Living with Antiques and Heirlooms

We love living with antiques and heirlooms and vintage decor, and our customers who buy antique furniture in our online store also enjoy collecting and displaying these unique pieces.

This is why we were delighted when we found this book called Past Present: Living with Heirlooms and Antiques. Author Susan Sully's book shows how to blend heirlooms and antiques into contemporary homes in a beautiful way that is easy to live with.

Antiques and Heirlooms Tell a Story

As Sully says: "Antiques add the touch of time and the human hand. Every dented baby cup, mended tablecloth, perfectly or imperfectly preserved piece of silver or porcelain 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."

Every piece of antique furniture that we find in Europe and ship back to the USA certainly has a story behind it, and it is a joy to see these gorgeous hand-crafted antiques start a new chapter of their story in our customers' homes.  You can see for yourself how good they look in our mini tours of customer homes in our series of Customer Spotlights.

Design Ideas Galore

Sully's book shows examples of 20 houses to illustrate how the past can meet the present in her guide to incorporating antiques and heirlooms into every kind of interior design scheme, including more contemporary looks. In the photo above, beautiful antique furniture like the painted Florentine chest are mixed with a contemporary leather sofa, a 20th century Lucite table and an exotic zebra rug! One of the key tricks in living with antiques today is to be brave about mixing and matching objects from different eras and in different styles. As we can see,  the eclectic mix works perfectly!

Sully's book also shows how to pull together traditionally-inspired interiors that aren’t fussy or stiff, For example, this kitchen looks so welcoming and cozy for a family gathering. Although there are many antique and vintage pieces here, the bolt of teal blue color gives a firmly contemporary touch. Another of Sully's tricks is to change finishes and upholstery to give them new life, or to combine objects in unusual juxtapositions.

An Amazing Dining Room

Sully also takes it upon herself to show how to set inviting tables, like this formal dining room with antique furniture which features a clever display of artichokes in classic European style. She also gives hints on how to display collections creatively. The 20 houses featured in the book range from a converted 1915 fire station in Alabama, to a Greek Revival mansion in New Orleans. What a terrific celebration of living with antique furniture and heirloom pieces!