I was driving along the other day and saw all these Antique shop signs and started to think about the term antique vs. vintage. I use the term vintage as it relates to my business instead of antique. Primarily, I chose this due to the fact that the word antique reminds me of “fuddy duddy” furniture. (Mom, I apologize since I know your entire house is done in antiques).
I appreciate antiques and have a couple in my home, but it’s not my style, and I wouldn’t paint many true antiques. The thought of painting anything in my mom’s house, I think, would make both of us cry! I thought I’d do a little research and see what the actual definition of antique vs. vintage furniture is…
- Antique furniture must be over 100 years old
- Vintage furniture is furniture that is between 30 and 100 years old. However, technically, the term vintage also refers to furniture that best represents the prevalent style of a period. So simply being old will not make it vintage.
Vintage furniture is very popular primarily because:
- It gives you the chance to decorate in your own unique style
- It is less expensive than buying new furniture of the same quality.
- It is one of the greenest ways of furnishing your home, as you are saving furniture from the landfills, and even toxic finishes are not off-gassing any longer.
