R E V I VA LI K E A G E N E R A T I O N

V S

V I N T A G E F U R N I T U R E

10B E S T

W E B S I T E S F O R

V I N T A G E F U R N I T U R E

M I X I N G A N T I Q U E

&M O D E R N

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I K E A G E N E R AT I O N V S V I N TA G E F U R N I T U R E

M I X I N G V I N TA G E A N D M O D E R N F U R N I T U R E

B E S T W E B S I T E S F O RV I N TA G E F U R N I T U R E

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F E A T U R E S

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J U L Y | 2 0 1 5 R E V I VA L | 5

Located on 1124 E Avenue St, Fishers, IN 46037

Call us at (317) 896-0476

CAN THE

IKEA GENERATION

BUY INTO

VINTAGE FURNITURE?

B Y A L I C E G R A H A M E

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A STRUGGLING VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE

FURNITURE SECTOR WANTS TO REACH OUT

TO SUSTAINABLY MINDED YOUNG PEOPLE

A new (made in China) chest of drawers has a carbon footprint 16 times higher than the antique equivalent per year, according to research commissioned by the International Antiques and Collectors Fairs (IACF).

But buying antique and upcycled furniture remains a niche activity despite its green credentials, the enthusiasm of designers and success of upcycling websites like Remade in Britain and Etsy. The Antique Collectors Club Annual Furniture Index reports that the English antique furniture market is struggling, while a study into furniture retailing by Mintel, published in December 2014, shows growth in the new furniture market. UK customers spent nearly £14bn on new furniture in 2014.

“People are replacing things more often, helped by the avail-ability of cheap furniture from Ikea or Argos”, says Mintel business analyst Jane Westgarth. “Young couples starting out tend to buy cheaply at first, especially if in rented property and then replace things as they wear out or when they want a change of style.”

CONSUMERS LAY CARDS ON THE TABLEWestgarth’s research found that in the mass market, customers want manufacturers and retailers to lead them on sustainability. “They may voice green or ethical sentiments, but they are often too lazy, too cash-strapped or too short of time to turn belief into action. As a result they are looking to manufacturers, retailers and brands to do the good work for them,” she says.

The research also demonstrated that a brand’s corporate social responsibility or a product’s ethical origins can act as a dif-ferentiator or even a deal breaker. “Given a choice some consumers will increasing-ly opt for the ethical brand, and in some cases they will pay more money for these qualities. They are effectively paying com-panies to be good on their behalf by buy-ing their products.” Ikea is the UK’s market leader in home furnishings, so the impact of their sourcing, manufacturing and transport decisions is huge. For example, it is one of the world’s largest buyers of FSC certified wood in the retail sector.

“We work with thousands of suppliers long term and the majority are close to our stores. Being flatpack, our furniture uses less

fuel to transport. We come into contact with over 700 million peo-ple through our stores and one billion via our website so we feel re-sponsible for helping people live a more sustainable life at home”, says Lena Pripp-Kovac, Ikea’s sustainability manager for range and supply.

However, the cheap and ready availability of furniture from the likes of Ikea means people are throwing away furniture at an alarm-ing rate. Government figures show that 10m items of furniture are thrown out every year in the UK alone.

SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO CHEAP FURNITURE“We need to get the message across that antiques don’t depreciate like high-street furniture. So when you no longer love an item you can sell it at the original price or at a profit, and it won’t end up in a skip or landfill site”.

For those consumers determined to avoid waste, Cradle to Cra-dle (C2C) certified furniture is a good place to start. Certified prod-ucts have been designed with the full life cycle in mind, so in the case of furniture, parts can easily be taken apart and reused. There are several manufacturers producing C2C certified furniture that has been through a rigorous test of five quality categories—material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy and carbon manage-ment, water stewardship, and social fairness. Furniture companies Herman Millar, Orange Box and Steelcase have all produced C2C office chairs. More recently, domestic pieces have appeared, such as innovative leather seating from Pureifhide. Paul von der Heyde, chairman of the British Furniture Confederation, believes there will always be a strong demand for new furniture. “We can’t function without it, and the days of people wanting furniture for life are over.

FURNISHING FROM FRESH“People are living longer so they are not passing on their furniture to their children for many years. The younger generation are not waiting to inherit their family’s furni-ture—they go ahead and acquire their own. As it’s seen as a fashion item, they mostly don’t want their parents’ old furniture anyway.”

But Donna Fenn, founder of Remade in Britain, says that because furniture is thought of as fashion, people are growing bored of what the high street offers and want their homes to look different. “In a word, what upcycled furniture offers is per-sonality”, she says.

“People who buy antique and upcycled furniture value the past, and the skills and craftmanship that have gone into some-thing. The pieces have a history, they have a story to tell, andthey’ve been saved from the skip.”

“AS AN INDUSTRY

WE NEED TO

GET TOGETHER AND

REACH OUT

TO YOUNG, GREEN-

MINDED PEOPLE

WHO HAVE NEVER

THOUGHT OF

BUYING ANTIQUES”SAYS WILL THOMAS OF LOVE ANTIQUES p h o t o b y a n d r e a s p r a e f c k e

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p h o t o b y m a n d i

THE ART OF

MIXING antique

&MODERN

FURNITUREB Y A N G I E C O L E

J U L Y | 2 0 1 5 R E V I VA L | 1 1

A ntique and mod-

ern furniture have

distinct artistry and appeal.

To put both in one room

means creating a balance

between beauty and func-

tionality. It can prove to be

a daunting task for most

but it is an adventure many

are willing to try because of

the extraordinary effects in

style that it can contribute.

Here are some tips in mas-

tering the art of mixing an-

tique and modern furniture.

FINDING THE BALANCE IN THE UNBALANCED

It is often a misconception that an equal ra-tio of traditional and antique furniture is the key to achieving balance.When coordinated well, this could help you achieve a flawless space. However, most of the time, it can give the impression of clutter and compet-ing furniture. When mixing traditional and antique furniture, pick one dominant style. When you are starting with a space that is mostly composed of modern pieces, gradu-ally add antique furniture until you achieve a harmonious space or vice versa.

Gradually adding furniture instead of in-troducing a host of pieces into a space gives you more control and command of the style that you want to achieve.

SIMPLICITY IS IMPORTANT

What you have to remember when deco-rating a space while mixing modern and antique furniture, is to avoid clutter. Clutter takes focus away from the pieces that you want to showcase. It can also make even the most expensive pieces look cheap.

Always keep your space simple by finding a focal point that all your furniture, mod-ern and antique can complement. Find the center to a space, may it be a vintage chest drawer or a refinished tulip table. Choose certain pieces and make it pop by the right accessories and without crowding.

ADD SPARKS OF COLOR

Update your antique furniture. Updating not only means to restore an antique piece to look like its original condition, you can also introduce a contemporary feel to it by adding unexpected colors or pattern. Add modern furniture that is bold and bright to add an exciting flavor to a room. You can

also set both modern and antique furniture against a solid backdrop to emphasize its details, colors and patterns.

MIX DIFFERENT PERIODS TOGETHER

The most exciting spaces often consist of modern pieces and antique furniture from different eras. Furniture from different pe-riods has unique characteristics. These char-acteristics can communicate and comple-ment each other creating a harmonious yet adventurous space.

You can also take the mix a step higher by borrowing colors, patterns and designs. Incorporating fancy and formal stencils to modern furniture or introducing bright col-ors and modern geometric pattern to your antique furniture can give your favorite pieces an instant makeover.

DON’T HESITATE TO ASK

There are many facets to combining antique and modern furniture. Mixing and match-ing different pieces from different eras as well as balancing art and functionality can be a daunting task even for the most styl-ish tastes. To give your space a style boost, don’t hesitate to seek the valuable advice of your interior designer or antique furniture experts like those from Old Plank. They can offer you valuable insights to make har-monize your contemporary and traditional pieces to create the perfect space.

Mixing antique and modern furniture is a fun

and rewarding process. It allows you to high-

light the personality and beauty of each piece.

It enables you to put an entire room together

and bestowing grace and a sense of adventure.

CLUTTER

TAKES FOCUS

AWAY

FROM THE

PIECES

THAT YOU

WANT

TO SHOWCASE.

IT

CAN ALSO

MAKE

EVEN THE

MOST

EXPENSIVE

PIECES

LOOK CHEAP.

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p h o t o b y t h e t o y b o x

V I N T A G E F U R N I T U R E1 0 B E S T W E B S I T E S T O B R O W S E

F R O M Y O U R L I V I N G R O O M

ADDING A FEW ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECES TO OUR HOMES ARE WHAT MAKES OUR SPACES

UNIQUE. (LET’S FACE IT, NO ONE WANTS THEIR INTERIORS TO LOOK EXACTLY L IKE A

PAGE FROM CRATE & BARREL CATALOG) AND WHAT’S MORE ORIGINAL THAN VINTAGE?

But finding these secondhand elements to complete our rooms isn’t always so easy. Although it’s fun on the occasion, the though of waking up at the crack of dawn every weekend to hit up local auc-tions and flea markets is daunting.

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1STDIBSIf you’re looking to splurge on an original piece, head to 1stdibs for a beautifully curated and exclusive collection. This site has been in-terior designers’ secret source for years.

ONE KINGS LANEAlthough it started as one of the premiere “flash sales” sites for decor, recently this site has been focusing on vintage and market finds. Make sure to check out the weekly sales curat-ed by well-known tastemakers.

FLEAPOPThe new kid on the block, this site is perfect for those who like to buy and sell their fabulous finds. Setting up an online shop is totally free, and you can browse for what you’re looking for by location to find the best stuff in your area.

FURNISHLYThe team behind this startup curates listings from all over the web, aka they do the Craigslist searching for you!

DECONETIf you’re looking for the real thing, Deconet is a global marketplace for 20th century vintage modern design originals.

LUSHPADIf you love modern design, this site’s for you. Based in Vancouver, this site features authentic modern originals as well as licensed originals and great lookalikes.

RUBY LANEThis site’s been around since 1998, and it’s easy to see why. Stop here for a beautiful selection of art, furniture and lighting.

KRRBThe coolest thing about this website is it’s uniquely meant for for local and in-person commerce. So not only do you get your hands on cool stuff, you also get to meet your neighbors.

PROXIBIDThis one’s a bit unusual because you’ll find all sorts of items (like livestock and firearms) but it’s also a great source for bidding on furniture from auctions.

L IVEAUCTIONEERSAnother online auction source, this one has a cool app for bidding on-the-go.

Although don’t worry, we have your back and you don’t even have to leave your living room to shop. We compiled the best vintage furniture websites (besides Etsy and eBay, of course) that are surefire spots to find the goods.

C R E D I T S06.13.15 | VOL. 03

O N T H E C O V E R

E D I T O R I A L C O N T R I B U T O R S

P R O D U C T I O N T E A M

Dorothy La Putt // cover photography

Midlands Arts & Antiques // location

Alice Grahame // the guradian

Angie Cole // examiner

Eva Roberts // creative director

Emily Wheelock // lead designer

Dorothy La Putt // supporting designers

Maria Iqbal

Alex Sanchez

Madison Anderson