Vintage & Antique Art at Home
Home is an accumulation of our lives, a source of comfort and connects us to special memories, stories and people. When the selection of objects in our home are unique to us and informed by personal connections, values and preferences, we are most likely to create spaces that will satisfy and endure.
One of the most powerful ways to inject character and visual interest into a home is through artwork, particularly vintage or antique pieces. Art makes all the difference to the look and feel of our interiors, it carries presence and power within a space and adds warmth and beauty. There is something magical about original vintage artwork, imbued with stories and layers of rich history. It affords opportunities to create individual spaces outside of the trends of mass produced art, and celebrates conscious consumerism. Art comes in many forms and can include photographs, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, reclaimed signs or finds from nature, as well as paintings.
Credit | Mark Winstanley
Credit | deVOL Kitchens
Credit | Pamela, Grey in Grey in Green
Credit | Anton & K
The pieces we surround ourselves with are important and intrinsic to our everyday life and have the ability to spark joy, awe and calm in our spaces. Art provides an endless source of inspiration across the home and can create a beautiful environment in any room. It has a way of pulling a space together and making it feel inviting and lived-in. Working the colours of artworks into your interior schemes and pairing with finds old and new can create considered and cohesive spaces.
The subject matter and medium can make a big difference to what kind of mood an artwork can add to your home. Muted colours can be good for creating a sense of calm whilst bold and vibrant scenes can enliven a space. From landscapes to still life or portraits, whether abstract or realism in style, choose pieces instinctively as it is those pieces that you feel a connection with that will retain a personal value. The beauty of buying vintage art is that it lends itself to interesting and informal placement around the home. Vintage art works are there to be seen, moved around and enjoyed.
Methods of displaying art can often make as much of a statement as the pieces themselves. The way a painting is framed, hung and lit all contribute to the overall aesthetic and feeling it evokes. A single painting, whether large or small in size, can be hugely impactful and completely transform a room. There is sometimes a temptation to hang paintings high on a wall but positioning pieces at eye level can work well. When curating artworks, it is important to consider the proportion of the piece in relation to the room, so that when the picture is in place it has a connection with the space and the viewer. Leaving light and space around individual special pieces allows them to be a focal point, creates balance and grounds the interior.
Credit | Hayley Rusling
Credit | Jersey Ice Cream Company
Credit | The Repose
Credit | Bess Piergrossi
Art can also be grouped together to form a gallery wall in order to add visual interest to a room. While historic in nature, the gallery wall complements both traditional and contemporary spaces. Whilst there are many different approaches, the most important thing to remember when curating a wall of art is that the display should look like it has evolved over time, combining different artistic mediums, frame styles and sizes for an organic, collected look. Placing a favourite or stand out piece first, and building around it can be a good way to start, keeping the central picture at eye level. Constraining the colour palette can help to unify a collection and create cohesion. Pieces need not match or belong to the same aesthetic, style or genre, but come together beautifully when arranged within a limited palette. Overall, there is no wrong way as it’s about evoking a feeling through pieces which elicit memories and personal connection, a visual reminder of homes, people and places.
Credit | Zoe de las Cases
Credit | Neptune
Credit | Love Grows Wild
Credit | The Nordroom
For a more informal approach than traditional hanging, paintings also look effective placed on the floor, on top of a sideboard, or propped casually on a shelf or mantelpiece. Leaning pieces of art allows them to be moved easily around the home and creates a simple, laid-back aesthetic that feels effortlessly elegant.
Credit | Minnie Peters
Credit | Heather Bullard
Credit | Lynda Gardener
Credit | Jersey Ice Cream Company
Credit | Atelier Ellis
Credit | Hayley Rusling
The versatility of art means that it can be enjoyed in every room, being equally at home in main living areas as a hallway or landing. Displaying art work in unexpected places can anchor a space and bring interiors to life. Framed or unframed, canvases or boards, the possibilities are endless.
There are so many things to love about vintage and antique art – its form, tones, texture and the story it tells. It has already lived a life somewhere and there are often clues to the story through patination, old repairs and markings. Vintage art infuses a home with character through its lived-in patina and can connect us with precious memories. It can also resolve a space, acting as a decorative focal point and help us feel grounded.
Whether you live in a contemporary or traditional home, art helps to personalise a space. Buying vintage art is a wonderful way to reduce waste by reusing and repurposing existing resources and pieces don’t have to be rare or expensive. Whatever your budget, scour second hand shops, markets and small businesses to find original pieces as this is what makes a home feel uniquely you.
When we include pieces we love within our home, we create opportunities to enhance both the look and feel of our spaces. Take time to build collections slowly, choosing pieces which resonate and have a strong visual and emotional connection, in order to enrich your surroundings and bring joy and beauty to your home.
Credit | At Home with Nancy Myers | Amy Neunsinger
Credit | Audrey Fitzjohn
Credit | Chris Everard
Credit | Amber Interiors
