How to Integrate Vintage Furniture and Antiques into Contemporary Spaces

Antique and vintage furniture has always been integral to our work at Kelling Designs. Sourcing unique, personality-laden, pre-owned pieces contributes to a sophisticated, thoughtfully curated and original feel in any room in period and modern properties alike. Adding a sense of heritage and a confident expression of style, the pairing of modern-day homeware with vintage pieces and antiques will transform your home; the result is a dynamic, refined space with a story to tell.

STORY

In fact, it’s the stories of the antique and vintage furniture and accessories you bring into your home that hold the most value. To be surrounded by objects filled with the rich stories of their past or the memories you have of finding it at an auction, market or emporium is a great joy.

Our Bury St Edmunds project certainly has stories to tell; its original restored fireplaces and deeply stained wall panelling are complemented by vintage and antique accents like Staffordshire figurines, vintage majolica. These more traditional elements are offset with bold, playful colours and highly contemporary silhouettes such as the upholstered bedframes, a fabulous, burnt orange sofa and modern artwork. In this home, the historical items have room to breathe amongst the pops of colour, providing an aesthetic foil that elevates both the old and the new.

SUSTAINABILITY

With all the aesthetic delights of contrasting old and new pieces in the home comes the moral considerations attached to its decoration. It would be remiss to omit the importance of sustainability when it comes to sourcing furniture, and opting for some vintage and antique pieces in each room will serve to reduce your home’s carbon footprint. According to Carbon Clear, a carbon management consultancy, antique furniture is likely to have a carbon footprint 16 times lower than modern, newly manufactured furniture when you account for the lifespan of the piece at hand, which, when looked after properly, can continue indefinitely.

At Field Dalling, our North Norfolk project, the master bedroom is dotted with the most beautiful wooden antique furniture that had been in the Kelling Designs Founder, Emma’s family for generations. To work with such prized furniture is hugely satisfying, watching the scheme materialise with these pieces at its core.

HOW TO SOURCE

Of course, not everyone has access to family heirlooms or the requirement to keep aesthetic traditions alive. For those embarking on their first sourcing trips with the ambition of creating a unique home filled with personality and heritage, the good news is that the antiques and vintage furniture market is rather an open book; there are myriad fairs, markets, auctions and shops to visit with stock every price point. There are even some towns in the UK known for their concentration of highly-regarded dealers, such as Tetbury, Frome and Petworth.

Faced with the jumble of chairs, chests of drawers and chandeliers that characterise the second-hand shopping experience, it helps to be strategic when it comes to shopping for vintage furniture and antiques in shops or online. Research the eras, styles or materials you like and refine your search with keywords like ‘mid century’ or ‘Georgian.’ More often than not, shopkeepers and dealers will be able to point you in the right direction and offer advice on caring for your new-to-you purchase, cleaning and any necessary restoration.