5 Reasons to Shop Vintage Home Accessories

The first object my partner and I bought for our new home was a vintage Arco floor lamp by Castiglioni Brothers. Our house was still in raw walls and concrete floor condition, and there was no actual plan for what its interior would look like. But the eBay auction was on and expiring, so we decided this lamp would be our first addition to the new living room, and everything else would need to somehow fit around it. This is how it usually goes with your favorite possessions—at one point, you simply fall in love with them. And although the lamp’s heavy marble piece makes it impossible to move around, the proportions of the interior are not quite right because of it, and the hole in the middle regularly becomes a garage for my nephew’s car toys, fifteen years later, it is still one of my favorite and most valued possessions.

It was around that time that I decided that if I couldn’t find an independent designer or a small business to work with, I would search for vintage pieces. Since then, many more pieces of vintage furniture—some bought, some inherited, some gifted—have joined and never left our home. Today, most of the pieces we own are almost twice my age, and when I sit in my living room, I often think of all the stories my furniture could tell. How did their previous homes look? Who sat on this chair before me? What kind of life did they lead? How did this coffee table get scratched? Did their owners cherish it as much as I do?

Because this is the thing with vintage objects, like people, they come with the past, carrying with them a bunch of stories and hidden emotions. And I certainly want my interior to make me feel something. Since my home is extremely minimalist, with a very small amount of selected pieces in rather subdued colors, it is important to me that these objects have an emotional value, not necessarily reflected in the design itself. They are my way to tangibly reconnect with the past as well as add my own piece to their future story.

But if you are a little less emotionally attached to your possessions than I am, here are 5 more rational (and valid) reasons why buying vintage furniture and home accessories is always a great idea:

The main reason to buy vintage pieces is that you can’t beat the quality of the old objects. Unlike a lot of modern furniture and home accessories that are produced on an assembly line in high quantities and with cheaper materials, vintage furniture and accessories are known for their craftsmanship, better materials, and durability. Many of today’s designs also lack the much-needed attention to detail that sets them apart from their vintage counterparts with charm and uniqueness. Because these pieces have lasted over the years, you can be sure that you’re investing in something that will last.

Vintage objects have a rich history and have often lived through many eras before reaching you. Therefore, when you buy a vintage piece, you are not only buying a piece of furniture but also an object with a unique story behind it. Vintage furniture and home accessories are a way to tangibly reconnect with the past since their design and each mark of handwork or scratch are charged with emotions and anecdotes.

Additionally, buying vintage is much more eco-friendly than buying newly produced pieces. By investing in vintage furniture, you’re buying pieces that have already been made and have been around for years. This means that they don’t require additional resources to be created, thus collectively reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing new furniture.

Home was once considered a private space, but social media platforms have made it more public than ever. Technology started to shape our physical world, impacting trends and the aesthetics of our homes. As a result, we see more cookie-cutter interiors resembling each other. Vintage pieces can add this much-needed special touch. Consequently, your home becomes a much more accurate representation of your personal style.

While not every vintage piece will turn into a hidden treasure, some can appreciate significantly in value over time. In the past, many pieces of furniture and home accessories were not mass-produced in the quantities they are today. This makes many pieces rarer and therefore worth more over time. If you buy well and look after your furniture, there is no reason why these pieces will not hold their value or even go up in price in the future.

Written by: Sandra Gubenšek
Photos: utopiast