We love living with antiques and heirlooms and vintage decor, and our customers who buy antique furniture in our online store also enjoy collecting and displaying these unique pieces.
This is why we were delighted when we found this book called Past Present: Living with Heirlooms and Antiques. Author Susan Sully’s book shows how to blend heirlooms and antiques into contemporary homes in a beautiful way that is easy to live with.
As Sully says: “Antiques add the touch of time and the human hand. Every dented baby cup, mended tablecloth, perfectly or imperfectly preserved piece of silver or porcelain tells a story that began long ago and hasn’t ended yet. There are no rules about living with them, except to take what’s old and keep it young by making it part of daily life.”
Every piece of antique furniture that we find in Europe and ship back to the USA certainly has a story behind it, and it is a joy to see these gorgeous hand-crafted antiques start a new chapter of their story in our customers’ homes. You can see for yourself how good they look in our mini tours of customer homes in our series of Customer Spotlights.
Sully’s book shows examples of 20 houses to illustrate how the past can meet the present in her guide to incorporating antiques and heirlooms into every kind of interior design scheme, including more contemporary looks. In the photo above, beautiful antique furniture like the painted Florentine chest are mixed with a contemporary leather sofa, a 20th century Lucite table and an exotic zebra rug! One of the key tricks in living with antiques today is to be brave about mixing and matching objects from different eras and in different styles. As we can see, the eclectic mix works perfectly!
Sully’s book also shows how to pull together traditionally-inspired interiors that aren’t fussy or stiff, For example, this kitchen looks so welcoming and cozy for a family gathering. Although there are many antique and vintage pieces here, the bolt of teal blue color gives a firmly contemporary touch. Another of Sully’s tricks is to change finishes and upholstery to give them new life, or to combine objects in unusual juxtapositions.
Sully also takes it upon herself to show how to set inviting tables, like this formal dining room with antique furniture which features a clever display of artichokes in classic European style. She also gives hints on how to display collections creatively. The 20 houses featured in the book range from a converted 1915 fire station in Alabama, to a Greek Revival mansion in New Orleans. What a terrific celebration of living with antique furniture and heirloom pieces!
Aimee owns EuroLuxHome.com with her husband and best friend, Greg. Aimee sources amazing antique furniture, vintage lighting, & high-quality reproduction furniture to help her customers decorate their homes in a unique way. She loves her 8 (you read that right) fuzzy children and is renovating a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Find us on Facebook or connect with EuroLux on Google+. Or you can sign up here to receive this blog in your inbox.
“I love all things French,” says author Anita Joyce. “I love creating a relaxed home that is also graceful and beautiful, a place that embraces family and friends in a comfortable way while making them feel special and celebrated. I love all that goes into making a house a home. I love antiques, vintage items, rusty-crusty-chippy things, all things French, design, photography, writing, and spending time with my friends and family.”
Ellen Shipman designed more than 600 gardens in the United States between 1914 and 1950. This book celebrates her work creating gorgeous formal American gardens for famous clients including the Fords, the Edisons, the Astors, and the du Ponts. She drew on the Colonial Revival and Arts and Crafts movements, with an original approach to color.
This new book celebrates the rich garden heritage of the state of Georgia, with the stories of nearly thirty public and private gardens. These include Colonial Revival gardens, historic town squares, college campuses, a conservation garden, rock gardens and ornamental 19th century parterres.
I love that subtitle, as Greg and I have been working for the last few years on just that dream in our Newberry, South Carolina garden. You can see some of our landscaping and gardening challenges and successes for our 
wonderfully eclectic effect, combining Mid-Century Modern and Louis XVI, traditional French and colorful Asian pieces.