One of the most exciting ways to add flavor and personality to your apartment is by decorating with antiques and vintage items. Using second-hand pieces of any age lets you get more for your dollar and create a home that truly reflects who you are. Here are some ticks to finding the right antiques and vintage items for your apartment.
Where to find antiques
When looking for vintage and antique items, the thrill is truly in the hunt. Have fun with your search! Delve into garage and estate sales, flea markets, second-hand and antique stores and classified ads. Ask friends and family too. Sometimes basements and attics are full of possibilities that the owner is happy to get rid of.
Hit the road
Make an all-day or weekend adventure out of your antique search with a road trip to towns with plenty of shops or sales. Check the papers or Internet for monthly or annual events that bring together buyers and sellers of vintage and antique items. When you’re in apartment decorating mode, take any opportunity to treasure hunt, whether it’s a long lunch hour or a cross-country business trip. It is always possible to ship a find to your home.
Decorating tips
There are endless ways to use antique and vintage pieces in your apartment. You can place them sparingly to accent newer pieces, for example. An antique mirror, lamp or painting can add instant panache to any room.
You can also create a tapestry of eras and styles by decorating with antiques and vintage pieces almost exclusively, recreating a time gone by in your home. In this case, new reproductions can be used to accent your antique pieces. Can’t find a vintage sofa in good condition? Fear not — there are plenty of newly manufactured pieces in old-fashioned styles to be found to complement your antique-furnished living room.
Anyone can go down to the mall and pick out an apartment’s worth of furniture. It takes an adventurous spirit and a creative mind to furnish with vintage and antique items. You’ll reap the rewards of your treasure hunting with a décor that truly matches your taste, experience and style.
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