How To Decorate With Family Heirlooms Without Dragging Your House Back to the ’50s
Photo courtesy of Debi Treloar / Ryland Peters & Small | CICO Books via Houzz
Your parents and grandparents collected whole suites of brown furniture and gilded framed art for their living and dining rooms—and now a lot of it seems to be coming your way.
Sure, you’d like to acknowledge their thoughtful gifts. But clinging to a family heirloom in your decor just because your grandmother wanted a rustic blanket chest can sink a look you’re trying to create.
So take a breath, and realize it’s perfectly OK to donate items you don’t actually like. But if you want to update your pieces, check out these six innovative ways to integrate fusty, old decor into your space without looking like you’re living in the past.
Paint it bright
Photo by Gabriel Holland Interior Design
A hot pink wardrobe? Yes, please!
A fresh coat of paint on tired brown furniture can give it new life—and your room gains a pop of bold color to boot. Or paint a wooden sideboard to make it over into a home bar.
Jen Dallas, an interior designer with the eponymous firm, is planning this exact idea for a client’s new home.
“I kept a built-in cabinet that would honor his old house, and we’re going to paint it white and add new hardware to freshen it up,” explains Dallas.
Display choice pieces
Photo by MHK Architecture & Planning
Dealing with the two dozen antique teapots or 30-piece dinnerware set can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a lot of display space (and you’re a die-hard coffee drinker who prefers travel mugs).
So instead, select a few of the prettiest pieces and let them shine on display. This way, you won’t have to jam them into an already stuffed china cabinet, and you might think to use them now and again since they’re front and center.
As for the other pieces in an inherited set: It’s OK to store them out of sight. Really.
Combine old with new
Juxtaposing old and new looks together is surprising and modern, say the pros, so consider the pieces you have and then make a couple of outside-the-box matches.
For example, you might pair a small dresser with scroll work and curved legs with a bright blue woven seat or a stylish midcentury Eames wire chair.
Or maybe you’ve been given a big ol’ 1960s peacock chair, which you could position in front of a contemporary glass coffee table. And don’t forget about bedding and other linens. Fresh graphic designs on a spread or pillows can quickly revamp an antique four-poster bed.
Design something new
You might not need an old bookcase from your aunt Virginia. But you can cut a groove in the shelves to transform it into a place to display your beautiful yellow china chargers, right?
The same goes for a funky cabinet—it could be the perfect vanity in a half-bath. And consider new materials when upgrading an old piece, too. Dallas recommends stone, in particular.
“We’re going to add a stone piece on the cabinet for our client to change the look and feel—it’ll instantly appear more modern and fresh,” she says.
Fill a small nook
Photo by Stonebreaker Builders & Remodelers
Nooks and cutouts in the home are fine for holding books or framed photos.
But when you’ve been gifted a set of vintage tins or glass figurines, consider swapping out these ho-hum items and putting your family heirlooms in an unusual new home.
Ideas to try: the space above upper kitchen cabinets, an under-the-stairs nook, a few shelves on a landing, or a small glass curio cabinet hanging in the hallway.
Reframe the look
Photo by Ryland Peters & Small | CICO Books
You can choose a new setting for a piece of art you inherited. (It’s OK. Not everyone’s a fan of heavy gilt framing.) Or save the frame and put in new art.
Remember, the new look doesn’t have to be a painting or photograph. You might display your favorite cartoons from the New Yorker or a set of prints you’ve removed from an old art book.
Small family heirlooms such as brooches, vintage matchboxes, or stamps can also be reframed, either set behind glass with a special mat or placed in tiny cubbies in a wall cabinet. Jewelry and other precious pieces are lovely when placed under a bell-shaped glass cloche. This way, you’ll protect the item and display it in a modern way.
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