Why Buy Antiques?

Type "antique" into dictionary.com and some pretty unflattering synonyms pop up: aged, elderly, obsolete and out-of-date. I beg to differ! Maybe it's because I grew up in a home filled with antiques from around the world. Maybe I am just getting old (aged, elderly, obsolete and out-of-date…). But I can't imagine decorating a room without a single piece of antique furniture. Why?

1. Antiques tell a story. Antiques are relics of the past: they carry the weight of bygone conversations, obsolete customs and etiquette. They are a reminder of the extravagances — and the hardships — of another era. And antiques that are inherited from your ancestors provide a tangible link to your own heritage.

2. Antiques are green! Antiquing is the ultimate in eco-friendly shopping. Antiques are inherently recycled and reused. And by buying an old piece, likely constructed before our dependence on oil, you are extending an already impressive life cycle! Very few products can claim such longevity.

3. Antique furniture is generally very well made — and made by hand. If it has lasted this long it will likely withstand the daily grind of modern life. Of course, antiques can break and they do carry their own set of rules for maintenance and cleaning. But a table that has lasted through 200 year's worth of meals is probably pretty well made. Moreover, scuffs and imperfections are often celebrated in antique furniture not dreaded.

4. Antiques are trendproof. While antique pieces are less likely to be super trendy they are also less likely to ever be completely untrendy. If you buy a piece with beautiful lines, curves and construction it is unlikely to offend even the trendiest of trendoids.

5. Constrast is good. Antiques can add texture, energy and personality to even the most modern or contemporary decor. In fact, it is the contemporary room that benefits most from a few antiques. The old pieces cast a new light on the newer pieces — and vice versa. If your living room is chock full of mid century modern, adding an ornate Rococo console table or Gustavian barrel back chair turns a monochromatic (albeit stylish) setting into something truly original and fun.

6. Antiques retain or increase in value. Well-cared for antiques go up in value over time. While prices rise and fall (many experts say that now is the best time to invest in antiques, by the way), antiques are a good investment over the long haul. In some ways a new piece of furniture is like a new car: the new models plummet in value the minute you drive them off the lot.

Have any more reasons to add to the list? Let us know...

Image: From Thomas O'Briens beautiful book, American Modern, that features rooms with great mixes of antiques and contemporary pieces.

Comments (18)

8. Because they are often cheaper than new (and, as pointed out, better built).
pamh
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

9. They just mix well with Modernism.

I love that room and of course it's done by Thomas O'Brien who does the mixing very well.

Great post, and yes, um, I agree. I grew up in a house filled with both antique and modern furniture and am continuing along those same lines in my own home today.

http://lavalotti.wordpress.com/

10. Because having bedroom furniture from your greatgrandmother has significant meaning with family history.

cuz each individual piece is very unique..not mass produced..

Here's a big reason: Reuse is better for our local economy and creates local jobs!

When we throw things out, our cities and counties have to use our tax money to haul them away to a landfill or to be incinerated. But when we re-use things, we're keeping the value of those materials in our community.

I work at Community Forklift, the DC-area thrift store for home improvement. Folks donate renovation leftovers, antique architectural salvage, lawn & garden stuff, building materials, hardware, etc. Then we sell it at up to 80% below retail prices.

In five years, we've kept millions of dollars worth of materials out of the landfill. The proceeds from those materials have been used to create 16 green jobs for local residents, and to make repairs more affordable for tens of thousands of folks, including homeowners, small businesses, and nonprofit groups that fix up substandard housing (and when buildings are repaired, neighborhoods are revitalized). The local arts community has also benefited from our excess and free materials, using them in sculptures and theatre sets.

You may wonder: does this really help the local economy in the end? Doesn't it just mean sales at nearby retail stores go down?

Well, it turns out that sales actually go UP at nearby hardware & home improvement stores when a thrift store like ours opens up. Here's why: someone may need a new kitchen, but they can't afford to buy it new so they can't do the remodel. But when they find a $5,000 cabinet set at our thrift store for $500, then they are able go ahead with the project - and they have more room in the budget to spend on fasteners, hardware, new counters, etc.

In this tough economy, I've had dozens of contractors and small builders who've told me they've been able to continue working because of our thrift store. Clients who couldn't get loans can still go ahead and hire them for remodeling projects because they can save so much money on materials at our thrift store.

So....reuse is better for the local economy in so many ways :-)

11. Because refinishing or reupholstering an antique piece yourself gives you a physical representation of your connection to the past, and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of hard work paying off. But most contemporary furnishings aren't really sturdy enough to give a makeover.

Great additions everyone...
Funny coincidence is that i finished the post last night and then today spotted a walnut chest of drawers at the thrift store in georgetown. It is likely from the early 1800s, in perfect condition, beautiful veneer and just what i needed. And it was $600. About the same price as a chest from potterybarnkids.

12. Because you can end up with a unique and beautiful home you can enjoy that reflects your innate style (though I suppose it helps if you have some style gut, knowing instinctively what you like and don't like, and what fits with your home and what works together) - rather than ending up wth something that looks like a page out of a pottery barn, room and board, or crate and barrel catalog - though that seems to be the exact uniform look some are trying to get (not that I have anything against those and other catalog stores, but everything needs to be mixed up with stuff from elsewhere, and from some other time period - what I abhor is the bland look of conformity.)

Great post......I'm a consummate collector and my entire vintage home is furnished with second-hand furniture, decor and textiles. Of course I have some new items mixed in, but only as far as technology goes. Vintage is always the best route to go and creates an authentic, comfortable, lived-in feeling that new furniture and a Pottery-Barn esthetic just can't match.

Give me vintage over new any day.

Because every antique brings history into your house, whether it's family furniture, or someone else's family.

I have a Wells Fargo style desk from the late 1800's and it sparks many a short history discussion from the strangest people. I've learned more about the early history of the SF bay area from visitors who see my desk than I could ever learn from books.

You know what the worst is? Going into someone's house, and at first glance it looks nice. Well put together, some character...but something just feels off. Upon closer inspection you realize their entire house is furnished with "new" antiques.

I'm lusting after those windows.