Elevate Your Home with These Exclusive and Sustainable Antiques

Perhaps it is time to renovate or refresh a room or space that has become tired, unused, or perchance, you may be ready to expand your design perspective as you shift into a new era in the walk of life and its many changes.

Antiques and vintage furnishings not only give that unexpected “je ne sais quoi” to a room, but they introduce a special time in history and ancestry that you cannot get from mass production. Antiques exude appealing poetic charm, and quite often that special antique furnishing becomes the distinctive piece that defines the space. The combination of period pieces such as a linen upholstered Louis XVI Demilune, an 18^th century studded tooled leather trunk mixed with current modern elements create an aesthetically interesting space.

Antiques not only give us the gift of art history, with a back story of ancestry, they possess the craftsmanship of being well made, with hand joinery, natural glues, dyes, and hardwoods, the ultimate in green practice. The mass production of furniture has high levels of VOC which contributes to unhealthy air quality, producing an “unhealthy home”.  Current manufacturer pieces lack the artisanship that increases longevity, therefore ending up in landfills earlier. The typical antique is resold every 30 years. While the average life of a “new” piece is a mere 15 years. If you purchased an antique table, rather than buying new, you would save approximately 0.50 tons of carbon emissions or an impressive 4% of your annual carbon footprint.

The supply chain issues have increased the need for furniture and as a professional interior designer, I am delighted that clients are acknowledging the fun and thrill of the “hunt” or “antiquing” for that special accoutrement. Discovering that hidden local antique showroom, attending antique shows, scouring antique purveyor websites or professional designer websites such as Chairish and 1^st Dibs are a wealth of amazing sources to find that treasure. Of course, who can’t resist a trip to France and explore the French Flea Markets and Brocantes, Oui!

Investing in antiques is the ultimate eco sustainability green practice. Antiques have an endless life cycle, purchasing an antique provides an amazing opportunity to express your unique individuality. The case for repurposing is endless. The juxtaposition and blending aesthetics of the past complements the present interior and provides an interesting and well curated living space, as well as representing a steward of green practice.

Beryl Dusenberry

Professional Interior Designer