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New Style for Old Furniture
Redecorate with what you already have. Use your furniture in a new space.
By Majella Chube Hamilton

Many decorating dilemmas revolve around the urge to rid ourselves of the furniture that we've lived with for years. Especially when moving to a new home, even sentimental or inherited pieces find their way to the giveaway pile. For some reason, we think having all new furnishings means an improved look for our interiors.

You'd be surprised how many seasoned, well-weathered items for the home can be incorporated into a completely new setting to create an updated and refreshing style.

  • Red-and-gold wing chair
    OLD: Acquired from Morgan's grandparents, it was a comfortable seat beside the fireplace.
    NEW: It maintains a prominent position next to the fireplace. Its bold fabric provides additional warmth against the dramatic neutral backdrop of the walls.

  • Grandmother's sofa
    OLD: Re-covered during Morgan's college years, the sofa served as the primary seating.
    NEW: Now it anchors their living room.

  • Mirrored coffee table
    OLD: One of several mirrors received as wedding gifts, this one was affixed to an iron table base to create a custom coffee table.
    NEW: It serves the same function in the new space.

  • Library table and area rug
    OLD: Both were gifts from Morgan's parents. The library table resided in the couple's previous dining room. The area rug's pattern and size dominated the living room.
    NEW: The library table is behind the sofa, becoming the first thing you see from the dining room's cased opening. The rug's strong design and large size make a perfect contrast to the living room's expansive ceiling and voluminous feel.

  • Piano
    The Murphys were given this antique upright piano by a friend in the New York opera company the Blue Hill Troupe. It serves as a useful and symbolic focal point against the room's longest wall.

  • Gilded mirror
    OLD: Purchased in New York's Village District, it rested in a propped position against the couple's previous dining room wall. "Amy found the mirror in SoHo at a going-out-of-business sale," Morgan remembers. "We strapped it to the roof of her car and drove it up Fifth Avenue."
    NEW: It takes center stage high above the living room mantel.

    		•  Red-and-gold wing chair in old house

    Red-and-gold wing chair in new house

    Comfortable Space for Living
    Those early years of marriage sometimes involve moving from cramped digs to spreading out in your first house. Decisions abound on what to do with mom's favorite lamp or grandmother's armoire--items definitely needed and utilized during those first years.

    Amy and Morgan Murphy brought the inherited pieces, along with everything else, to their new home and made a successful transition.

    Piano in new house

    Increased space in their newly purchased Tudor-style house in Homewood, Alabama, gave them opportunities for innovative decorating, along with the challenges of integrating their existing furniture and accessories. In addition to some repairs and structural work, Morgan and Amy set out to restore the living room to its 1920s vintage design.

    "I consider it our version of Southern Gothic style," Morgan says. "The house is more than 70 years old, and its architectural style is a hallmark of the historic neighborhood we now live in. But at the time we purchased it, there was severe water damage, which meant quite a bit of work. So we knew we had to invest in those areas first."

    Take, for instance, the mantel. "It had seven layers of lead paint and wouldn't strip properly without sandblasting," Morgan says. "So we had it faux finished to match the stone on the exterior of the house." In addition, the walls were restored in areas that needed it by applying a thick plaster technique and tinted taupe mortar.

    After the necessary improvements had been made, the dramatic cathedral ceiling, magnificent stone mantel, oak hardwood floors, warm colors, and contrasting textures in the living room convey a welcoming feel.
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