How to style your home with antique furniture

With the Winter Art & Antiques Fair in full swing at Olympia, London from now until November 5, the event offers visitors the opportunity to explore a truly eclectic mix of antique furniture, decorative objects and art.

And as one exhibitor, Patrick Sandberg Antiques, says, antiques are returning into the interiors world as standout statement pieces. We asked him to showcase some of his favourite pieces and share some advice on how to use antique furniture to style different rooms in your home.

Antique mahogany table
Goncalo Alves Breakfast Table (£12,800)

Breakfast Room

This grand table is a fine early 19th century Regency breakfast table made of Goncalo alves, or Tigerwood, thus named after its opposing colours. Modern pale settings and deep browns contrast well with a light colour scheme. Seating four people very comfortably, it would look most elegant in a small dining room, or even work well in a traditional breakfast room. The colouring and brass highlights naturally make it more versatile in a range of room styles.

Antique secretaire bookcase
Late 18th Century Sheraton period satinwood Secretaire Bookcase (£18,000)

Drawing Room

Bookcases and dressers can be fairly versatile and are an outstanding storage item. This bookcase, originally designed for a library or study, would work nicely in a drawing room. The 18th century Sheraton period satinwood Secretaire Bookcase has boxwood and ebony strung and purple heart decorated throughout, creating a lovely feature in the woodwork. The shelving offers numerous possibilities to display family mementos and fine china or books and art collections. Being made from light-coloured satinwood, it has looks modern despite being over 200 years old.

The Secretaire drawer is also designed as a desk and could be used for this purpose during the day as required and then folded away during the evening. Being able to hide away work so easily creates a much more soothing living space. So this is also ideal for smaller spaces functioning as a two-in-one piece of furniture.

Bedroom

Antique bedside cabinets
Pair of late 19th Century French Bedside Cabinets (£5,800)

Antique bedside cabinets are a particularly great way to include antiques into the bedroom.  They bring a sense of the romance and are extremely practical for all the essential items which you can keep tucked away in them. This pair date from the late 19th century and are French satinwood bedside cabinets with cottanello antico marble tops and frieze drawers. Using a warm colour such as this satinwood gives a warmth and texture to a bedroom that can otherwise be missing with contemporary settings and furniture.

These could also work well in a conservatory if you needed side tables to put lamps on and house any other little bits.

Study

Antique Regency period chairs
Painted and Carved Gilt-wood Armchairs (£25,000)

Chairs are continually useful and can be an interesting feature in a room. This striking pair of early 19th century Regency period chairs are white painted and carved giltwood armchairs. The opulent fabric also has a contemporary feel with comparable designs having emerged in modern soft furnishings.

These would look at home in a study or office, or in an older style house they would look incredible in front of a vanity mirror. Chairs like this can work nicely in a hall too.

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