It’s 8 degrees and raining in London, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not Christmas soon. Today we had a full day of Christmas shopping with family. We started in Brook Green with lunch – thereafter we walked through Holland Park and Notting Hill to do some Christmas shopping.
Notting Hill and Portobello Road are two interesting places to go shopping, buzzing with people wanting to buy old and perhaps not so old antiques. There is so much to find in Notting Hill and Portobello Road. Purses, butter knifes, silver trays – to name a few. But I was asking myself, how can I actually make all these great antiques work in my home?
1.Choose Small
When it comes to antiques and adding them to your home, it can sometimes be better to go small. An old antique can easily overwhelm a room if it’s not very well thought through. But if you add a smaller piece, it can more easily blend in with the environment and create more character without being too overbearing. Examples of small antiques can be trays, vases, boxes and pillows.
From Citrine Living
2. Keep it original
Antique pieces are normally best in their original condition, so try to go for something that has not been changed or updated too much. If the antique is broken, try to restore it as close as possible to it’s original condition. It can also be a good investment to spend some money on getting the piece properly cleaned and restored it to it’s original glory.
3. Group it by colour
One way you can integrate an antique within your home is to try and group objects together by their colour. By doing this, you can seamlessly compliment different pieces to create harmony whilst also adding more depth and character.
4. Unite with the same material
In many cases, the material we use today is the same material that they have used hundreds of years before us. A way to make antiques blend in with a room is to use the same material. This could for example, wood, stone or fabrics. If you have an oak table an antique box made of oak will blend nicely in.
From Pinterest
5. Keep items close
To create focal points in your home, try to concentrate the antiques to a few areas. This makes the antiques actually visible in the room – try placing them in areas where they are close to where people can see them.
6. Mix old and new
Try to mix old and new with your antiques. A coffee table should for example, have both old and new items on the table. This will create depth to the room and show off your character in pieces that have different history and background.
7. Leverage functionality
When bringing antiques to a room, try to use them in the way that they were originally designed to be used. Most antiques can still be very functional, if they are used in a careful way. Examples for this can be – having flowers (of faux flowers) in an antique vase or rings in a jewellery box etc. Try to pick items that can serve a purpose.
8. Keep it personal
Choose items carefully and pieces you really love. It is important to select antiques that reflect your personality and align with what you’re trying to achieve with the room. You will find best results and satisfaction when you are true to yourself.
Have you ever bought antiques for your home?
