Make Your Pre-Loved Piece the Star of the Show
Help your treasured secondhand finds command all the attention with these decorating hints and display tips
For those of us obsessed with scouring secondhand shops or garage sales for a prized find, you will know all about the thrill of stumbling across that one-off piece, that unique object that simply makes your jaw drop. So give your treasure the attention it deserves and style it in a way that will bring the focus to the star of the room. Not only will you fill your home with personality and drama, your guests will have plenty to talk about too.
Surround your retro sideboard
If your retro sideboard is feeling lonely and unappealing, then surround it with weird and wonderful objects to bring it immediate attention. Arrange a mixture of vintage signs and modern prints around each edge of the sideboard, so they act as a frame for your treasured piece. You’ll also shift the focus to this spot if you choose to use it as a drinks table.
13 fun places to display art
If your retro sideboard is feeling lonely and unappealing, then surround it with weird and wonderful objects to bring it immediate attention. Arrange a mixture of vintage signs and modern prints around each edge of the sideboard, so they act as a frame for your treasured piece. You’ll also shift the focus to this spot if you choose to use it as a drinks table.
13 fun places to display art
Update with striking colour
Natural wooden farmhouse chairs have a nostalgic quality and evoke a simple and humble style, therefore these beautifully crafted chairs often go unnoticed in a room. To bring your farmhouse chair out of the shadows, give it a lick of paint with a brilliantly bright colour, such as zesty green or zingy yellow. By keeping the rest of the room neutral, your chair will jump right out, adding a playful element to any corner.
Natural wooden farmhouse chairs have a nostalgic quality and evoke a simple and humble style, therefore these beautifully crafted chairs often go unnoticed in a room. To bring your farmhouse chair out of the shadows, give it a lick of paint with a brilliantly bright colour, such as zesty green or zingy yellow. By keeping the rest of the room neutral, your chair will jump right out, adding a playful element to any corner.
Play with scale(s)
An imposing Chesterfield sofa has a timeless elegance and it deserves to be placed in a similarly grand setting. Consider a bold backdrop to create a dramatic scene and make the sofa the feature. A striking painting that is the same width as the sofa is a confident choice, while a large ornate mirror would also have a similar effect, without being quite as daring.
Must-know chair: The chesterfield
An imposing Chesterfield sofa has a timeless elegance and it deserves to be placed in a similarly grand setting. Consider a bold backdrop to create a dramatic scene and make the sofa the feature. A striking painting that is the same width as the sofa is a confident choice, while a large ornate mirror would also have a similar effect, without being quite as daring.
Must-know chair: The chesterfield
Create a vignette
If your treasured pre-loved item is a simple ornament or bowl, you can still make it a crowd-pleaser by creating a show-stopping vignette around it. Group together similarly coloured items that will accentuate your piece and add a couple of taller objects, such as a lamp and an artwork, that will grab the attention. The more items you group, the bigger the impact, so go for it!
If your treasured pre-loved item is a simple ornament or bowl, you can still make it a crowd-pleaser by creating a show-stopping vignette around it. Group together similarly coloured items that will accentuate your piece and add a couple of taller objects, such as a lamp and an artwork, that will grab the attention. The more items you group, the bigger the impact, so go for it!
Choose a backdrop that makes it pop
If you’ve been lucky enough to discover a unique designer piece, such as The Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen, then use this as your starting point for the entire decorating scheme. Opt for a soft, simple backdrop that will allow the chair to pop out against it, then dot similar colours around the room that will draw the emphasis back to the chair itself.
Must-know chair: The Egg
If you’ve been lucky enough to discover a unique designer piece, such as The Egg chair by Arne Jacobsen, then use this as your starting point for the entire decorating scheme. Opt for a soft, simple backdrop that will allow the chair to pop out against it, then dot similar colours around the room that will draw the emphasis back to the chair itself.
Must-know chair: The Egg
Create a serene scene
Make your master bedroom a romantic haven by placing a beautiful hand-painted screen behind the bed as a theatrical bedhead. Highlight the drama with an elegantly symmetrical setting, featuring matching bedside tables and lamps that will frame the screen. Stick to soft tones around the rest of the space to continue the serenity of the theme.
Make your master bedroom a romantic haven by placing a beautiful hand-painted screen behind the bed as a theatrical bedhead. Highlight the drama with an elegantly symmetrical setting, featuring matching bedside tables and lamps that will frame the screen. Stick to soft tones around the rest of the space to continue the serenity of the theme.
Make a striking entrance
Do you have a treasured collection of old magazines or newspapers that you’d love to see out on display? Then dig them out and transform them into some wonderful wall art. Using wallpaper paste, create a collage of the pages on a blank wall, and you’ll be able to enjoy reading them once again as well as adding a unique personality to your entrance.
TELL US
What pre-loved treasures have become features in your home? Share your secondhand finds in the Comments below.
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Do you have a treasured collection of old magazines or newspapers that you’d love to see out on display? Then dig them out and transform them into some wonderful wall art. Using wallpaper paste, create a collage of the pages on a blank wall, and you’ll be able to enjoy reading them once again as well as adding a unique personality to your entrance.
TELL US
What pre-loved treasures have become features in your home? Share your secondhand finds in the Comments below.
MORE
Turn Vintage Pieces into Practical Storage
French Houzz: Upcycling Paves the Way for a Funky Family Home
10 Upcycling Projects to Turn Your Trash into Treasure
Sprinkle a traditional metal bed frame with contemporary magic and paint it in a stand-out fluorescent shade that will take the leading role in your master bedroom. Keep the backdrop neutral so the bed frame pops out, and heighten the electric colour scheme with complementing accessories. A painted skull makes a pretty dramatic accompaniment.