Using antiques within your home

Whatever you buy new loses value as soon as you buy it and leave the store. Very few things actually increase in value, some rare production cars, some collectible items such as baseball cards etc. Antiques and some art, however, do not lose their value when you buy them. Whilst they do not necessarily have an immediate increased value, although some do if you have bought well, they do maintain their value.

Therefore they are an excellent way to furnish your home, if you can incorporate them into your style of design and living. Thhere are many items that can easily be incorporated, furniture, paintings, ceramics, sculpture etc. Many of us when we think of antiques or art think of what we know best, but their are many different styles and periods that you can incorporate in decorating your home.

Some of the pieces I personally like are Asian because they have very clean lines, they have classic designs that work well with many homes. For example Chnese furniture can be incorporated into almost any room as a side table or coffee table. Chinese pottery forms add wonderful touches in a room setting without being over powering. Chinese art ranges from wonderful paintings of flowers to landscapes and even contemporary Chinese art is drawing high prices.

Another angle to use is to use a clorway, as many people love blue and white, you can use these colors to decorate and highlight with antique pieces as lamps, if correctly mounted this does not affect their value, and then you can mix and match different peices, some Asian porcelain with European pottery. Nearly every ceramic factory started with making pieces decorated in blue and white, using cobalt to provide the blue coloring when fired.

Not only are these antiques a good investment, they add an interesting touch to your home, from the story of purchasing, to the story behind the pieces themselves. who handled them, how were they used, what is their history, these all add to the fascination of using antiques to decorate your home.

There are many ways to begin using antiques, at first just buy some accent pieces and see how you like the look as you develop your own style and taste. You will find dealers who are ready and willing to advise and share their knowledge and as your knowledge increases you can buy at auction with or without advice from a dealer you trust. Generally any good dealer will guarantee to buy back from you any piece that he sells to you for what you have paid for it. Another major benefit of buying antiques is that it helps the environment and allows continual production of new pieces to be reduced allowing forests to recover from the continual cutting that new furniture construction demands. So consider going green and making your next purchase something old or antique. A great place to stop by is this year's Main Line Antique Show to be held at Valley Forge Military Academy and College from November 22-23rd 2008 to see what you can add to your home.