How House of Winsor Interiors Uses Antiques to Create a Space That's Uniquely Yours
In every House of Winsor Interiors project, there is almost always something old.
Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it’s nostalgic.
But because a vintage piece or antique brings depth, patina, craftsmanship and a sense of permanence; something a new piece simply can’t do.
In our Summer on Spring project, we tied together the room’s color palette and made the TV console a more interesting focal point including a curated collection of McCoy pottery.
Just as we’ve shared about art’s importance in a project, incorporating antiques is another one of our signature design approaches. They ground a space, soften the edges of new construction, and can introduce a quiet confidence that can’t be replicated with mass-produced furnishings. Antiques allow us to incorporate personal history or a sense of legacy within a home. So many of our clients turn to us to create a home that is built around family and one that will endure years to come. Family heirlooms can quietly tie generations together to tell a story of the space and its owners.
Where Our Inspiration to Include Antiques in our Projects Comes From
As I shared in our Art as Inspiration post long before I became an interior designer, it was my mom who instilled my love of art and antiques. She was a designer and an antiques dealer. Growing up, I was surrounded by vintage furniture, pottery and fabrics. We spent many outings hunting for treasures in thrift stores, our favorite flea and antique markets and occasionally dumpster diving.
My mom was also always painting, refinishing furniture, and teaching me the value of true craftsmanship. I learned to look beyond the surface condition and see structure, the journey and recognize quality. This education continues to inform how House of Winsor sources and evaluates vintage pieces today.
Antiques vs. Vintage Items
While often thought of interchangeably, antiques and vintage pieces are actually quite distinctive. The differentiation is:
- Antiques are items made at least 100 years ago. They are strictly defined by age rather than
style and are valued for their craftsmanship and historical significance.
- Vintage items are only 20 to 99 years old. These are valued for their nostalgic appeal. Vintage
pieces have a distinct design, style, or culture from a specific past era (e.g., Pop Art Egg chair or
Mid-Century Modern Eames Lounge Chair).
How House of Winsor Incorporates Antiques Into Our Projects
At House of Winsor Interiors, we design timeless spaces that are meant to last for generations to come. While we are drawn to New England primitives, our approach is not confined to one era.
We like to incorporate English, French, American, and mid-century pieces, but the common thread is always about the craftsmanship, such as:
- Solid wood construction with thoughtful joinery
- Beautiful aging and patina
- Timeless proportions
- Authentic or handmade (not a reproduction)
So it becomes less about the period and more about the integrity of the piece.
We also do not add antique or vintage pieces into our projects casually. Their use is considered from the very beginning. In our conceptional design phase we include discussions to determine:
- Whether a client already owns meaningful pieces that we should incorporate,
- Where an antique could anchor a room
- How older pieces will work together with and balance newly constructed or selected furniture.
Incorporating antiques allows us to create spaces that evolve over time, to tell stories quietly and incorporate some of our homeowner’s personality and history.
What We Source and When
Because antiques are often one-of-a-kind, we first assess what personal items the homeowner wants to be considered in the finished project. If we need to find something outside of a homeowner’s collection, we begin our sourcing process early, hunting for items during the design development stage. At all times however, we believe that the right piece will reveal itself when it’s ready.
For our design projects, some of our favorite antique and vintage items to incorporate are:
- Chests, Consoles and Cabinets
- Accent Tables and Chairs
- Decorative Objects, Sculptures and Pottery
- Vintage Art and Frames
- Books
- Lighting
- Architectural elements that can be reimagined and repurposed when we renovate or rebuild a
home
Using Antiques and Architectural Salvage as Focal Points
We don’t just incorporate antique pieces and heirlooms. We may also use architectural elements from an original home when renovating. In both cases, some may be restored, or reimagined, then reintroduced to become a focal point in a space. These pieces can set the tone of the room, add patina and showcase a special piece.
- A family heirloom can be reupholstered and elevated as the primary conversation area in a
room.
- A collection of simple objects, such as pottery or prints can carry meaning when thoughtfully
placed.
- A vintage painting can tie into the project’s location and soften hard lines
- An architectural item may be reimagined into a completely different use
In my own home, I have a pair of wooden fabric bolts from my grandfather’s five-and-dime store that I plan to transform into the legs of a coffee table. The materials are humble. The history is not.
For our Beech Crest project, the clients specifically requested an antique regency style table for their dining room. They needed something that could expand to host 12 guests. With a specific direction like this we first turned to Charish for an online search. Luckily we found a piece that checked many of their boxes in nearby Woburn, MA at the Barn at 17 Antiques. The owners also happen to be restorers so we really lucked out with this piece.
How Antiques Can Enhance a New Construction Project
Our Gansett Guest project proudly boasts vintage styling throughout. Retro ping pong paddles, antique oil paintings, timeworn quilts and historic books balance the crisp lines of new construction in this over garage retreat.
When we complete a new construction project, we like to add details that balance the brand new finishes with some storied pieces. The old grounds the new; the new lets the old feel elevated rather than dated. Without that balance, a new build can feel more like a showroom than a home — every surface untouched, with no sense of history yet. Here’s where antiques can really come into play as they can add character, patina, or attractive imperfections, all of which can add balance and soften the look. and add balance. The result is a space that feels collected rather than decorated, personal rather than staged. It’s new construction with the soul of an older home.
Vintage Pieces Can Add a Sustainability Component to an Interior Design Project
Incorporating vintage pieces can be a sustainability component as it lessens the need for new materials, production waste and for delivery environmental impacts. However sometimes a treasured piece is not worth restoring.
When determining whether to restore an vintage or antique item, we take the following into consideration:
- Craftsmanship – Can we see what’s beneath the wear and tear and refresh or reupholster it?
- Timing – Does the project timeline allow for restoration or purchasing something newer and/or
similar?
- Features – does it have an architectural element that could not be duplicated with today’s processes
or what’s available on the market?
In our Tanglewood project , the homeowners had a
beautifully crafted, curved-arm sofa with a faded slip cover that could have easily been tossed. Instead we saw the beauty in the craftsmanship beneath the wear and opted to restore it. We refreshed the cushions, reupholstered it in a family friendly chenille, added a pleated skirt and custom trim. What could have been discarded became an anchor in the room – full of character, proportion, and quiet elegance.
Our goal with any heirloom is never to erase history, but to refine and extend it.
Where We Source Some of Our Antique Finds
We’re always dropping in on different antique stores, thrift stores and flea markets when we come across them, but these are a few of our favorites that we visit fairly regularly:
Mikes Estate Services, West Warwick, RI
The Snuggery RI, Bristol, RI
The Barn at 17 Antiques, Woburn, MA
Brimfield Flea Markets, Brimfield, MA
(2026 Shows: May 12-17, July 14-19, Sept. 8-13)Consignments LTD, Wakefield, RI
Chairish Art & Antiques (Vintage Online)
Antiques are a mainstay and signature part of our Rhode Island design projects. They add character, patina, can add balance and soften new construction. They are also a way to incorporate pottery, paintings, furniture and architectural elements that are meaningful to our homeowners, to add history without making a new home look dated. We love how antiques are tied to our desire for sustainability. Not every new project requires new materials and sometimes older, cherished pieces are worth restoring, only to become the focal point in a new space.
Perhaps you have a special piece hidden away that deserves refinishing, reupholstering or simply its own place to shine in your home. We hope this piece gives you a new perspective on using antiques.
Want more Insights on Interior Design and Building Your Dream Home?
Lauren Winsor is the Founder and Principal Designer of House of Winsor Interiors, an award-winning, done for you interior design and construction management studio in Rhode Island. In collaboration with trusted partners and tradespeople, House of Winsor creates one-of-a-kind homes that reflect our client’s unique needs and desires. We serve Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Coastal Connecticut. Interested in working together? We’d love to hear about your design project. Inquire about our services today.