There are several reasons to consider decorating with antiques. Many are handcrafted and made from durable, long-lasting materials. Antiques are also generally a more sustainable option and tend to retain or increase their value.
They can also be highly versatile, depending on how they’re incorporated into a space. “Pairing antiques with modern art, lighter textiles, and clean-lined furnishings keeps historic pieces feeling current while honoring their character,” says designer Susan Feffer of Arlington-based Chain Bridge Design.
Cathleen Gruver of Purcellville-based Gruver Cooley Homes + Interiors says you can let one antique be the statement piece. “Rather than filling a room with antiques, choose one or two standout pieces and let them shine. A large antique armoire, an heirloom table, or a striking vintage light fixture can anchor a room and tell a story without overwhelming the space.”
And antiques are not only for display. They can be reimagined for modern living. “A vintage cabinet can become a bar, an antique chest can serve as a coffee table, or a dough bowl can be styled as a centerpiece,” Gruver says. “Repurposing antiques allows homeowners to enjoy their beauty while giving them a practical role in everyday life.”
Classic Combination
In the dining room of this Oakton home, Feffer says an antique sideboard anchors the room with rich wood tones and traditional craftsmanship, while the crystal chandeliers and tailored blue dining chairs add brightness and color. “Pairing heirloom-quality antiques with modern lighting and crisp textiles keeps the room feeling timeless yet refreshed,” she says.
Character Study
Gruver recommends using antiques to add character to a space. “Antiques naturally bring a sense of depth to a room through their patina, wear, and material richness,” she says. “Whether it is a timeworn wooden table, a vintage mirror, or antique candlesticks, these elements add a layer of authenticity that cannot be manufactured. Even a single antique piece can make a newly renovated space feel more grounded and collected.”
At this home near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Gruver’s client traveled internationally and collected antiques. In this bedroom, the two cabinets, the table to the right, and the red coffee table are Chinese antiques he bought in Beijing in the 1990s that are more than 200 years old. The rug is a Tabriz, and the knife hanging to the right of the cabinets is an antique bought in Yemen.
Modern Mix
TriVistaUSA renovated a kitchen, family room, and dining room on the main floor, plus upper-level rooms in this house, adding new paint, wallpaper, molding, and lighting in the dining room to coordinate with the owners’ family heirlooms/antiques. The older pieces in the room include a farm table manufactured in Boston in the early 1900s, a buffet server gifted from a family friend when she was downsizing, and chairs made by the Davis Cabinet Company in Nashville, Tennessee (the owner’s hometown).
Elegant Entry
For a client’s house that was built in 1908, Sydney Levy of DMV firm Anthony Wilder Design/Build “wanted to preserve its historic warmth while renovating the first floor.” This entryway features a customized, round antique rug. A transitional marble-top table, used for overflow dining during the holidays, is topped with an antique chinoiserie urn, “perfect for our client’s freshly cut hydrangeas,” Levy says.
Heirloom Art
Deborah and Michael Sauri, owners of TriVistaUSA Design + Build, included meaningful antiques in their own home renovation, including a scroll in the hallway that came from Deborah’s grandparents’ home in Japan. “After my grandparents passed away, the house was given to my eldest uncle, Takeshi Kato, who is now 88 years old. Any inheritance is always given to the eldest son. Anyway, he knew about my interest in this type of art and he and my aunt passed that scroll and a few others down to me,” Deborah says.
Feature image by NoVA Soul Imagery
This story originally ran in our May 2026 issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
