Inherited an Antique? Here’s How to Work It Into Your Home

Find out how to make that beloved vintage piece fit in with your decor

Becky Clarke August 7, 2016

As well as being a Houzz UK and Ireland contributor, I have been involved in creating beautiful homes and interiors for 15 years. A regular contributor to the UK's top interiors magazines with room makeovers, practical and inspirational guides and furniture upcycle projects I love to work out all the wonderful ways to make our homes even better than we dreamed. My website is www.beckyclarke.com and my blog is https://beckyclarkeinteriors.wordpress.com follow me on twitter: @diydivachick

As well as being a Houzz UK and Ireland contributor, I have been involved in creating... More

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It’s wonderful to be given heirloom textiles, cherished ceramics or an old artwork. Antiques have a history and quality worth showcasing, but it can sometimes be hard to make them work with modern decor. Here are some effective ways to incorporate inherited pieces into your home and show them off to their full potential.

Neptune

Celebrate antique style. Antique oil paintings with rich, layered colors look stunning when paired with gray-blues and crisp whites. Here, the pale blue wall contrasts beautifully with the dark tones of the canvas. The red pillows pick up on the dark roses in the painting and tie together the modern bed and antique artwork.

The smaller pieces sitting casually on the floor are a relaxed way to show off art. The room has an “undone” feel that’s stylish without trying too hard. Resting artwork on a floor, shelf or mantel can take away the formality of the piece and give it a modern look.

VSP Interiors

Make the most of scale. If you’ve inherited a large artwork, show it off by giving it a featured spot on a plain wall. Using a vivid wall color behind it will make it stand out. This painting could have looked quite formal on a neutral wall, but the bright teal behind gives it a contemporary twist.

Be brave with your color choice and even pick out a hue that appears in the painting. These homeowners have added to the gallery effect by placing a wall light above the canvas.

Frank & Faber

Display a collection. Inherited an old clock or figurine? It could look a little lost sitting alone on a modern mantel, but it’s a different story if you group a few pieces together to create a display.

Hunt for items of varying heights, perhaps a few with a theme, as these homeowners have done with the giraffes. Visit thrift shops and flea markets to find items that will complement your new addition, and arrange them until you’re happy with the vignette.

Ingrid Rasmussen Photography

Use the piece to create a new color scheme. Rather than finding a room where the art fits, why not fit the room to the art? Be inspired by the beautiful tones within a painting and create a color scheme around it.

Here, the painting on the wall has inspired the palette of the living room. The inky walls make a dramatic backdrop, while the soft furnishings and decor items pick out the greens and yellows in it.

Flea Market Find: Vintage Portraits

Jonnie Andersen

Mix it up. If you’ve been given a few items that feel unlike anything else you own, you can still incorporate them into your interior. A collection of vintage belongings, such as art, plates, frames, clocks and mirrors, can look great when hung together on a wall.

This is a beautiful way to enjoy random things you’ve inherited. Even an old tennis racket or theater program could be part of the display — anything goes with this one!

Adrienne Chinn Design

Create something new. What do you do if you have Granny’s beautiful old scarf or embroidered tablecloth? If you won’t use it in its current form, there’s nothing sacrilegious about turning it into something like a pillow cover or quilt. It’s far better that it be used and loved — and then one day passed on to a new family member.

Another option is to cover a lampshade. Search online for kits that contain lampshade frames, panels, adhesive and finishing tools, as well as instructions that will walk you through the process.

Adrienne Chinn Design

Give it a facelift. If you’ve been given a large piece of family furniture that you like but can’t find a home for, you could always paint it. This is assuming it’s not a highly valuable antique, of course.

Highlight its contrast to your decor by painting it a bright color. Rub down all the wood with fine sandpaper and cover any glass panels with masking tape around the edges and newspaper in the center. Brush on a layer of primer or undercoat and top with eggshell paint to protect the piece. You can then add the finishing color.

Once you’ve painted it, turn your attention to the details. Handles, for example, are easy to change.

DIY Network

Get creative. You could take the room color scheme a step further and paint a piece of furniture to echo your new painting. It works particularly well if the painting is small and modest, like the one propped on this sideboard. The unusual paintwork on the furniture has created a modern, eye-catching piece that contrasts with the antique canvas.

To paint a similar sideboard, work from the top down and start by painting the pale blue sky area. Let this dry, then apply the lilac. Continue working down, one color at a time, until complete.

Chris Snook

Showcase a collection. It can be lovely to display and enjoy collections. If you like the pieces, use them rather than hide them away at the back of a cupboard. Display them on a dresser or open shelves so the items can be seen and your own pieces can be added.

Embrace the fact that a collection is eclectic and that that’s what makes them special. They span decades and can be added to over the years.

Tell us: Where have you displayed your antique treasures? Share your photos and ideas in the Comments.

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