mixing antique and modern furniture?

[ktgrok]

My mom wants to give me her antique cherrywood desk and hutch. I believe they were at least her mother's, possibly going back longer than that. She's had them since I was born, and I do love them. Especially the desk. I have early memories of helping clean/polish it 🙂 And I'd love a hutch to put some of our collected tea cups, etc. 

With the new house, I finally will have room for them. (she's been holding on to them for me for years). Plan would be to put them in the front room that is a combination formal living/dining area. Except, DH was planning on building a farmhouse/farmhouse industrial/whatever style dining table, likely with a bench on one side, or bench on each long side and get chairs for head/foot of the table. 

Is that going to be totally weird? Like, eclectic is fine, but jarring is not. How can I make this work? Can I? Like, would just staining the table he makes in a similar color work? Or maybe do a blackish type stain (the cherry is very dark at this point) so it isn't trying to match and failing, but dark so not a jarring difference?

Thoughts?

Photos are of a similar desk, similar hutch, and similar style to the table we were going to make. 

[ktgrok]

or do I just keep an eye out on marketplace for a cherry table and chairs?

[The Governess]

I could see that hutch and table working together if you used an assortment of mis-matched chairs, maybe a few more antiquey that match with the hutch, and some others that match with the table/ your current decor. That way it looks like you are being purposefully eclectic rather than that you have a table set and hutch that don’t match. 

[Laura Corin]

I think it can work, so long as there is enough of each in the room. This was our old sitting room - two antique pieces and two modern

[Katy]

I think the mix is fine in the short term, and long term I’d watch estate sales for cherry sets. 75% off at the close of the sale. Just before the pandemic I saw one with 12 chairs for $200.

eta:  maybe $250.  Whatever it was, it was 10% of what I expected.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Katy

[Annie G]

Sentimental trumps stylish in our house. We have pieces from 1900, 1930, 1945, some bookcases FIL built(1980ish) with a different finish than any of the above pieces, and so on.  But when we see those old pieces it brings us joy and brings back memories.  I’m not one to give advice on style so I can’t speak to that, but those sentimental pieces seem to fit right in here. 

[happi duck]

We just go for it!  I'm looking right now at an inherited chair (100+ years, very ornate) paired with a new chair in a mid century style.

The family pieces will spark joy for you.  When you have guests the fact that they're family pieces will probably come up in conversation so any amount of "huh?" will be explained!

[LifeLovePassion]

I would switch to maple for the table...we made a table with reclaimed maple wood and were able to order premade legs in a classic look, so that may be an easy way to DIY without being so rustic looking.  

Estate sales/marketplace are good too. Often they are really nice pieces at a good price.

[gardenmom5]

I'd say go for what you really want.

I used to read house magazines.  One commenter shared the story of her movers offering to throw out her table.  (I saw the picture.  It was extremely rough, that was all they saw.)  It was also authentic 16th century.

[ericathemom]

I love mixing antique, new and handmade. If you want the pieces to blend well, I might even recommend that you consider changing out the handles or hinges with more modern kinds.

[JFSinIL]

Do what makes YOU happy. Don't try and have a perfect room like some model home or magazine photo. I like the idea of mismatched dining room chairs to tie both old and newer items together.  Could hubby stain  the dining table to match the inherited item?  Otherwise throw a table runner on it that does with some of the teacup etc designs on the old piece?

[elegantlion]

I say mix it all together and stain the dining table similar to the table or go the opposite direction and choose a colorful stain or paint, like blue, yellow, or red. Then I'd try to find antique chairs to go with it, give it sort of an antique appearance.  I like eclectic looks. 

 

[Ellie]

Those are beautiful pieces, especially the china cabinet. No, it won't look weird to have them in your home. And it will be a blessing that you have them. My Outer Banks family tends not to have furniture--or anything at all--to pass down, because things are destroyed in hurricanes. I would *love* to have something that was passed down like your pieces.

[Clemsondana]

Our house has a mix of nice inherited stuff, wood furniture that we bought handmade by a friend, assemble-it-yourself or unpainted wood store stuff, and stuff picked up at a junk store.  We mix it all up, and we also have a mix of stained and painted pieces.  Anything that we assemble or buy at the junk store gets painted - lots of white paint (black would also work), some painted in colors to suit a particular room.  The painted stuff seems to balance it so that it doesn't look like everything is mismatched.  Maybe paint your farmhouse table white, black, or gray?  

[PeterPan]

To be clear, is the hutch cherry or oak? I have a cherry hutch and like an eclectic look. I could pull off a rustic table with my cherry hutch, but I wouldn't do rustic with an *oak* hutch, just me. Definitely take the cherry desk, as it's gorgeous. 

If you're sentimental about the hutch and like it inherently, then take time to find a table that really works. If your dh is expressing some tastes, maybe oak isn't the way to go for the hutch? What if he went more *walnut* or interesting for the table?  https://www.dutchcrafters.com/Amish-Reclaimed-Old-Wood-Plank-Farm-Table-with-Breadboard-Ends/p/3382  If you take the hutch, freshen the hardware. You could even paint it.

Edited October 3, 2021 by PeterPan

[marbel]

I like rooms with a mix of furniture. To me, as long as things are not out of scale, styles and colors don't matter so much. Like, my couch and comfy chair are too big for the room; that's what makes the room look bad. but the dark wood desk (my Dads) near the lightish oaky mission side table (LL Bean purchase years ago) and almost-black coffee table (IKEA) don't bother me.  

And, many of the things have a story. Yeah, that's my Dad's desk and it's not my fault the top is cluttered; it always was when he used it too. That painting was my husband's favorite from his parents' house, overly ornate frame and all. The easel is from my daughter's zoom year of college; it doesn't fit in her room, so we just keep it up in the living room and she rotates the paintings to suit herself. We have a mashup of things on our mantel, too, and they all have a story. 

If you love your things and are comfortable in your home, people will be comfortable too. 

Edited October 4, 2021 by marbel

[fairfarmhand]

5 hours ago, ericathemom said:

I love mixing antique, new and handmade. If you want the pieces to blend well, I might even recommend that you consider changing out the handles or hinges with more modern kinds.

 

That's what I was going to say. Play with some hardware and see if you can alter the look a bit. You may even just be able to antique the brass and that;ll keep it from being too formal

[Carol in Cal.]

I like a mix of antiques and periods, but I think that that proposed table is too rough to be in the same room as either of the other pieces.  My inclination would be to use a table like that as a kitchen/casual table, and keep hunting on Craigslist after you move to find a more formal table that goes better with the hutch.  Around here, at least, big antique tables are very inexpensive if not free, because nobody wants them--especially the heavy ones.  So you might just find something awesome for almost nothing.

I have a lot of antiqueish furniture, and mixing ornate with simple doesn't work.  I had a cherry and maple triple pressed back rocker, an oval walnut kitchen table with leaves, 6 Windsor chairs, a 1910 tall secretary, and some antique knick knacks, all kind of nice plain antique furniture (not country though) in my first apartment, along with some upholstered furniture that was more modern/timeless.  When I bought a long desired and fairly elegant/embellished Sheraton writing desk, it made everything else look shabby.  And it looked out of place.  Whereas if I had bought a (far more expensive) Queen Anne writing desk, it would have looked great with everything else.  It was quite remarkable how that one treasured piece ruined the whole room.  So, you have to consider the overall esthetic, and rules of thumb don't always work perfectly.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Carol in Cal.

[ktgrok]

5 hours ago, Ellie said:

Those are beautiful pieces, especially the china cabinet. No, it won't look weird to have them in your home. And it will be a blessing that you have them. My Outer Banks family tends not to have furniture--or anything at all--to pass down, because things are destroyed in hurricanes. I would *love* to have something that was passed down like your pieces.

Well, these have been through some hurricanes, but a few miles inland mostly, although also on Merrit Island. As a kid we were still taping windows (fyi that doesn't work, lol) and my dad would park his work van in front of the biggest windows to block them from debris 😉

[ktgrok]

Hutch is cherry, same as the desk. 

I'm seeing quite a few things on Facebook Marketplace, so I think we will end up buying on there, or will figure out a different DIY design that is less chunky. And paint it black, perhaps. 

[KungFuPanda]

I definitely see the benefit of a sturdy table with lots of seating. I like the mixed chair idea a lot, but a tablecloth can also fix everything. 

[ktgrok]

13 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I definitely see the benefit of a sturdy table with lots of seating. I like the mixed chair idea a lot, but a tablecloth can also fix everything. 

Good point on the table cloth!

[DawnM]

I am struggling with a bit of the same issue.  We are finally putting our living room together as a "2nd den" since Grandpa kind of took over the actual family room....OY!

Anyway, I want the living room to be informal and kind of a bit of a mid-century modern feel, but the dining room is right there, open, and it is traditional wood/Ethan Allen darker wood.   

But in the end, I don't care too much.  I will put in what I like.   

[Faith-manor]

On 10/3/2021 at 2:57 PM, gardenmom5 said:

I'd say go for what you really want.

I used to read house magazines.  One commenter shared the story of her movers offering to throw out her table.  (I saw the picture.  It was extremely rough, that was all they saw.)  It was also authentic 16th century.

😳😲😮😠

Bad movers, bad bad movers!

I say do what makes you happy. Corben Bernsen would say this too. I saw his Central/Upstate NY house in a Farmhouse Style magazine. Amazing place. He and his wife love mixing antiques with "whatever works and is comfy", and it is in my eyes, quite ecletic. They seemed to have a down to earth approach, and suprisingly, low budget so they are bargain hunters. It was kind of refreshing to see a different approach to home decorating.

[gardenmom5]

23 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

😳😲😮😠

Bad movers, bad bad movers!

I say do what makes you happy. Corben Bernsen would say this too. I saw his Central/Upstate NY house in a Farmhouse Style magazine. Amazing place. He and his wife love mixing antiques with "whatever works and is comfy", and it is in my eyes, quite ecletic. They seemed to have a down to earth approach, and suprisingly, low budget so they are bargain hunters. It was kind of refreshing to see a different approach to home decorating.

Well - it was a *REALLY* rough (and extremely primitive) table.  After seeing a picture of it,  I'm sure they had no clue about it's age or value.  

 

eta: even the guy who made his living doing fine metal salvage had no clue about the value of that little gold egg he bought at an *antique store* . . . . He couldn't recoup his investment in the traditional methods he used. So, he started doing investigation.  He eventually learned - it was a lost Fabergé Egg.  He paid $15K for it. . . . . talk about an investment. . . . He sold it at auction.  (exact sum was undisclosed.  It's assumed it was in the neighborhood of $30M.)

Edited October 4, 2021 by gardenmom5

[Faith-manor]

16 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

I definitely see the benefit of a sturdy table with lots of seating. I like the mixed chair idea a lot, but a tablecloth can also fix everything. 

This. We need to find something for the Bama house which may have anywhere from 10-20 people at the holidays, and kids. I mean at this point we were thinking, "move the picnic table indoors???"

The big thing is money. We made some repairs, paid the college bills, and boat a sailboat for family enjoyment. So expensive furniture is not happening at the moment. We will make do with a couple of folding banquet/work tables and dd's small four person table for now. But chairs are an issue, and then of course eventually "what do we want it to look like in the future". I think a farmhouse table, long but not particularly wide with leaves or something so we can make it down when the crowd is not there. But thick legs. Farmhouse, bench, must hold Paul Bunyan, kind of legs because every regular table we have had eventually had the legs wiggle loose, joints wear out, etc. and Dh had to repair them. We are apparently hard on tables.

[ktgrok]

12 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

This. We need to find something for the Bama house which may have anywhere from 10-20 people at the holidays, and kids. I mean at this point we were thinking, "move the picnic table indoors???"

The big thing is money. 

Yup!

Hence the DIY or Facebook Marketplace approach, lol. If it is JUST our immediate family we need to seat 6 people. Add in cousins, my sister, and my parents and we are at 11. Add in BIL and his girlfriend and we are at 13. And I'm sure at somepoint DS22 will have a significant other, etc. 

I will say, we will have the kitchen table too, and a bar with 3 stools. Ideally I'd put food out buffet style on the kitchen table or bar, and all sit in the dining area. But we could put stuff on the kitchen counter instead - there is one long stretch - and seat people at those places if need be. 

But our thought was to go "industrial farmhouse" for the dining room, as DH likes industrial and I like farmhouse, lol. Probably buy black metal legs for the table, and do the top in wood farmhouse style. But that was before I realized we'd have the hutch and the desk. 

I do like the idea of a table cloth to cover a multitude of sins, lol. I really like tablecloths! 

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, ktgrok said:

Yup!

Hence the DIY or Facebook Marketplace approach, lol. If it is JUST our immediate family we need to seat 6 people. Add in cousins, my sister, and my parents and we are at 11. Add in BIL and his girlfriend and we are at 13. And I'm sure at somepoint DS22 will have a significant other, etc. 

I will say, we will have the kitchen table too, and a bar with 3 stools. Ideally I'd put food out buffet style on the kitchen table or bar, and all sit in the dining area. But we could put stuff on the kitchen counter instead - there is one long stretch - and seat people at those places if need be. 

But our thought was to go "industrial farmhouse" for the dining room, as DH likes industrial and I like farmhouse, lol. Probably buy black metal legs for the table, and do the top in wood farmhouse style. But that was before I realized we'd have the hutch and the desk. 

I do like the idea of a table cloth to cover a multitude of sins, lol. I really like tablecloths! 

It is all kind of fun planning, and yet crazy making on a budget. For Christmas, we plan on decorating above the cupboards (there is room) and putting some centerpieces on the counter top, then spreading food out buffet style on the counters. I am very thankful to have a LOT of countertop space at that house. This way food photos will be pretty because of trying to pull of Danish/Scandi Smorgasbrod. It will also alleviate space at the tables. And of course one corner of the table is going to be Dd and C in his high chair, so that takes up space. Then add to it that my mom needs to have a chair that is super, duper rock solid, and can't get on and off a bench well. She has some balance issues from her disability so a chair that is even a little.bit loose or wobbly is not an option. So I am trying to think of everything, and can't just buy junk chairs to old us over until there is more furniture budget. 

Christmas wrap five gallon buckets from Home Depot???? 😂 hmmmm....probably not tall enough. 😁