Antique furniture between challenge and opportunity

Dear readers, from April 6th to 14th, at the Milan store, we invite you to an exhibition on antique furniture like you’ve never seen before: Anticontemporaneo. Di Mano In Mano, together with designer Andrea Ghisoni, invite you to stroll through a “non-house” where you can rediscover the charm of antique furniture.

Because we, who have always worked with antiques, know very well how everyone – or almost everyone – is fascinated by antique furniture pieces. We also know what the most common resistances are when it comes to this wonderful world.

We’ve gathered the most common prejudices about antiques and tried to turn them into equally valuable opportunities, to break free from standardized tastes and soar into the eclectic world of interior design.

The Myths About Antique Furniture

“Antique furniture is too big”

It is larger, that’s true, but its size translates into sturdiness and durability that often contemporary furniture can’t match. Furniture used to be bigger because houses were larger, while today the trend is for more compact living spaces. But compact doesn’t mean limited: we can incorporate antique furniture into our homes, we just need to be mindful of the space and “flow” of the room. Adding a few selected antique pieces will create unique proportional balances with the rest of the furniture.

“Antique style is very different from the rest of the furniture I have at home”

And thank goodness for that, we say! Our home should tell who we are, our travels, and our passions. Objects and furniture connect us to images and memories; they can never be perfectly coordinated like in catalogs or hotel rooms. A lived-in home is one furnished with spontaneity and instinct, and it’s our personality that, if allowed to emerge freely, will find a way to “make” different styles speak to one another. Through harmony or contrast, as we will see later.

“Antique furniture makes a room look old”

Not old, but timeless. Or timeless, as the English would say. And it’s that taste of the past and memories, an aesthetic frozen in time that resists the trends of Instagram and Pinterest, ensuring that antiques maintain a place at the top of décor choices that we won’t regret as the years pass. The unique soul of antiques perfectly complements the minimalist lines and functionality of mass-produced and contemporary design furniture, which are also perfect allies in a modern home. Pairing them together is the ideal middle ground to satisfy both aesthetics and function.

As we’ve seen so far, behind these three resistances lie equally valuable possibilities, and… What’s that? You’re already reconsidering that antique piece gathering dust in the attic? Great, you’re in the right place because now come the practical tips.

Antiques: Tips for Use

If you like contrast:

Take a deep breath. It will be easy to create. The best effect is achieved with a single antique piece that stands out, a “statement piece” that will be hard to ignore in the room. Think of the reassuring solidity of a Manzonian walnut bookshelf, the rich gold leaf of a Baroque mirror, or the three-dimensional opulence of a balloon chandelier with glass pendants. These are elements that speak for themselves, drawing attention and defining the room with a single glance. No need for more: the suggestion is to complete the room’s decor with contemporary furniture and objects, whose clean lines bring modernity to the main piece and are in turn influenced by it.

If you like balance

We may be facing a small challenge. It’s not easy to combine such different pieces. In this case, playing with sizes and colors can be helpful. It will be beneficial to choose smaller antique furniture pieces to distribute evenly in the space. Secondly, it’s good practice to decorate a space with a color palette in mind that ties all the furnishings together at a glance.

Experiment!

And if you feel there’s still a need for a little help to achieve the harmonious result you’re aiming for… give it a coat of paint! This is a slightly crazy tip that will make purists’ hair stand on end, but it works! A bold restyling can really breathe new life into a piece of furniture: painting a strict Empire frame the same color as the wall can visually expand the space and highlight the photograph or image it holds; reupholstering a Neo-Rococo sofa with modern fabrics can temper its grandeur and create an unexpected connection with the rest of the textiles; experimenting with various decoupage techniques on small furniture pieces can add a playful and artistic touch to your home.

Whether it’s a love at first sight for a piece spotted at a flea market or a piece of furniture inherited from your grandparents, antiques are a treasure that should be cherished, rediscovered, and reinterpreted. And for a designer tip, we’re waiting for you at “Anticontemporaneo”: