Don’t decorate and furnish your home as a member of the “throw away society” who buys with the thought that you can throw furniture and accessories away when you tire of them. Become a member of the “trade up society” who think, “when I tire of this,
I can sell it and make money”. That is how we antique lovers think. When I find a new antique bedroom set I like, I know that I can sell the old one and actually make money! I also call this trading up!
I have been married for 47 years, and I cannot tell you how many times I have traded up. Yes, I have lived in the same house for 40 years but it certainly does not look the same inside. My home is completely furnished with furniture that is over 100 years old. I mix styles and woods in some rooms and it looks great. One bedroom is completely furnished with a 100+-year-old bedroom set. A second bedroom is called my Texas Pine room: it is furnished in early homemade Texas Pine furniture. The master bedroom is a mixture of quarter- sawn oak pieces.
My three children will inherit furniture and home accessories that have true value and are well crafted. They will have dressers that won’t fall apart when they open a drawer. Let me illustrate how well this furniture is made with a true story. A few years ago my hometown was flooded. Many homes were flooded. My husband was called by friends and asks to restore some of their furnishing. He quickly found that the modern pieces could not be restored. They were made of pressed sawdust, which today is considered solid wood, the pressed wood melted or warped and could not be repaired. The wood grain looking finish was painted on and could not be restored. He could and did beautifully restore the antique pieces. This is what I will leave my children and grandchildren.
No, my house does not look like everyone else’s: it reflects my love of all things old, including my husband, and my love of history, especially Texas History.
Come and join the “trade up society”.
To shop for antiques go to my website: http://www.mopsf.com
