Growing up I always felt that way about my parents' teak furniture. The house was full of the stuff. It was in the dining room, living room, their bedroom...

As an adult I now realize how stylish our house was back then and have even managed to scoop a few of their pieces for my own home.

my parents have loads of incredible arts & crafts furniture but it was rather well hidden beneath a lot of grime. They're refinishing it slowly and would happily lend me almost anything, but I live in another country and can't take them up on the offer.

My mom also has cupboards full of vintage hand-embroidered linens, and a bunch of gorgeous midcentury art exhibit posters from France. Most of these things weren't used or displayed when I was growing up so I was unaware of their existence until recently.

I use my parent's home as my personal one stop shop for quirky and awesome decor. They are avid antiquers and yard sale fanatics, hence have unusual amounts of one-of-a-kind kitsch. The good thing about their finds is that they were usually cheaply acquired and so repainting or revamping comes with little guilt. The bottom line is, whether it is was expensive or not, do with it what you must to make it work for you!
Erin @ Cultivating HOme

My parents have a few beautiful antique pieces. Just enough to create beauty and interest but not too many to be cluttered. I've been in love with the antique ice box since I was a little girl. It's always graced the kitchens we've lived in with a quiet warmth. I remember hiding goodies in the compartments when I was a little girl.

I used to think my parents stuff was "not me" - too grownup, ornate, and old. Now I realize the timeless elegance of all their pieces is exactly what i CRAVE in my home!

My mom had a table nearly identical to your mother's. Unfortunately, hers did not survive my childhood. I always hated it, but I can see how it would work beautifully in some rooms.

I generally dislike my parents' decorating styles, but I appreciate them a bit more the older I get.

I think that's actually an ottoman that went with a bentwood rocker. At least, that's how I'm using it in my nursery. Non-painted, but I love it.

While I was in school for interior design I went over to my grandma's house and suddenly saw it with new eyes. She has some amazing mid-century pieces along with antiques she and my grandpa had collected on their travels around the world. I had never noticed how fantastic the mod rug is on the closed porch or that she also owns a set of Eames style wire chairs in pristine condition. When I asked her to bequeath them to me she said, "Those old things? Sure, if you want."

You'd love it if it were paired with an antique Thonet no.14... I think.

When my grandparents passed away, my parents inherited some dressers, buffets, and china cabinets that had been in the family for generations. Some had been modernized a bit, but every single one looks almost new!

Yes, that's a Thonet piece that was likely worth some cash before someone painted it yellow.

"Yes, that's a Thonet piece that was likely worth some cash before someone painted it yellow."

word.

That is beautiful, Tequila Red. I guess it is an ottoman for a bentwood rocker, as you and Bredlo point out.

Thanks Regina. Mine is NOT a Thonet, alas, but it's pretty comfy.

I just recently realized I loved my great-grandfather's old, brown swivel chair made from vinyl. My dad has long since given it away or thrown it away, but I wish I'd gotten it to reupholster.

Tequila Red, that's GORGEOUS. And I love the way that whole little area is styled. Good job!

Sadly, my parents got rid of all their awesome mid-century furniture and accessories sometime in the 80s.

My mom has tea pot from Korea that she got from one of her h old bosses. Even though its dust from never being used, and has a couple of chips, I still find it so beautiful. I every time I see it when I visit my parents i think to myself: I can't wait to own this tea pot.

I remember hating our couch and the thin red tapestry thing my mom would drape across it, when I was little.
I really wish she held onto that tapestry.

Urrgh. I liked the pretzel color of the piece before it was dipped in mustard. Sometimes people take this painting thing too far.

(I know they're different pieces, by the way, but I'm assuming the yellow one started out looking roughly similar to the brown one.)

I like this in both the wood and painted versions. I doubt the yellow paint is causing a value crash. Bentwood was ubiquitous in the 70s... rockers, ottomans, coat racks. The stuff was everywhere. Thonet inspired, but mostly cheap knockoffs available at GEMCO and FEDCO (think pre-Target, if you are able to imagine such a time).

My parents are really generous in sharing family antiques. When we've moved, sometimes we swap out pieces with them.

I love the table and sadly, yes I too have had my share of late realizations about pieces of furniture. One piece stands out in my mind in particular. It was a 70's era white ceramic hanging lamp with lots of holes in it like swiss cheese and had an organic gourd shape and it was BIG. I think I dumped it at Salvation Army during a somewhat rocky patch in my life when I ended a relationship and took starting from scratch a little too literally. I still hope that someday we will be reunited. Me and the lamp, I mean.

The original wood one makes me shudder. But the yellow one...I could handle the yellow one.

I don't know how many nuclear physics nerd frequent this site (aside from myself), but maybe you like it because its a mockup of one of the most promising fusion reactor designs out there, the Polywell WB-6:

http://peswiki.com/images/3/30/Polywell_WB-6_complete_350.jpg

No antiques or items of value or interest in any home in my family, more's the pity.

If you talk Mom into giving up the table/ottoman -- and heck, it's worth a try --
I suggest getting a glass round to protect the caning.

I picked up the very same table off the curb today! Very weird! Drawn to all those circles : )

saw this same thing on martha!

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/repurposed-furniture-and-decor#slide_12