Heirloom Antiques for the Comfort of Being Home


by Janet O'Dea - Date: 2007-03-30 - Word Count: 1045 Share This!

When you purchase a hand made or antique item today you are buying character and quality that adds to the beauty, comfort and gives you the feeling of being grounded, provides a conversation starter, and sense of being home.

Heirloom pieces and antiques allow you to add some character to your home. Whether you have a piece that has been handed down through your family or you purchase an antique that was in someone elses family, the presence of quality, well crafted art and furniture or textiles removes any hint of a sterile environment, adds a sense of history and a feeling of warmth to your home. Incorporating these pieces into your decorating style provides a sense of grounding and connection to something greater than ourselves, the people in the past;whether it is your grandparents or family or the artist or crafts person who made the item.

Interestingly, as life expectancies have increased and the middle class emerged it is less common for heirloom pieces to stay within the same family. When pieces stay within the family there is a real sense of connectedness to the prior owners (great grandparents or other relations) and often times it is these pieces that remain the most coveted, protected and have the highest sentimental value. With the sale and trade of family pieces the provenance is also often lost. When these items are for sale they are often high quality or more attractive and coveted to have survived so long. Of course, there is always the family sled, like Rosebud in the movie Citizen Kane that throws that whole line of reasoning out the window. But typically, antiques and vintage pieces will most assuredly retain their value and continue to increase in value when cared for as they continue to age.

One way to show your love of your family members is to give them your most prized possessions. When you bequest your favorite pieces to your family members, they will have a long lasting reminder of you that transfers into a deeper sense of belonging in their own home. This translates to families who move across states or abroad; to children who move into his/her first apartment; to the cottage or lake house where you share your fondest memories. It plays into a deep-seated sense of belonging and family because of your generosity. If you find a vintage or antique item that you like and purchase it, then later sell it or bequeath it to your heirs now you have left a legacy that becomes part of your history and theirs.

Some things that are older are not always given the same value by a new owner as it was by the one who gave it to you and you may wonder: Just because it is old, is it always special? The answer is typically: Yes it is probably special to someone even if you don't understand it. Some family pieces get separated from their original families and can quickly lose their provenance. However, it is likely that if the item was cared for and well loved, just because you can't trace the history of the original or last owners, the mere fact that it is still surviving is a testament to some of the qualities, usefulness or its craft or artistry: similar to the theory of Natural Selection or the survival of the fittest.

When you are purchasing vintage or antique items there is an old adage to spend as much as you can afford. Higher quality pieces tend to be higher priced and will generally increase in value faster. For some, this may require that you only purchase one antique or vintage piece per year. This is really an excellent strategy for anyone towards building a wonderful collection, as you become more knowledgeable you will also find that your taste evolves. Others find that the holidays or some events trigger an accelerated timeline to acquiring furniture of other decorative pieces. If that is the case, be careful and follow the adage to choose the best you can afford so that you don't regret rushing into the purchase of a substandard piece later. If you can't afford quality reconsider what you can substitute for the duration or perhaps renting some pieces for the immediate need so that you don't compromise quality and craftsmanship for timeliness.

There are a variety of factors you may want to consider when you are making purchasing decisions for any decorative art items and some factors are dependent upon the type of item you are buying but here are some generalizations.

Quality Materials -Some examples include furniture made with old growth wood which will inherently last longer than the new pressed and glued wood products that are so often used today, or the quality of mud used for art pottery which may differ depending upon the condition of the clay due to the changes in our environment. The artists who had perfected his/her craft tended to use the highest quality materials available and sometimes the nature of the changes to the materials available is reflected in the work.

Hand crafted- Machine made items could be as durable with quality materials, however, the attention to the details can't be compared to a handcrafted piece that emanates from the heart and soul of the skilled artisan,

Imperfections/Patina- The mellow appearance, or soft glow of a piece that has endured or oxidized over time can't be replicated. It is the wear or patina that often adds value to an older piece. Sometimes imperfections are an invitation for some maintenance and when called for, repairing an item so that it can continue its service honors the work of the original artist/craftsperson. Some research about the type of repair may be warranted. A lamp that has been polished to remove its patina may actually lose significant value. If the cord needs to be replaced the value won't suffer.

So consider your own history and legacy and the quality of the items you decide to acquire. And then eventually how you want to pass along those pieces you have treasured. How will you impact your future family by the things you acquire today and provide them with a sense of home and legacy that you will give to those who will come after you- even great, great grandchildren.


Related Tags: value, antique, love, beauty, vintage, heirs, comfort, craft, legacy, character, investment quality

Allen Hazard and Janet O'Dea live in a historically designated bungalow in Mission Hills and have launched an online shop for antiques and fine reproductions of the early 20th century called Hazard Decorative Arts.

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