\u00e9cor and lifestyles topics. She can be found on Instagram at @kimcookhome and reached at kim@kimcookhome.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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