Bookshelf: Living With Antiques

In every one of our client spotlights you can see how beautifully our customers live with antiques or antique-inspired furniture. These three new home design books offer more inspiration on how to live with antiques in a modern world!

Past Present: Living with Heirlooms and Antiques

“Antiques add the touch of time and the human hand," says author Susan Sully. Her new book shows how every antique piece, "tells a story that began long ago and hasn’t ended yet. There are no rules about living with them, except to take what’s old and keep it young by making it part of daily life.”  That's exactly what we think!

Sully's book shows how to blend heirlooms and antiques into contemporary homes. Photographs include rooms decorated by collectors, antiques dealers and design professionals to create lively settings for today's lifestyle.

Rooms for Living: A Style for Today with Things from the Past

The book title says it all! Interior designer Suzanne Rheinstein shows how well she can translate traditional style into something fresh, whether for casual or format interiors.

The examples she shows include how to turn a neglected living room turned into a space for reading and writing and how to use color to dress up an entryway. If you love the look of timeless elegance but want to keep a relaxed and inviting atmosphere for your real-life family to enjoy, Rooms for Living is worth a browse!

Home

Ellen DeGeneres says that she is passionate about interior design. She might even have been a designer herself if she hadn't made such a wonderful career for herself in show business.

She has renovated and decorated nearly a dozen homes and she's a big fan of antique furniture.

All of Ellen's houses that I've read about include antique furniture, from antique French furniture to exotic antique rugs and carpets and from Spanish colonial benches to Rococo Bergere armchairs.
She also seems keen on using antique architectural elements in her home decor. It all creates a wonderfully eclectic effect, combining Mid-Century Modern and Louis XVI, traditional French and colorful Asian pieces.

Ellen's wit and character shines through in the way she juxtaposes pieces that she loves. She really does have a good design eye and is a great ambassador to show how to live with antiques.

I hope you find some inspiration for how to live with antiques in your own particular style!