Antique Furniture in Modern Farmhouse: Old & New Decorating

Hey friends, I know many of you love the thrill of the hunt and finding thrift store deals. But are you struggling to mix new decor with your vintage and antique finds? If you love the time-worn charm of antique furniture and vintage finds but need styling tips, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore how to blend antiques and vintage decor into a modern style. We’ll uncover the difference between them and tour my favorite pieces.

When To Invest In Antique Furniture

Y’all know I like decorating with antiques and vintage finds for an eclectic country chic modern farmhouse style. Many of my finds are flea market and thrift store purchases. However, those inexpensive finds have allowed me the occasional splurge.

So when should you invest in antique furniture? Here are my not so set in granite rules.

1. First, determine what areas of your home you want to invest in. Look for focal points that will make an impact with the right furniture piece.
2. Next, determine what type of furniture you want for the space.
3. Begin your search and hopefully you’ll luck up and find a deal. Unless it’s a deal only purchase if you LOVE it.

So, I’m sharing how I decorate with my favorite antique pieces, and what was a deal and we splurged on. I’ll also help you determine whether your finds are antiques or vintage.

(Posts on The Ponds Farmhouse may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure details here.)

What is Antique vs. Vintage?

Decorating with antiques and vintage finds can be an eco-friendly alternative to buying new furniture and, in some cases, more economical.

If you are shopping second-hand and in thrift stores, the prices are much more budget-friendly. However, the prices in antique stores will most likely be more expensive.

So what is antique vs. vintage? Antiques are items that are over 100 years old. However, you’ll find many things that are not that old in antique stores, so it’s important to research to ensure you get a genuine antique.

You may ask what vintage is, and there are some differences of opinion on this term. Everyone agrees that anything 50-99 years old is vintage. However, some will argue that anything over 20 years old is vintage.

This is another area where you need to proceed with caution. There are many vintage replicas, and it can be hard to distinguish between an authentic vintage piece and a good replica. One rule of thumb is that if the shop has several of one item, it’s probably not genuine.

Lifestyle of Love Blog Hop

Today’s article is part of Cindy at County Road 407’s Lifestyle of Love Blog Hop. In addition to my favorite antique furniture pieces, you will see five other favorites and how they are decorated with antiques and vintage treasures.

If you are joining me from Christy at Our Southern Home, I’m so glad you stopped by today.

My Favorite Antique Furniture – Pine Hutch

The one piece of antique furniture I’d never sell or replace is the honey pine antique hutch my husband gifted me for our 15th anniversary.

We found it in an antique store specializing in European antiques, and I immediately loved the warm pine color. This was a splurge purchase but one I’ve never regretted.

The Unique Details

The glass doors at the cabinet’s top have the character I love. There are lots of bubbles and waves in the glass, which causes the old dishes inside to appear blurred.

In addition, the old lock and key are still in place and in working order. I also love the simple wood carvings on this favorite piece.

Over twenty years later, we found a unique door with the same finish at the same shop. We repurposed it into our bedroom barn door and I bet you can guess that it was also a splurge.

Decorating with Antiques in Modern Farmhouse

Our farmhouse is a new build and has a modern, industrial feel. However, that doesn’t stop me from filling it with previously loved decor. If you’ve followed me for any time, you know I love vintage and thrift store shopping. Many items I find are new but home with me they come. When decorating with antiques and vintage, it’s more interesting to mix them with new and modern decor for a unique, eclectic style. This is a perfect combination for Country Chic Decorating Style. To learn more about this style, see my Spring Home Tour.

I have used vintage and thrift store finds to decorate and fill the shelves of my antique hutch. The shelves are stacked with white ironstone dishes, bowls, and pitchers for a curated aesthetic .

In addition, the top is another favorite place to decorate. This spring, I added a favorite thrift store basket and pottery crock with moss stems.

The area beside the hutch is filled with more vintage and antique pieces on the DIY Plate Rack.

Shop This Post

More Favorite Antiques & Vintage Treasures

It’s difficult for me to choose between my antique vs. vintage treasures. Therefore, I wanted to share a few more of my favorites with you.

Although I don’t know the exact age of each piece, I do remember when I purchased them.

The chippy church pew looked just like this when I found it 30 years ago while we were building our previous home. My husband was dismayed when I brought it home and said we didn’t have a place for it in our new home. However, I’ve used it continuously at the dining table in our last two homes.

I’ve always loved antique ice boxes, and when I found a metal one, I knew exactly where it could be displayed. It has been on my screened porch for the last 8 years.

After seeing a similar dresser in Charleston, SC, I purchased this one locally for a fraction of the cost. Twenty-five years ago, I painted it to look like the much more expensive one. However, it received this second makeover by removing the green paint for a white and natural wood finish to work with our farmhouse style.

A inexpensive flea market industrial cart found its way to our loft six years ago. A little repurposing made it the perfect TV cart.

The loft is also home to this great antique shop desk, which I got for a steal at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. With a couple of antique mirrors stacked on top and the antique chippy white door, the loft is filled with vintage charm.

Probably my best deal was this chippy green primitive cabinet for only $35.00. It has been in our outdoor kitchen for five years.

The original green paint complements the old wood cookstove, which was my aunt’s first stove when she married. In approximately four more years, it will be an authentic antique.

The refrigerator has been used for over 70 years and still runs like a charm. I wish my 6-year-old refrigerator ran as quietly.

The vintage sideboard was a trash-to-treasure find approximately 35 years ago. It has traveled to three of our homes, and when I didn’t have room for a sideboard in our farmhouse, it was transformed into a kitchen island.

The doors and top still have the original stain that I applied on the first makeover all those years ago.

Antique Farm Table

Since we moved to the Ponds, I’ve been searching for an antique farm table. Everything we found was either too large or small, too short or too rickety. Finally, we found this beauty at the Carolina Pickers Festival in the fall. It’s a solid walnut table, the perfect size, and very sturdy. The lesson we learned is not to give up and not to settle for something you will regret.

Heirloom Vintage and Antique Bedroom

Our guest bedroom is filled with family heirlooms that we’ve inherited from both sides of our families. Since the guest room is rarely used, its perfect for displaying our treasured pieces.

The iron bed frame has been passed down through several generations in my husband family. While the antique trunk a the foot of the bed was my grandmothers. My father built the gun cabinets many years ago and we repurposed it to hold quilts and family photos. You can see more about the antiques in this room at 9 Antique & Vintage Bedroom Ideas For A Modern Farmhouse Style.

More Antique & Vintage Decorating in Modern Farmhouse

• How To Use Vintage Decor in Outdoor Kitchen
• How To Decorate With Old Candleholders
• How to Decorate with Vintage Tool Boxes
• How To Repurpose Antique Doors For Farmhouse Vintage Charm
• 25 Repurposed Architectural Salvage Decorating Ideas

See more Favorite Antique Ideas by clicking the links below. Up next is Ann at Dabbling & Decorating.

Pin It To Remember It

Did you find some great ideas you’d like to save for future reference? Hover over the images you’d like to save and pin to your favorite Pinterest Boards when you see the PIN button.