How to Decorate and Furnish Your Home with Antiques

When it comes to decorating and furnishing with antiques, my mother is a professional. I grew up in an old farmhouse, and my mother made sure at least one piece of antique furniture graced each room. Here are some basic tips to finding and buying antique furniture and decor, and how to ensure each antique piece has a special place in your home.

Where to Find Antique Furniture and Decor

Go treasure hunting. Look for collectibles and antique furniture people may have thrown. With a little elbow grease, sometimes you can find a real antique gem amongst the rubble. My mother found old coffee cans, glass soda bottles and blue glass bottles in our family dump out in the pasture. Mom's greatest find was an unopened half pint bottle of pre-war whiskey in her kitchen walls when remodeling the farmhouse. She said it was common for house builders in the early 1900s to drink on the job. When the boss came, the men would hide their bottles in the walls.

Treasure hunt old farm houses. Many old, abandoned houses have antique furniture left behind. Look for decor such as light fixtures, shutters, or switch covers. Get permission from the homeowner or estate before going in, however, or you could be charged with trespassing or theft.

When purchasing a home, keep an eye out for antique furniture treasures which were left behind. My sister has an old treadle Singer sewing machine cupboard because the previous homeowner didn't take it with when he moved.

Where to Buy Antique Furniture and Decor

My entire family consists of auction sale addicts. Peruse your local newspaper and look for household or estate auctions. Most of my mother's antique furniture came from auction sales, because she loves to know the story behind each antique furniture piece. She has a Hoosier cupboard from approximately the 1920s which belonged to a family friend's father. The 100-year-old antique china hutch in her dining room once belonged to an elderly church friend. The hutch was a present from her husband on their wedding day. Her horse hair couch and her antique Stone Piano Company player piano were also purchased at a family friend's household auction.

Another great place to look for antique furniture and decor is the flea market. People don't know the value of certain antique pieces, so sometimes you can get a really great deal. Rummage or yard sales and roadside stands are other great places to buy antique furniture and decor.

Thrift shops and boutiques sometimes have great antique furniture and decor. If my mother sees an antique decorative piece she likes in a small boutique, she'll ask the shop owner if it's for sale. Even if it's not, she'll ask if they'll consider selling it. She has some very pretty antique lamps because she wasn't afraid to inquire about it.

I have an antique silver-plated clarinet my mother found at a flower shop. They were using the antique clarinet as a decorative piece and sold it to my mother for $50.

Decorating Using Antique Furniture and Decor

Use antique furniture whenever possible. Instead of buying a baker's rack, consider a Hoosier cupboard like my mom did. She put her horse hair couch in the entryway instead of a shoe bench. Utilize your antique furniture where ever possible, even if it's not being used for its original purpose.

Use common household items for decoration. My mother has an old wooden egg crate she uses as a magazine rack. She hung an old wooden Coca-Cola carrying crate on her wall and filled it with her miniatures collection. An old bottle capper, complete with loose bottle caps, is displayed on her bookcase next to her antique Coke bottles. Sad irons, both the kind which had to be heated on the stove and the gasoline-powered ones, are displayed in her home.

Find something antique to collect. My mother has an impressive collection of antique Aladdin kerosene lamps, which are showcased on her antique player piano. She also collects mismatched antique teacups.

Don't be afraid to mix the old with the new. Mom has antique replicas mixed in with her actual antiques. She has an 80s-style cat face vase next to antique books and an antique washboard hung on her wall next to a very modern Americana clock.

My mother's best advice is to buy what you like. Don't worry about the value or the age of the antique furniture or decorative piece. It's your home, not a museum. You want to be surrounded with antiques that are special to you.