Appetite for Antiques
A passion for antiques produces a dining room brimming with vintage furniture and collectibles for every eye to savor.
A decorating style created with golden oldies can be learned. This cottage dining room, with warm antiques presented in an orderly, edited manner, serves as an ideal template for acquiring the knack.
Scale is important in drawing attention to vintage furniture. The homeowners avoided a lot of small furnishings, which create a cluttered look. Instead, they selected large-scale furniture pieces, particularly a harvest-size table and a tall cupboard, that command attention.The pieces aren’t fussy, either; their simple lines make mixing easy. The American Empire dining table (a real find at $200 from an antique shop’s basement) doesn’t require a banquet of same-style chairs. Painted black, Hitchcock chairs — American classics — are right at home with the straightforward look of the table.
A white-painted cupboard adds focal-point interest while tidily organizing a display of antique pottery. Walls disappear beneath creamy white paint, allowing attention to fall on the furnishings. The only art is a pair of vintage prints symmetrically balanced on either side of the cupboard.
Tabletops present an opportunity in design to complement or contrast the mood of the room. The casual feel created by the country cupboard and its pottery display is dispelled at the dining table.
Here, quiet elegance reigns. The mood is established by the centerpiece — a traditional bouquet of roses in a tall crystal vase.
Crystal candlesticks enhance the formality of the centerpiece. (Note: Opaque, earthy potteries are avoided when a formal elegance is desired. Glistening silver and glass are favored.) Completing the look are the place settings of bone china, sterling silver flatware, and emerald goblets.
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