Should antique chests be used to hold modern flat-screen TVs? A recent editorial in an antiques publication worries about the idea of pairing a television set with 18th- or 19th-century furniture. I have a flat-screen TV on the wall above a very elaborate Victorian chest. It looks great near our oil paintings. Sometimes when a gardening show is on, my TV looks like a painting. There is also a telephone, computer, and recessed lighting in the room with our collectibles. How can you collect and keep “the present” out of your surroundings?
I was born in the 50’s and have lived with antiques around me all my life. I tell my friends that my Mother was one of the “original” recyclers! It always took our family longer to get to any vacation destination because if she saw an antique sign, our car was going to STOP. As children, we would whine. But as adults we all inherited the love of antiques. Now since our parents are gone, we have inherited beautiful antiques for our homes. We use them daily and love to share the stories with friends and other family from where our beloved treasures came. The quality of antique furniture far surpasses many furniture pieces made of what I call “glued together sawdust”. Give me antiques any day of the week! :o)
I have a lovely East Lake side table that I use to hold my computer. The computer shares the table with a 1960s amber glass lamp. I loving mixing and matching my nice things with new things. We keep our bedroom TV on a washstand from the 1870s. It works out well and looks great.
With all the museums and historic homes in the world, they cannot begin to house but a fraction of all antiques and art. As collectors, we have accepted our responsibility of preserving these precious pieces of history.
We must learn to incorporate them into our decor, old with new. If not, we risk loosing them to the heat of attics or mold of damp basements.
I use an antique gate leg table as our breakfast table. Matched it with not-old chairs and it looks great. I love the versatility of raising the other leaf for company.
My youngest daughter decorates in ultra modern but she also has some 100 year old pieces that amazingly fit right in.
You just have to use your imagination. If it looks good to you, that is all that matters.
Katie
Southern Nights Antiques at Ruby Lane
I agree. Who wants to live in a “period” house where you can’t sit on or touch anything? That’s what museums are for. If a person’s pieces are so precious they can’t be a part of real life, donate them so they can be preserved forever. Otherwise, use them and enjoy them. It’s people, not things that matter in the end, no matter what the things sell for.