Fairfield County Antique & Design Center | 39 Knight St | Norwalk, CT 06851 | 203-826-8575

Vintage and Antiques vs. new Big Box stores

When did everything we own have to be so shiny and new?  Big box companies spend billions on marketing and advertising to get you to buy the newest products they have.   Everyday while we go to school or commute to our jobs we will see and hear 1000’s of ads to buy new.   Sometimes manufacturers are very crafty by updating software making what you have obsolete.  The quality of many new products don’t hold up because it’s fragile or so cheap its easier to replace than fix.

I think somewhere along the way as a society we have become programmed to just buy new.  For example Why do I get anxious every time the new iPhone comes out?   You bet I will always have the latest model with a cool case and accessories.  I don’t even have a land line now.  Hold on to your rotary phones its now a collectible.  The technology today is amazing but I do miss some of the nostalgic days of having a rotary phone.   I can’t imagine all the new things my grandparents have seen.  My grandmother grew up during the Depression 1929.  She would wrap things up and put them away in a safe place.  My parents like to collect all sorts of antiques and items.  They display their collections in corner hutches, cupboards and shelves.  It looks great.

My generation of X and thereafter don’t collect or amass the same way.   However, it doesn’t mean you won’t need a few things in your home.  Add a few antiques in your decor.  Antiques and vintage items are better made, built for function and purpose.  Many past styles always make a come back.  Purchasing an antique helps protect our trees and landfills.  It’s the ultimate way to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.  Besides, who wants a copy when you can have an original?  Mix up your style it adds visual interest and conversation.  Nothing worse than walking in a house and everything is all beige or all brown.  Live a little.

Check out this amazing Art Deco bar from Pinterest

Art deco bar

This bar is an incredible focal point for any room.  Guess what?  Its still a bar or a storage cabinet.  You will pay for it, but you will never replicate this because of the materials, craftsmanship, and design.  Antiques are Green and sustainable.  Live a little. Put your TV on an antique server.  If you don’t know what that is Google servers.  Using a serve gives you style and storage.    It will look better than that ugly metal and gloss lop sided TV stand you have  since grad school.