Dated Decor & Furniture You Shouldn't Get Rid Of | Keep These Timeless Pieces

My rules for painting wood furniture- 1) if it’s a quality piece, don’t paint. Stain it to match your aesthetic. 2) if it’s a a questionable wood, think pine, it’s okay to paint. It’s far better to repurpose and have it last a bit longer than to buy something new. It’s far better for the environment and your wallet. 3) use quality cabinetry paint if you paint a wood piece.

Flashback to 1974 and my first house I was walking through Marshall Fields and saw a blue and white lamp I loved. I still remember it was $45 which doesn't sound like much but back then you could buy a lamp anywhere for 10 or 15 plus I had NO living room furniture yet!! I kept thinking about it and a month later someone gave me a little money on my birthday. I went right to the store and bought the lamp. Flash forward to 2023, after owning eight homes...I still have the lamp! Buy what you love and you will keep it.

...a subject that's not talked about often enough! Thanks

In 1975, first year of teaching, purchased a cream coloured pure wool, British Indian carpet, from HBC. It cost more than a month’s salary. Still have it, still love it. They said it would last 25 years that was almost 50 years ago. Such a great purchase and still timeless.

Plank width is interesting. Years ago I toured an old mansion and they said to note the plank widths. The narrowest planks were used in the formal rooms. As we went upstairs, the planks were wider in the personal family rooms, wider still in areas used by the help, and the really wide planks were used in the attic. The rationale was that narrow planks required more labor and were more expensive per square foot, so wealth was shown by the width of wood you used for people to walk on.

Yes, paint up that cheap furniture, but leave the good stuff alone :) ❤

My landlady ripped off the beautiful oak hardwood floors years ago on the apartment I live in now. When I noticed them in other people's apartments in my building, she just said "oh, I was modernizing it" and so she replaced them with laminated wide planks (now they're not in the best condition but I manage). I really get along with her but she has no idea how DUMB that was.

Thanks for taking a stand AGAINST painting old wood pieces. Breaks my heart every time.

Nick: “Classics are timeless and can work with any design style.” I couldn’t agree more. I have vintage rugs, a huge antique library bookcase, and a rattan sitting area, in my very contemporary style design, and it’s so rich looking. The mix is everything - it adds so much texture and depth to the design.

I'd also add moulding/millwork as things not to discard (provided it matches the architecture of the home). I do a lot of work on Craftsman homes and I'm always so happy when people haven't demolished the built-ins or removed the moulding above the doors or windows.

Bought this house last year and found the original hardwood floors from 1958 under the very worn carpet :D I LOOOOOVE them!

Any cast iron tub, whether it has claw feet or not, is definitely worth holding on to because 1) it weighs too much to move & 2) it’s basically a thermos and will keep your bath warm a long time. Show that old tub some love with a nice re-glazing & invest in a really nice rain shower fixture for some luxe vibes.

Solid wood furniture is underrated. And thrift stores are full of it! I got a beautiful oak coffee table for like $20 & I’m pretty sure that thing could survive a nuclear war.

Most of my furniture are pieces I've collected over the last 30 years. They are solid wood from the 1700's and 1800's. The workmanship it took to carve the details with no electric power, is timeless and beautiful! I love and appreciate every one of them.

For anyone who insists on painting wood furniture ... clean it well, then add a coat of shellac before painting. Not only does the shellac make a good primer, but if you or someone else wants to strip off the paint later, it makes stripping much easier.

An antique dealer from my knitting group explained it this way: if it’s mass produced (loosely, ‘vintage’ not antique) you’re not really devaluing the price itself; that’s just going to depend on trends and the market value of what’s in style. Whether you paint or refinish/restore is going to depend on what you like. If it’s not mass produced, be careful. You can ruin antiques by painting or refinishing. Having it appraised first is probably your best move.

I have a friend who is an interior decorator. The first time he came to my home I felt very self-conscious about my rather eclectic mix of furnishings and accessories. He was actually so complementary and said that if you go with what you love it will always work together. So now I have an 1800s French China cabinet, it’s huge! Right next to a very modern vertical bookcase from design within reach. I have sentimental pieces like the corner cabinet made for me by my grandfather mixed with rugs that my parents brought back from Turkey and lots of leopard print😂

Thanks for making feel better about my choices! I have mixed in old and new and just makes me happy! My kids are somewhat horrified that I have this one tiny corner cabinet with items from my Mom, grandma and even great gran. It looks like an old lady cabinet in the corner of a beautifully decorated room , but it makes me smile!

Painting solid wooden furniture: "I understand it ... but I'm also saying don't do it" Funniest, most insightful Nick so far this year!

When I moved from a studio apt. to a much larger apt. I moved some pieces of furniture from my parent's house that were purchased by them when they built their house in 1955 and LOVE them. Beautiful and in pristine condition. I look at them everyday and it makes me so so happy.