When working with antiques in a design project, are you one of those that love newer items but with vintage touches? Some of my favorite hallmarks of design are classic geometric shapes like chevron patterned floors, fresh modern lines contrasted with decorative vintage art. And vice versa, I also love classic antiques furnishings contrasted with modern day art, but I’ll save that for another post!

Today I wanted to show off some of our favorite antique and vintage art pieces and share what I love about the use of old art.

Take a look at the picture below. Old canvases and antique engravings add instant character to a space! I just LOVE the wonderful rich, layered look in this room. The old portraitures, landscapes, animal life and still life are all beautiful, as is the gorgeous ceiling! Truth be told, all those stacks of paper lying around makes it look like my home office, but I would be transported to another world if my walls were layered with all this beautiful old art.

Here is another view of the same room. It’s as if all the things that inspire this individual have been captured on the walls.

Here is another cozy room with a gorgeous collection of vintage art. The two portraitures bring a human element to the room. But I personally love landscapes best, and this room has two very enchanting pieces. For me, landscapes offer a little escape from the hustle of day to day life, work, school, after-school activities and such. I just have to see a landscape to relax!

Here’s another inspiring collection of vintage art including sketches of the human form, engravings and old buildings. Again, in this case, more is good! I’m not so crazy about the sculptures on each step, but I suppose that’s up to artistic interpretation!

This piece is like something you might find at Village. It’s a great example of the motto “less is more”. The contrast of the buffet against one piece of vintage art is so pretty!

This collection of small art is a great way to show how a grouping in a lovely frame can really be just as impactful as one piece of art.

And last but not least, here’s a project of ours where we included a piece of vintage art in a homeowner’s vestibule. We designed the entire interiors in this house including the floor design of hand-painted tiles built into a wood pattern. This piece of vintage art was the perfect compliment!

Here are a few pieces you can find at Village that you could mix into your interiors. If you’re inspired to create an entire wall, find pieces that speak to what inspires you! People, animals, landscapes, “cityscapes”, engravings, old maps and so forth. Start with one piece and slowly build a few. We’ll be sure to post later on how to build an art wall, but keep in mind that you should only pull things that you love.

And if you prefer one single antique art piece, look around your house and find an empty spot calling for a piece of art, take your dimension and add it your list of things when you’re on the antique hunt!