Think Antique
I have recently become a bit antique-obsessed. Alex and I have always admired the character of our older home, but like many millennials, we turned to big name stores like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware when we first furnished our home. Although, we did purchase most of our PB and RH items second-hand on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. For example, our RH leather couch was from Craiglist and our PB dining room chairs were from FB Marketplace.
Anyway, in the last year or so, I have become less enchanted with these name brand stores and have begun to admire the craftsmanship from an earlier time than my own. One of my biggest complaints about furniture from these stores is the use of wood veneer instead of solid wood. It just doesn’t have the same feel to me! And since Alex is a “tree guy” (his business now focuses on tree pruning, removal and health care), we simply could not have “fake” wood furniture in our home.
The character and function of pieces from the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s are timeless and impressive. Admiring hand-dovetailed drawers and hand-forged nails, hallmarks of antique furniture, brings me back to another time. I love that fact that no one else in the world will ever have the exact same piece of furniture. I also have quite a bit of fun mixing in modern accessories with antique pieces to create a style that is unique to me and one-of-a-kind.
Here are a few of the antique pieces I have found on Facebook Marketplace so far. Below, I put the original Facebook Marketplace posting on the left and the picture of the furniture in my home on the right!
If you read my Bedroom Renovation - Phase I blog post, you might remember that our bedroom was originally divided into two smaller rooms, neither of which was large enough to fit a nightstand on either side of our king-sized bed. So for a long time, neither Alex nor I had nightstands. Once we removed the wall and effectively doubled the size of our bedroom, I was eager to find a nightstand with character!
This solid oak dresser was a great Facebook find. It needed a bit of love, so I sanded it down and then stained it with Varathane Early American wood stain. I finished it with three coats of semi-gloss to give it a beautiful, protective sheen. I would highly recommend a semi-gloss finish. It elevates the entire piece and makes it elegant and functional.
Due to the hand-forged nails and dove-tail joints, I feel confident this dresser is from the late 1800s.
I absolutely adore this pie safe! First of all, I love the concept of a pie safe. Its so homey and old-fashioned. In the 1700s and 1800s, pie safes were used to store food prior to the invention of the ice box. I had never even heard of a pie safe until a few weeks ago, let alone seen one in anyone else’s home. This a great piece of furniture, not only because of the history of pie safes, but also because it can display all of your treasures inside. I used the same Verathane Early American wood stain and semi-gloss to finish re-finish the cabinet.
Although the Facebook Marketplace posting says this piece is from the late 1800s, I think it might be from the early 1900s. Although I have no doubt the piece was hand-cut and assembled, the nails appear manufactured, which indicated 1900s.
This slant front desk is drop dead gorgeous! I just bought it last weekend, and it is so incredibly heavy, that it landed right in the middle of my living room where I snapped a few photos. Since then, Alex and I moved it upstairs to our bedroom. We joke that I now have an “office” in every room of the house! (I work from home and move from room to room with my laptop throughout the day, rarely ever working in my official office space).
Anyway, as I said, the desk is now in our bedroom. It is in such good condition that I am pleased to say it does not require any refinishing. I couldn’t imagine altering the gorgeous wood. What makes this desk a particularly interesting find, is that it came with a written history of ownership! That being said, I am not sure how it ended up in the community pool storage shed in Northeast Philadelphia, which is where I picked it up. The note, on a piece of stationary from Medford, New Jersey, says:
“I bequest to [I will omit names] my desk which I am [having?] at present in my bedroom at Medford [?]. This desk belonged to my father, [name omitted] who inherited it from his father [name omitted], who in turn inherited it from his father [name omitted].”
I Googled the woman’s name on the stationary and found a person with the same name in Medford, New Jersey who lived from 1889-1977. If indeed that is the right person, and the the desk did belong to her great-Grandfather, it could very well date back to the 1700s. Very cool, right? I want to do more research on their family.
As for styling, I can’t decide whether to pair it with a modern chair or another antique. I love the look of pairing antiques with Lucite. My inspiration pictures here and here, thanks Pinterest! Stunning, right?
As far as other decor for the desk, I picture a few bud vases for fresh-cut roses from the garden. I am eyeing art from McGee & Co. to hang above the desk. I love Blush Bloom, Bronte Beach and Villerville Beach. Their artwork all goes so well together, so perhaps I will do a combination of a few different pieces. But that will have to wait for my next paycheck!
