Our Spring Column - Incorporating Antiques Into Your Home!

Robert of Far Hills emailed us and he asked:

“"I've recently inherited some antique furniture, can I incorporate it into the contemporary decor of my home?"

This is a question we are frequently asked and the answer is “YES”! As designers we often like to incorporate antiques into design projects of many styles. We have discovered that they offer warmth and are an interesting counterpoint to newly acquired furnishings, especially in more contemporary interiors.

Antiques can blend well with many design schemes, as long as the wood tones and scale of the pieces are in harmony with the rest of the furnishings in the room.  If the wood color of an antique does not coordinate but the scale and form look well, we might suggest refinishing the piece or alternatively applying a coat of paint in an unexpected color.

Although we never advise the painting of a valuable antique, this is a wonderful solution when using less valuable pieces.  If for example you had a 19th Century reproduction of a Louis XVI commode, painting it brilliant red would make quite a dramatic statement!  We have also found that Victorian furniture, with its undulating curves, becomes almost sculptural when given a coat of high gloss paint in white and other colors as well.

While French, English, and Victorian antiques tend to look best in more formal settings, early American and primitive pieces lend themselves to the informal areas.  The rustic finishes of the early American and Primitive pieces can add warmth to the "family" areas of the home, and can be functional as well.

In many cases the antiques one acquires are not furniture at all but are decorative items such as mirrors, art, and collectibles. These items are often much easier to include in a home, as they do not require valuable floor space.  Mirrors and art are easily placed in most rooms and, when hung over a sofa or mantle, they can become a much-needed focal point. Smaller objects such as china, crystal, old books and sculptures can be placed on surfaces throughout the home or displayed in cupboards and bookcases, adding a personal touch.

When incorporating antiques into your home, you should remember that form, color, and scale are of the utmost importance. Assess all areas of your home to determine where your antiques will function and look their best.  If you are considering painting or altering a piece in any way, it is advisable to have the piece appraised beforehand to avoid a costly mistake.

We hope our answer has helped you, and we wish you luck with the placement of your antiques!

Best wishes, Linda & Bill

How to Accessorize your Rooms

We can't believe how fast time is passing and we hope you are all enjoying the holiday season! Our Fall Column was published in October and we thought we would finally share it with you. This article is about how to accessorize your rooms and it was featured in the fall issue of the Bernards Ridge Connection Magazine.  Feel free to email us your design questions and we will try to answer them all! Attached is our recent publication for your enjoyment: http://files.me.com/tottenmcguirl/jfx4o6

Warmest Regards,

William Totten & Linda McGuirl

Totten-McGuirl Interiors

Webpage: www.Totten-McGuirl.com
 908-580-9572

Thank you PM Magazine for your great Press!

Before, During & After Pictures of a Showhouse Room.

  The Library/Game Room - Princeton Designer Showhouse and Gardens XVI

We just dismantled our Library/Game Room at the Princeton Designer Showhouse and Gardens XVI and thought some of you might like to see some before, during and after pictures. Below are two photographs taken of the formal library when we arrived to look at the space in February.  The room was very dark and dreary.  The woodwork was beautiful, but it was dull and tired.  The window treatment was designed with too many straight lines for the room and the fabric selection did not compliment the wood which dominated the space.  The floor was covered with a wall to wall carpet and it was dry rotted. We had our work cut out for us!

First we evaluated the architecture and decided to create a Library/Game Room. After designing the room layout, we went to the Decorating and Design Building (D&D) in NYC and selected our fabrics.  We needed color, interest and reflection in the room and we looked for fabrics that would bring the room to life. We were very excited when we found a Ikat patterned cotton velvet by F. Schumacher and Co. http://www.fschumacher.com/ in the bright and warm colors of red, brown, orange and cream.  This was the fabric that we based the rest of our selections on.  It was warm to go with the existing chestnut bookcases, but bright and bold and a great scale for our space.  It was also very luxurious and a classic design that would fit right into this Georgian Style home. We decided to create soft roman window shades with side tails from the fabric and trim the bottom of the window treatments with a fun wooden bobbin trim from Samual and Sons http://www.samuelandsons.com/ for added interest. 


We found a coordinating great brown fabric from Duralee http://www.duralee.com/ that replicated burlap, but it was softer to the hand as it was made from recycled fabrics.  We decided this fabric would be perfect to cover a game table and we found a wide trim from F. Schumacher and Co. in red and gold that we positioned near the bottom of the skirt.  In the meantime, we contacted our furniture maker and he graciously volunteered his services and created the game table for us. We also called our local glass shop they offered to donate the glass top.  We are feeling the love.

For the chairs in our room we needed something zippy. We were excited to discover a new fabric by Brunschwig and Fils www.brunschwig.com called Zig Zag that was a red and orange chenille and full of energy.  It was also reversible so it gave us some options in how we could use it.  Initially we intended to show the side that showed more red, but as the room evolved we flipped it to the orange side and the balance was just perfect.  Our upholster worked hard on creating these chairs and they were a show stopper. 

We had decided to remove one section of bookshelves and create a bulletin board area where we would show off game scores and ribbons.  We found a great oversized  red and gold trim, but finding a simple red fabric that worked with the other reds was one of the hardest tasks in this room.  Finally, after several shopping trips, we found a cotton fabric from Pindler and Pindler www.pindler.com that fit right in. It was the least expensive fabric in our space, yet the most difficult to select due to the fact that colors look very different in the rooms they are in.  Be sure when you are designing a room to look at each of the fabrics in your space both night and day! Fabrics have a way of changing with the light and the space they are in.

For the ceiling we chose a reflective gold wallpaper that simulated Chinese Tea paper.  Our first selection was back-ordered for 12 weeks and we only had 8 weeks to design our spaces, so we found an alternative from Cowtan and Tout www.cowtan.com and we liked it better then our first selection. We love when "upsets" work out for the best!  For added reflection, we applied acrylic strips of mirror to the back of the bookcase.  Since we could not install mirror perminently, this was a safe alternative to the glass mirror and it was a very easy installation.  It does attract dust and dirt and is hard to clean, so we woudn't recommend it for a home, but it was perfect for our temporary showhouse room.

Lighting was our next critical design task.  We replaced an old flush mounted fixture that was very small with a beautiful brass lantern with a leaf motif from Vaughn Lighting.  www.vaughandesigns.com  We then found a great pair of floor lamps from Vaughn as well in the shape of twigs that coordinated perfectly.  Vaughn was kind enough to loan us their lighting and it was very well received by the visitors of the showhouse. We also included an old pair of Brass Repousse Sconces over the fireplace.  To balance the formal elements in the room, we selected a chuncky hand-spun jute carpet.  Once we pulled up the old carpet and discovered the beautiful wide plank wood flooring,  we decided to use the jute as an area rug.    

We cleaned the bookcases with Min Wax and faux painted (Faux Bois) the switch plates to make them look like the wood. We washed the windows and cleaned the floor.  Back in our Design Studio we created planters which were glazed and then decoupaged with 18th century playing cards.  We filled them with Ivy and placed them on three of the deep window sills. We then went antique shopping and found wonderful objects and old games and placed them within the shelves between the books.  We also contacted local artist and found some wonderful paintings for the room which we included on the shelves and the walls.   Finally, we set the game table up for some poker and included a bar area filled with Root Beer.  Let the games begin!

Special thanks to all of our contributors especially those who donated their goods and services including Intradex Upholstery, Debbie Fico, Scott Hain, Mauro Rigante Woodworking, R.B. Electric, Woven Floors, Dave Jergenson Paper Hanging,  Fiberseal of New Jersey, Basking Ridge Glass, Queripel Interiors, G. Evans LTD., Sign of the Tymes, Sweet Peas, Debbie Seymour and Studio 7.