Styling An Antique Chest Three Ways

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During one of Charlie and my recent runs to a nearby flea market, we stumbled upon a gorgeous, light pine antique chest. Clean lines married with subtle carving, quality dovetailed craftsmanship and stunning hardware, I instantly was in love. For many though, finding antique and vintage pieces at antique malls or flea markets raises questions of how to actually integrate them into their home in a way that compliments their style. Seeing this, I thought it might be fun to walk through three different design options with this recent flea market find! Certainly, there are SO many ways that an item can be implemented into your own personal style, but I think it can be helpful to visualize how the pieces that you pair with an antique or vintage item will drastically change the look of your original selection and certainly do not have to make your house look “old”. So, let’s dive into styling an antique chest three ways!

Why Shop Vintage?

Before we dive into how to style a piece in different design directions, let’s break down the perks to shopping vintage! Shopping for vintage or antique goods can be motivating for many reasons, but some of my favorites include the quality, reusability, cost and character of vintage / antique items.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the quality and craftsmanship of a number of vintage and antique pieces is vastly different than many items produced today. Certainly, this isn’t always true, but many older products were created with great care in mind, especially when related to solid materials and craftsmanship techniques. Likewise, buying second hand helps reduce waste and gives fabulous older pieces another life. So many beautiful products are thrown out instead of repurposed and frequently, with a little vision, they can be implemented into a variety of styles while also providing some budget savings. Which brings me to my next point… cost savings! For me, the quality, character and cost savings are a HUGE motivator for shopping vintage, as the same pieces produced today with similar character details would be much more expensive. Items that have received less wear and tear or that are more specialty will frequently cost a substantial amount, however on the whole, buying secondhand can be a great way to stretch a budget while adding unique interest to your home.

Styling An Antique Chest: Cozy & Collected

When you think of integrating antiques, this cozy and collected look is probably one of the first you think of. With strong cottage vibes, this design style easily integrates antiques as it emphasizes pieces with character, detail and traditional undertones. To keep this collected style fresh and up to date, mix vintage and antique pieces with unique paint applications like contrast trim or color drenching a room, a mix of metals (to prevent items looking too coordinated), a touch of greenery and a sophisticated design element such as a classic lighting option, a wallpaper or purposeful play on patterns.

Top Art | Bottom Art | Table Lamp | Brass Pedestal Dish | Arranging Things Book

Styling An Antique Chest: Contemporary & Sculptural

When imagining contemporary interiors, you likely do not picture an antique piece. However, effective contemporary and modern designs celebrate the unexpected, whether that be in form, color or texture, which immediately paves the way for a touch of vintage interest to be added. To style an antique chest, keep the remainder of your selections very sculptural or sleek in their design, form and function. For instance, within this setting, I paired the antique chest with a bold black wavy mirror for organic interest while juxtaposing this fluidity with an angular linen lamp and simplistic black acrylic coffee table book display. Keeping your other pieces sculptural with simplistic forms allows the vintage piece to add just the hint of warmth that a contemporary design needs.

Mirror | Table Lamp | Book Holder

Styling An Antique Chest: Colorful & Artistic

The final design style to discuss for this styling of an antique chest is that of the colorful and artistic design direction. Pairing antique pieces with bold colors and fresh art provides a playful spin on a potentially more traditional vintage design. Certainly these colorful choices can be extended to the room as a whole, or emphasized primarily in the art, but either way, the blending of color, character and design interest can create a very pleasing space. If utilizing large scale artwork, build on another layer of interest by adding a picture light above, flanking with sconces or adding matching table lamps (if working with a larger console type piece) for a complete look.

Final Thoughts

Walking through each of these design directions was such fun and I was amazed to see just how much the items paired with the chest affected the tone of the design as a whole. As I am a sucker for colorful artwork and vintage pieces together, I likely find the colorful and artistic style to be one of my favorites, but what do you think? Do you have a favorite scheme out of the three? Or would you classify your design style as different from these? An antique chest could also very easily be incorporated into a more coastal aesthetic, farmhouse or mountain vibe as well… perhaps we will have to explore those in the future! Needless to say, an antique chest such as this one can be an extremely versatile design element and I hope the next time you find a vintage or antique treasure you love, you are a bit more open to experiment with it!

Happy styling!