Accessorizing with Antiques

Decorating your table and dining area for a special gathering is a fun and easy way to enhance the celebratory occasion. Designer Jane Synnestvedt shows us how to accessorize a dining table for a special holiday meal.

Modern and rustic pieces can be mixed together for a cohesive look with a few simple tips.

The use of scale and proportion when selecting furniture and accessories are critical factors in creating an aesthetically pleasing and harmonious interior.

Displaying accessories related by color, texture or style in groups of three or odd numbers creates a sense of visual interest and harmony.

To display and combine your larger accessory collections, edit into smaller groups by selecting unifying elements. Look for the pieces that best represent your collection and combine with other pieces that have a similar texture, tone or color.

Using a bold color scheme and sense of scale, designer Colleen Farrell creates a fresh, modern look combining traditional antique furniture, contemporary graphic prints and vintage accessories.

When taking on the task of accessorizing this furniture grouping, designer Lynn Witmer selected pieces of bold, mid century ceramics and accent furniture. While the room is anchored with traditional furniture including an English linen-covered chesterfield sofa, a marble top Swedish chest and table, large Venetian mirrors and carved French consoles, Lynn began accessorizing from the opposite end of the spectrum.

To soften a minimalist look while still maintaining a clean, uncluttered approach, try accessories with natural elements: wood, stone, bone, metal. A mixture of accessories and furniture of different styles, cultures or textures can create a sense of richness with just a few pieces.

The “Gold Room” I created within the gallery at Judy Frankel Antiques is an example of how tone on tone layering can be used to achieve a cohesive look while mixing a wide range of styles and periods. By selecting furniture and accessories in various shades of gold, I was able to layer many types of antique accessories within a small space yet not have it appear fussy or overdone. If your aesthetic veers toward a rich, layered look, select a light palette - white, gray, gold and beige are classic choices – and you’ll find that even with a lot of accessories layered in, the tone on tone approach results in a fresh, clean look.

Corey Damen Jenkins of Design With Vision accessorizes three pieces of furniture in our showroom and shares a few design tips.