An Ode to Family Heirlooms and Sentimentality
Have you ever thought about hiring a designer, but then worried that they might take one look at your home and insist that you trash all of your treasured family heirlooms just because they’re not totally on-trend? Well guess what. Those designers might be out there somewhere, but I’m definitely not one of them.
In the first place, I could give a hoot whether something is on-trend. Am I influenced by trends? Of course I am. We all are, even if we don’t realize it. But I never let trends dictate what my home or a client’s home should look like. Our homes should reflect what we love and what we value, not what’s trending on Instagram or Pinterest.
Moreover (omg…moreover? I guess I’m a lawyer now, building my case, in front of who exactly? The court of whether or not you’re allowed to ignore interior design trends??? Lol.)...
…Anyway, what I was about to say is that these special pieces are the things that really make a house a home, and there’s always a way to work them in. Consider this dining room project that I worked on for recent clients. The clients inherited this table from a very dear friend who passed away while we were working on the room. We had already sourced a new dining room table, but I happily tossed that idea right out the window when the opportunity to incorporate this heirloom came along. Their friend, and this table, had been an integral part of many special gatherings, and there’s just no substitute for those kinds of memories and feelings. A new piece, beautiful as it might be, will never mean as much.
And you know what? The table looks fantastic in this dining room. The other pieces in the room were selected because they all have some sort of glam vibe or detail that compliments the ornate style of the table, but they’re modern enough that they don’t make the room feel stuffy or old-fashioned. Consider those dining chairs. The jewel-toned velvet fabric is the perfect upholstery for that table. Fancy, luxurious, and seriously glam. But the shape of the chair is super mod. It keeps the room feeling fresh and fun, very much like the family who lives here.
Personally, I love mixing and matching periods and styles. Eclectic spaces are some of my most favorite spaces. I never want the rooms I design to feel like they’ve been lifted from a catalog. There’s a bit of an art to combining pieces from different eras and styles, but when it’s done right, it’s pure design magic. These spaces are always the most interesting and inspiring places to be.
Now, there is one thing to keep in mind when it comes to incorporating antique or vintage furnishings into a space. If the piece needs some work to make it safe, functional, or consistent with your aesthetic vision, you may end up spending more on repairs, refinishing, or reupholstering than the piece is worth in dollars. But listen up…DO NOT let this be a deal breaker! If the piece means a lot to you, then the cost of rehabbing it is probably well worth it. It also keeps one more piece of furniture out of a landfill, which is immeasurably valuable.
Bottom line, if you love something, DON’T set it free. Keep your greedy little mitts on it! There’s almost always a way to work it in, and there’s an excellent chance that you’ll be head over heels in love with the end result.
