My search for the perfect farmhouse antiques for my office makeover has been a rocky road. Though you may have the best intentions when you go antique shopping, you may not always find what you are looking for. 

Last week I shared my antique shopping tips to make antique shopping a slam dunk.

If you watched the last episode, you’ll know that I started with the floor plan of my office and created a wish list to keep me from buying something I didn’t need or wouldn’t work in the space. 

Before we jump into my largest and most transformative finds from this Round Top antique shopping haul, I want to share some interesting decor pieces and functional items to give you a better idea of the types of gems you should pick up to decorate your home or office in the Farmhouse by Amitha style. 

In this week’s blog, I will show you:

• Which Antique Decor to Bring Home
• Must-Have Vintage & Antique Art
• The Perfect Antique Partners Desk for Amitha’s Office
• How to Use Chippy Distressed Doors to Add Farmhouse Style

Antique Decor Haul | Which Decor to Bring Home

This first antique shopping haul find is peculiar, but I knew I had to have it.

Yes, I bought a garden cat. I picked this up because my son, Dayven, desperately wants a cat as his next pet. We’ve incentivized him to do well in school so that he can bring one home this year. 

When I saw this sculpture, I knew it would be the perfect reminder of his goal. Yes, I know his eyes are missing but nothing we can’t fix with a little dot of Noir Black, Chalk Finish Paint. 

Next, I snagged a lovely vintage farmhouse tray. I love collecting trays because they have many great uses—place them on your coffee table or use them on your vanity to display your perfume and makeup. 

Upon closer inspection, I realized it’s actually a tobacco can (total fail, Amitha!) Of course, I’m not going to use it to store tobacco, but it’s still a beautiful canister. I love the details in the scrollwork, the rust, and the vintage-style fonts that remind me of classic design. 

I also bought a toilet sign. 

You laugh, but a frequently asked question in our store is, “where’s the restroom?” Now clients won’t have to wonder. 

Although this is an antique shopping haul, this one item isn’t an antique. I can tell because it looks newly manufactured. The paint is worn off methodically—but that’s okay because I know what I’m getting. 

What’s more important to me is that the piece matches the character of our store and it’s a practical piece of decor. 

The last find in my decor haul is this floral pitcher. 

It’s not exactly office decor, this is the perfect prop in the shop for photo styling for Instagram and social media content to break up some of our store’s neutral and white-washed areas. 

Antique Home Decor Haul | Must-Have Vintage & Antique Art

Antique shops are a great place to find one-of-a-kind art pieces that add so much character to your walls. 

I knew these vintage framed acrylic canvas paintings would be perfect for my office renovation with this exact color palette and style in mind. These paintings pull some of the blue and green that the furniture will have in this room. 

Even if these paintings don’t end up in my office, I know they’ll be a great addition to our powder room. 

We often talk about wall art but never consider rugs as floor art—Let’s change that!

I love to pick up textiles, tapestries, woven fabrics, and rugs while antiquing. Textiles bring in color, texture, and style that can completely change the atmosphere of a room, much like wall art. 

On this trip, I stumbled upon a small white rug with a cross-stitched bouquet. I can picture this in my office as a cozy little moment with a touch of color. It introduces fuchsia, yellow, red, and orange. I adore that playfulness. 

Aside from the aesthetic value of art, I love antique shopping because of the instant emotional connection you can have with pieces. It was love at first sight when I spotted this dark and moody antique painting. I knew it would be the perfect addition to my husband’s home office or closet because of his love for castles.

This painting is old, chippy, and it’s coming apart from the canvas—but that’s what I love about it! It has so much character that I couldn’t pass it up. 

Now the pieces you’ve been waiting for… did I find the desk for my office? 

The Perfect Antique Partners Desk for Amitha’s Office

I found the perfect antique desk for my new office makeover! I’ve been looking for this item for so long without any luck, I was starting to think I would never find it. 

It checks off all my boxes for the perfect desk: 

• It fits in my office
• Has plenty of drawers for storage
• Carved details
• Beautiful antique hardware
• And it has curves, curves, curves!

This desk blew that list out of the water.

Once I realized it would fit into my office based on my measurements, I carefully examined the style of the desk. Oh boy, if this isn’t a Farmhouse by Amitha-style piece of furniture, I don’t know what is.

It has cabriole legs, Louis IV-style floral carvings, and exquisite hardware. Plus, I love that this desk is in the “partner” style, which means two people can work on either side of it. My boys sometimes come to work with me, so I love the idea that we can have quality time together at this desk. 

How to Use Chippy Distressed Doors to Add Farmhouse Style

Last but not least, one of the big-ticket items that I hoped to find were antique doors. I’m excited to say I brought home a beautiful set for my office! 

There were so many options for distressed doors, but having my dimensions and style planned out beforehand, helped me narrow down my options. 

My criteria for door panels: 

• It had to be chippy,
• ideally, light blue, gray, or green,
• have panels, and
• meet my measurement requirements

To my surprise, this set of doors ticked off all the boxes.

I plan to use these doors to create a new closet in my office to store my supplies, and back office supplies.

Amitha’s Office Makeover (Coming Soon)

Although it seems like I got a lot on this antique shopping haul, the desk and doors were only the first two pieces I needed to get started with the office makeover. 

Over the next few months, I plan on collecting all the seating, rugs, and decor to complete my office. 

Since I feel like you’ve been part of this process with me this whole time, I’ll be sharing the before-and-after makeover with you!

There will also be a whole blog and video series explaining my process, so make sure you’re signed up to receive your free design newsletter today.

Keep using your amazing gifts to create heart in your home, 

Amitha