Holiday Decorating - Dos and Don'ts

With Thanksgiving behind us, now is the time to get serious about decking the halls. Here are some expert decorating tips to help you perfect your Dallas home's signature holiday look for Christmas.

When it comes to ornaments, I recommend metallic colors, like the ones on the Christmas tree seen here. Some ornaments resemble fruit, adding a whimsical touch.

To start with, choose ornaments that complement the rest of the room's colors. Varying the ornaments in three basic sizes will also create interest. When mixed with matte finish ornaments, metallic ornaments scatter light and add a luxurious touch.

Garland creates a focal point across mantels, stairway banisters, and over doorways. Embellish your greenery with ribbons, flowers, faux berries, and hanging ornaments. When decorating your mantel, combine your all-season accessories (such as candles and porcelain) with seasonal accessories (like pinecones, vintage ornaments, tree toppers, and cedar greens) to fashion a holiday look that is all your own. Regardless of which accessories you choose, vary the height of the objects to create a sense of visual rhythm.

The mantel to the right of this picture is decorated with both a green and a gold garland, intertwined.

A welcoming wreath is a must for holiday decorating. Try mixing different kinds of greenery in the same wreath for a tone-on-tone look. Of course, no holiday home would be complete without a gorgeous table setting either. An elegantly-set table shows your guests that you appreciate them and want to celebrate with them in style. When choosing your table decorations, be careful not to pick tall accessories that could block conversation between guests. If your dining ware is colorful, you will want to make sure your centerpiece complements those colors.

Not all Christmas decorating needs to be red and green. Here at Chambers Interiors, we're big fans of decorating with jewel tones, metallics, and rich colors like deep purple and blue, too. While boxwood garlands, wooden candle holders, cedar branches and woodland creature figurines would give your home a cozy, rustic holiday feel, decorations in aqua, silver and white, mercury glass, and metallic reindeer figures lend a contemporary look instead.

The holidays are a special time to spend with loved ones, and our homes hold the magic of the holiday season. Consider hiring an interior designer to create your signature holiday look. Chambers Interiors & Associates will expertly style new and treasured holiday decor for a tasteful seasonal display that will impress your guests and give you more time to soak in the joy of the holidays. To schedule a free consultation with us, call us at 214.651.7665 or send an email to info@chambersinteriors.com.

Although aqua is not a traditional Christmas color, it pairs beautifully with the golds and greenery on the banister here. Our clients hung their family stockings on the staircase because there was more room there for their large family than on the fireplace mantel.

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Turn Your Home Into a Personal Getaway With Travel-Inspired Décor

A soothing color palette helps to soften the rough, organic textures we used in this Cape Cod style bedroom in Dallas.

With travel restrictions in place due to COVID-19, many Dallas homeowners are wanting to surround themselves with memories of their time abroad. This may be why travel-inspired interior design is one of 2021’s trending looks.

Interior designers like myself often have our own favorite travel destinations and multicultural design influences. Over the course of my design career, I’ve been to Europe twelve times. I’ve also found inspiration in my travels to China, Mexico, and Canada. My business partner, Lea Barfield, and I own an antique buying trip business called Tour Décor, which helps our clients source European pieces for their residences.

When I take on a new design job, I enjoy finding ways to incorporate any antiques or multicultural art that my clients have collected over the years. Below, you’ll find some design tips and tricks for highlighting travel mementos in a sophisticated way.

Getting Started

Pictured is a collection of African milk bowls that we selected for our clients, displayed together on a kitchen wall.

One way to begin is by picking out a single piece you acquired abroad and using it as a touchpoint for the rest of the room. Putting together a collection of art from a place you’ve visited, or a gallery wall of travel photos, is another great way to memorialize.

If you’re an experienced traveler with many favorite destinations, you may have trouble narrowing down which styles to incorporate into your home. When in doubt, stick with what will complement your home’s architecture. In a midcentury modern home, you can easily blend in African, Indian, or East Asian accessories. However, if you own a home with Italian, French, or English architectural elements, you should probably stick with European furnishings and art.

If your room is coastal-themed, you can include touches of nautical whimsy, like this mirror with a rope frame.

Sourcing New Pieces

A travel-inspired home will naturally evolve over time as you bring home more treasures over the years. Make sure to leave some open space on your wall or floor for new pieces you acquire in the future.

If your favorite places in the world have lots of historic buildings, your travel-inspired room should have a sense of history, too. You can browse local antique shops in Dallas for fine, old antiques. The internet (especially social media like Instagram) can also be a great way to discover and commission artisans around the world.

Using world maps (whether printed and framed or used as a pattern in an unexpected place) is another way to communicate a feeling of wanderlust to guests. On the same note, globes are a great accessory for masculine studies and libraries.

Layering Your Space

Although a gallery wall makes a great focal point, don’t stop there. It’s important to make sure your room looks like a living space and not a museum. The solution is to spread your pieces throughout the space instead of isolating them to one part of the room.

This formal living room is Asian and Indian influenced, with its foo dog statue, incense burner, and Indian patterns.

For some clients, it’s not about a specific object they acquired, but a feeling they want to recreate. Reference your travel photos to help you get closer to the ambiance you want and identify the colors you associate with that place.

If you’re not sure what will be complementary with your travel-inspired elements, go with safe bets. Place your colorful textiles against a neutral backdrop of tan, cream, or grey. It’s also helpful to remember that natural materials like wood furniture can fit into almost any design setting. For a truly immersive feeling, try using scented candles, incense, or houseplants associated with the region you’re inspired by in the room.

Don’t forget to do some research too, especially if it’s been a while since you visited the country in question. Doing research on the history and significance of certain design traditions is not only interesting and educational, but will also help you learn how to incorporate these inspirations in a tasteful and respectful way.

Earth tones and African art make for a perfect combination in this Kessler Park guest bedroom.

There’s no better time than now to learn how to capitalize on the photos and art you’ve collected from your travels and weave a design narrative around them. That said, some people, especially those who are moving into a new home, may find the prospect overwhelming. If this sounds like you, you can reach out to us by sending an email to info@chambersinteriors.com or calling our Dallas office at 214-232-9501. When it comes to editing down your collections, having a professional second opinion is invaluable.

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Add Serious Style to Your Bookshelves With These Five Steps

It’s important to leave some negative space on each shelf so that the items have “breathing room.”

Although shelves are rarely the focal point in interior design, it can’t be denied that cluttered, carelessly decorated shelves will distract from an otherwise immaculate space. If you’re redecorating your Dallas home and could use some help making your shelves look both clean and stylish, try following these five steps.

1: Edit Your Collections

We used a grasscloth wallpaper in the back of this bookcase for added depth, texture, and color.

To start with, remove all of the items on your shelves and go through them. Edit out anything that you either don’t love anymore or that clashes with the rest of your decorating scheme. This is also a great time to look at your bare shelves and decide if those could use an update, too. I like to add fabric or wallpaper to the backs of bookshelves to give them more depth and flair.

For a professionally designed look, keep in mind that interior designers usually decorate shelves with fewer items than the average homeowner. Cutting down on clutter gives each object more impact.

If you’re starting with a clean slate and could use some shopping tips, look for trays, small bronzes, boxes, antique tea caddies, vases, picture frames, and small art prints in addition to your books. Leaning a framed art print or photo against the back draws the viewer’s eye deeper into the shelf.

Organic accessories, such as petrified wood, geodes, coral, shells, and rattan baskets help give your shelves a variety of textures. Small potted plants (whether faux or live) add some refreshing greenery to your shelves too.

2: Pick Your Main Colors

Bookshelves should have a unified color scheme whenever possible. I recommend picking two complementary colors, adding in one type of metal, and using any number of neutral colors in-between.

3: Place Your Largest Items First

After you’ve narrowed down your selections, place your largest items on the shelves first. These can include stacks of coffee table books, baskets, vases, sculptures and trays. Some of these pieces may be large enough that you can put them on a shelf standalone.

The shelves in this Preston Hollow library are stained black, creating a dramatic backdrop for the clients’ books and objet d’art.

4: Organize Your Books

Next, gather together all the books you’re using. If you have lots of books, you can group them by color.

Experiment with arranging books vertically, leaning them, or stacking them horizontally. A horizontal stack should have at least three books. If any of your books have unattractive spines or do not match your color scheme, turn them around so that the pages are facing out instead.

The blue-and-white china and the books on these shelves are all color-coordinated with the rest of the room.

Some formulas for combining books and accessories include:

·        Putting books, a bookend, and a decorative bowl or basket together on a shelf

·        Setting a ball-shaped accessory against leaning books and adding a vase

·        Holding a set of books upright with a horizontal book stack that has a decorative object on top

5: Add the Finishing Touches

Once you’ve found a place for your large and medium items, use your small items to fill in any awkward gaps. That said, don’t fill out every shelf completely. A little negative space helps give your collections some “breathing room.”

As you arrange your shelves, make sure to vary the heights, pairing tall and short items together. Don’t be afraid to show your personality: shelves are the perfect place for travel mementos, family photos, and collectibles.

Before you finish decorating, take a step back to see how all the shelves in a room work together. It’s important to have some repeating colors or objects evenly distributed throughout the shelves, but it can be tricky to achieve the right balance. For example, if you have two gold objects on two adjoining shelves, you may want to move one of them to a further away shelf to balance things out.

A mixture of potted plants, porcelain jars, books, and picture frames fill these shelves we designed for a Plano home.

One way to balance a tall shelving unit is to fill the four corner shelves with similar objects. These corners create a visual “frame” that bring everything together in the center shelves. To style a long shelf, create distinct vignettes that gently touch each other around the edges.

None of these design rules are set in stone, so don’t be afraid to experiment until your shelves feel right to you. And most of all, don’t forget to have some fun too. Shelves are a great opportunity to express a story about yourself. The end result shouldn’t look too staged, but rather, tell the world about who you are.

Having trouble editing down your collections? Getting a professional second opinion from an interior designer is invaluable. To contact us, send an email to info@chambersinteriors.com or call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665.

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Antique Tea Caddies

Today, you can inexpensively buy tea from China, India, Vietnam, or Africa at your local Dallas grocery store. But when tea was first brought to Britain in the 1600s, it was an incredibly expensive commodity. This is because the Dutch East India Company held a monopoly on the tea trade from China.

Among those who could afford it, tea was popular for its taste, therapeutic quality, and the ceremonial way with which it was prepared. It's understandable that after paying a hefty price for these rare leaves, people would want to store them with special care. This is how the tea caddy came to be.

The First Tea Caddies

Although tea-drinking is strongly tied to British culture today, England was not the first European country to import tea. Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess who married King Charles II in 1661, was accustomed to drinking tea in her home country and asked for it when she arrived. This is believed to be the first time that tea leaves were imported to England. Catherine’s tea-drinking habit quickly became fashionable among England’s aristocratic society.

The word caddy is believed to have come from the Malay word, kati, a unit of measurement roughly equivalent to 1 pound and 4 ounces. The very first tea caddies only had one compartment and were shaped like a bottle. The cap on top was removable and could also be used to measure out the tea. As for the caddies themselves, they were often made of silver, china, enamel, glass, or metal covered with straw-work. Tea caddies made before 1700 had simple designs and are very rare today.

Tea Caddies in the 1700s

For many years, only the wealthiest could afford tea in England, and this is partially due to the tea tax. The tax was initially 199%. In 1784, the Commutation Act was passed to lower the tea tax to 12.5% and make it more accessible to the common folk.

Tea caddies from the 1700s had a lock and paper lining to protect the leaves from moisture. Because it was fashionable to offer both black and green tea to guests, the caddies were often made in pairs, one for each color of tea. Sometimes these tea caddy pairs were stored in a larger tea chest, which also had a bowl for sugar (another expensive commodity at the time). You’ll notice that most tea caddies have a keyhole. Tea caddies were often locked to prevent theft by the wait staff.

Unlike the early bottle-shaped caddies, 18th-century caddies were commonly made of wood, usually mahogany, walnut, or pine. Excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum inspired designers to use more straight lines, concave and convex shapes, and motifs such as urns, flowers, and festoons.

Designers became more creative with decorating the outside of the caddy as well. Painting, marquetry, and rarely, carving, were used to decorate the wood. More unusual materials for caddies during this time include ivory, tortoiseshell, and papier-mâché.

1800s Tea Caddies

As England was exposed to other cultures, tea caddy makers began to experiment with the traditional forms. Some tea caddies from the early 19th century have 'pagoda' shaped tops or sides that slope upward and taper like the Egyptian pyramids. Another popular design from this period is like a sarcophagus, boxy with a rectangular lid. Many of these caddies also had metal or wooden feet.

19th century tea caddies have less marquetry, as the form of the tea caddy was intended to be striking on its own. The more detailed pieces incorporated brass inlay, floral designs, and penwork. If you search for tea caddies online, you will occasionally come across pear and apple-shaped, single-compartment tea caddies. Tea caddies like these were produced into the early 1800s. These command high prices because of their novelty, and reproductions are often passed off as the real thing.

Tea became increasingly accessible in the 19th century after India entered the tea trade. Loose leaf tea was soon desired by all classes of people, and as demand rose there was pressure on the English government to reduce the tea tax. Naturally, storing tea carefully became less important. In the 1880s, pre-packed tea was finally available in grocery stores. This marks the end of tea caddy production.

What to Look For When You Buy

Once you've identified your favorite styles of tea caddies, you'll want to start searching for them online or in Dallas antique shops. Refurbished tea caddies are common, but most collectors prefer a tea caddy in its original state, patina and all. If you want to avoid refinished or reproduction antiques, look for the following signs of age:

• Surface defects such as scratches and dings

• Wooden veneers or marquetry on the outside should have faded or changed color due to exposure to sunlight

• The lead lining on the inside of the compartments should be flaking off or falling apart

• Wear on the base of the caddy

• Check the condition of easily-replaceable parts such as feet, handles, and hinges

You can tell that a wooden caddy is authentically from the late 18th century if the wax or turpentine finish has built up a patina. Feeling along the edgings and inlays with your hand, you should notice some unevenness. Often these antiques have been refinished with a glossy polish, but many collectors feel that this ruins the piece.

Today, the rarest kinds of tea caddies are ones made of ivory and tortoiseshell or shaped like wine barrels and fruit. Silver is the most valuable material.

If you're completely new to the world of antique collecting, you might find the prospect of tracking down the best antiques for the best prices daunting. Chambers Interiors has years of experience sourcing tea caddies for numerous clients and can provide you with the perfect piece to suit your tastes. Email us at info@chambersinteriors.com or call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665 for more information.

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Guide to Collecting Imari Porcelain

Our last interior design blog took a look at the current market for antique collecting, specifically for antique American furniture. In this blog, we'll explore another hobby that has remained popular for decades: collecting Imari porcelain.

History of Imari

Imari porcelain can be Chinese or European in origin, but was first created in Japan. In 1616, the town of Arita became Japan's porcelain production center because it was near Izumiyama, a quarry rich in kaolin clay. The wares were then shipped to the West from the port of Imari, hence the name. The earliest Imari pieces had simple, hand-painted designs in blue against white grounds and were made to be tea bowls, dinner plates, and rice bowls.

By the 1630s, ceramic makers were introducing a wider variety of colors into their pieces. The designs also became more intricate, featuring images of cranes, fish, beautiful women, flowers and gnarled tree branches. These were the most popular images in Japanese textiles at the time. Pieces were under-glazed in blue first, with the blue used to delineate borders and backdrops. Afterward, other colors such as rust red, green, and gold were added and fired at a lower temperature. Imari's iconic color combination proved to be very popular in Europe.

Japan imposed a self-isolation policy in the mid-seventeenth century. The only other nation that could continue trading with them was Holland, so Dutch traders would import Japanese goods (including Imari) and trade them to the rest of Europe. Imari potters began to produce pieces specifically for European tastes. Dutch artists would suggest some ideas for scenes, which might depict geishas, hunting scenes with dogs, or Dutch men and women. Imari wares produced before 1750 are called “Old Imari” and command high prices because of their scarcity.

English factories such as Royal Crown Derby, Minton, and Worcester produced their own versions of Imari. Other European factories included Chantilly in France, Meissen in Germany, and Holland's Delft factories. Chinese potteries also began to release high-quality Imari pieces for export, which flooded the market and drove up prices for scarcer Japanese Imari.

The isolation period ended in the mid-nineteenth century. Now that Imari was more readily available again, its popularity exploded. The designs produced during this period have vivid tomato reds and deep cobalt blues.

Regional Styles

The most prized pieces among Western collectors are the Imari that were produced by the Koransha kiln from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century. These are often densely decorated with bold and stylized motifs, including bamboo, koi, and irises.

Japanese collectors tend to prefer 18th century Imari from the Kakiemon and Nabeshima kilns, which had elegantly simple designs in soft colors. Kakiemon is named after Sakaida Kakiemon, who discovered a new technique for applying enamel decoration to porcelain. Although overlooked by many Western collectors, these are the most valuable at auctions today. They are more sparsely decorated in asymmetrical designs of subdued red, blue, yellow, and turquoise green. There was no blue under-glaze and the design of the piece emphasized the fine "milky white" background of the porcelain.

Royal Crown Derby, which produces English Imari to this day, is known for using intricate borders and an abundance of gold detail. French Imari is designed in a similar way. Meissen Imari from Germany are less cluttered than either Derby or Japanese Imari, and feature comparatively simple designs.

You can identify Chinese Imari by its brighter white and more purple-toned blue. The red over-glaze is also thinner and closer to orange than in Japanese pieces. Chinese Imari is generally more finely potted than Japanese, with a very even glaze.

Reading Marks

As you begin to research different types of Imari, you may be drawn to one factory's particular style. You can usually identify which factory produced a piece of porcelain by its mark on the underside. However, don't be surprised when you find antique Imari without any mark at all.

Before 1890, imports to the US were not required to be marked by country of origin. Those that were marked usually listed the name of the importer or manufacturer. Japanese Imari is especially difficult to date. Marks on these pieces can vary from personal signatures, the name of the customer, or the exporter and importer. Sometimes even pieces within the same set can be marked differently. 

If you want to become a serious Japanese Imari collector, you'll need to learn to read the names of cities and kiln areas where Imari was made. An English/Japanese dictionary may be required, but there are also handbooks such as Japanese Marks and Seals by James Lord Bowes that you can consult. Imari marked with "Gold Imari, Hand-painted," are vintage Arita wares produced between 1959 and 1984.

Chinese Imari were always given an imperial mark that was either written in normal script or drawn in a special style of seal script. The 'handwritten' script was harder to fake because differences in penmanship would give away a forged piece.  Modern Royal Crown Derby pieces are always marked with a crown, the name of one of three factories, and the year the piece was produced. Meissen Imari are marked with crossed swords; the style of the mark determines the age of the piece.

Enjoying Your Collection

Since so much Imari was produced to be exported, you don't have to travel to Japan to find authentic antiques. Even here in Dallas, Imari can be found for fairly competitive prices. And due to their history of craftsmanship, these antiques will continue to rise in value.

One of the draws of Imari collecting is that newcomers can find high-quality, beautifully made pieces at a variety of price points. 19th-century vases, serving bowls, chargers, and platters in three-tone color schemes usually sell for under $1000 apiece. Smaller items, like tea caddies, figurines, and incense burners can also be good pieces for beginners on a budget.

Asian antiques have come back in style and can serve as statement pieces in a variety of homes – from English to French to American. This fine porcelain can add color to your walls in lieu of a painting. Consider also using Imari pieces for table presentation. In addition, a small collection of Imari can mix beautifully with leather-bound books in a den.

If you're shopping for fine porcelain, consider adding Imari to bring a beautiful piece of history to your home. To learn more about how Chambers Interiors can help you source the finest Imari available, call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665 or email us at info@chambersinteriors.com. (Please note that Chambers Interiors does not do appraisals. If you want to learn more about the value of your Imari porcelain, we recommend that you contact your local auction house or appraiser.)

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Collecting American Antiques

Get Started Collecting American Antique Furniture

Given the popularity of contemporary interior design, it might seem like now would be a odd time to start collecting antique furniture. Many new homeowners in Dallas are choosing to sell their family heirlooms and start over with brand new, factory-made furnishings. However, it is actually because of this downward trend in antique collecting that savvy collectors are finding amazing deals.

American antiques, which are the most valuable and collectible in the world, are selling for historically low prices. If you've long admired the craftsmanship of antique furniture, but feel like you need a degree in art history to navigate the marketplace, this guide can help you get started.

Why Buy Antiques?

Since 1890, furniture in America has been made by factories rather than by hand. If you want handmade furniture that was built to last generations, you'll want to buy antiques. These days you can potentially get a high-quality antique with a unique patina and character for the same cost, or less, than you would pay for a mass-produced piece with a "distressed" finish.

Because design trends run in cycles, it's likely that these low prices for antique furniture won't last forever. The popularity of different kinds of furniture also fluctuates over time. For example, in the past ten years many kitchens were designed with an "open" plan, connected to dining and sitting areas. This made formal dining room sets less desirable. However, more recently we are seeing separate dining rooms come back as homeowners decide they don't want their guests to see dishes piling up near the sink.

Learning about American Antiques

The American antique period starts in the mid-1600s, with very simple and utilitarian furniture, and ends in the late 1800s with the Aesthetic Movement. An antique is by definition at least 100 years old, so any furniture created after this period would be referred to as "vintage" instead of antique. Since America is a "young" country with only 300 years’ worth of handmade furniture to go around, American antiques tend to command higher prices than European or Asian antiques.

Periods of American furniture:

William and Mary:

• Produced from 1680 to 1730.

• Named after William III of Orange and Mary II, the co-regents of England in the late 1600s.

• Usually made of maple, pine, oak or walnut woods. These early pieces of American furniture were characterized by a Baroque look with intense curves and turnings.

Queen Anne:

• Produced from 1730 to 1760.

• Named after Queen Anne of England.

• This era saw the introduction of the cabriole leg. Other features of this style include decorative shells, scroll shapes, and curved chair crests.

Chippendale:

• Produced from 1755 to 1780.

• Named after Thomas Chippendale, who published a book of furniture designs called The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director.

• Chippendale furniture features a lot of carved accents and ball-and-claw feet.

Federal:

• Produced from 1780 to 1820, during the Federal period of American history.

• This period was inspired by Greco-Roman architecture and featured motifs such as swags, garlands, columns, and urns. The furniture had straight legs, inlays, and simple lines without many carved details.

Classical:

• Produced from 1820 to 1840.

• Inspired by the French Restoration period.

• This is the last period of handmade furniture in America. The furniture often had veneered surfaces with little decoration.

Egyptian Revival:

• Produced from 1861 to 1865, which was during the Civil War.

• While Federal furniture had taken inspiration from Greece and Rome, now furniture makers were looking back to Egypt.

• Sphinxes, obelisks, and pyramids appear as motifs. The combination of black and gold furniture detailing also draws inspiration from Egyptian art.

Renaissance Revival:

• Produced from 1850 to 1885.

• Inspired by Renaissance architecture.

• During this period, you see a lot of walnut wood furniture with square forms, tapering legs, plaques, and medallions.

Aesthetic Movement:

• Produced from 1860 to 1890.

• The Aesthetic Movement was a wider cultural movement that promoted the idea of “art for art’s sake.” According to aesthetes, not all art needed to be functional and utilitarian.

• Aesthetic furniture features simple lines, marquetry, and inlays. Often these pieces were painted black and had brightly colored detailing, calling to mind lacquered goods from Japan.

Buying antiques as an investment

If you're buying antiques as an investment, spend your money on a few high-quality antiques rather than on a large collection of inexpensive pieces. Antiques will always rise and fall in value. But when prices fall, the value of high-quality pieces will be affected the least. Also, remember that it could be at least 10 years before your prized antique appreciates in value significantly. So make sure to buy pieces you will actually use, or at least enjoy looking at in your home.

When an appraiser evaluates a piece, he or she assesses how close the item is to its original condition, its provenance (history of ownership), size, rarity, and quality of construction. Contrary to what you might expect, most antique collectors desire an aged and well-used surface to a refinished one. It's a furniture's patina that gives it character and history, so even a cracked and fading paint job is preferable to stripping the original paint away.

Refurnished pieces sell for much lower, even if the repairs were necessary or desirable. For example, new feet on a desk can reduce its price by half or more. If you're not buying to invest, and just want an antique you will enjoy for its own merits, you can get very nice refinished furniture for very low prices.

Keeping Antiques

Many collectors today mix and match antiques from different periods. You can easily bring these antiques together by choosing matching wood tones. Small antiques should be grouped together as a collection, rather than scattered throughout the house.

If you want to keep an antique in the best condition, research the best ways to take care of its wood and finish. Beeswax is considered the best polish for antique wood. Carefully dust the piece-preferably with a soft cloth or brush rather than a feather duster--  before applying any polish. If a piece of the antique breaks, hold onto it until you can find a repairer to restore the piece for you.

A professional interior designer with experience in traditional design can help connect you with respectable antique dealers in Dallas. At Chambers Interiors, we have our own collection of antiques for sale, and we also offer private antique buying trips to Europe. Whether you're interested in American antiques or those from the Old World, an interior designer is a valuable resource for locating the best pieces at the best prices. Call our Dallas office at 214-651-7665 or email us at info@chambersinteriors.com for more information.

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How to Update a Home with Antiques

There are many reasons Dallas homeowners today love their antiques. Original antiques are usually hand-made with high-quality craftsmanship; with proper care, an antique can last for generations. Antiques also bring their decades, or even centuries, of history into your home. Ask any antique seller about their wares and you'll hear the story behind each piece. And unlike many other used furnishings, an antique will only go up in value over time.

That said, the most popular styles of interior design today are contemporary, modern, and transitional. Rooms are increasingly becoming simple, light, and airy. Some collectors worry that filling their home with antiques can make the space feel too dated. If you've been meaning to update your traditional interior design, here are some tips to help freshen things up.

We incorporated antiques into this University Park bedroom while also using simple drapes, clean lines, and neutral tone-on-tone colors. The result is a room both classical and refreshingly modern.

If you have heavy drapes with ornamented rods in your home, it's probably time for an update. The current trend is to use very simple rods with little ornamentation. Curtains and drapes should be in solid colors or subtle tone-on-tone patterns, with simple trim. Meanwhile, antique upholstery with solid color fabric, or a geometric design, will fit in better than upholstery with a traditional pattern.

An oriental rug with vividly contrasting colors will usually be out of place in a modern home. Roll up your older rugs for now and replace them with sisal rugs, which are popular for their textural quality, or muted oriental rugs.

This sitting room features a sisal rug with a geometric design.

Lamps should have clean silhouettes and simple shades, preferably in white. Lucite bases are also a popular choice for lamps in contemporary design.

White, tan, and gray are common neutral wall colors, but if you prefer color, go with pastel shades. Lacquered walls with bright colors are a bolder new trend, and wallpaper is coming back as well. Make sure to choose a contemporary, graphic print for wallpaper instead of a traditional pattern.

For today's transitional and contemporary homes, decluttering is key. Pare down your collections to your favorite statement items, displaying only one or two on each surface. You can always put away your other collectibles and cycle them back out when the seasons change.

You can highlight the craftsmanship and classic design of your antiques by contrasting them with modern pieces. A brightly colored piece of contemporary art will play off wonderfully against an antique chest, sofa, or mantelpiece beneath it.

This contemporary painting in a downtown Dallas high-rise matches the earth tones of the items and chest of drawers beneath it.

If all of these suggestions make you feel overwhelmed, try looking for inspiration in magazines. Save photos of rooms that combine antiques with modern design, focusing on your favorite elements. Instead of updating one item or area at a time, plan out your overall color scheme for each room. You can then use your color scheme as a guide for picking wall colors, fabrics, accents, art, and rugs.

In this process, you will probably find that you cannot keep all of the antiques in your collection. Hold onto your favorite and most valuable pieces, then store, pass down, or get rid of those that are too dated. You can always reupholster furniture to update its look. Also consider that some styles of antiques will fit in better with modern surroundings than others. Asian, Swedish, and Neoclassical antiques are currently in style, for example.

Even if contemporary and transitional interior design are all the rage, antiques add just as much charm and classical detail to a room today as ever. An experienced designer will know how to incorporate your best antiques into a room, while appealing to modern day design trends.

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