Decorating With Antiques: Painted Furniture Brings the Eye Candy

A room decorated with antiques can often appear somber and a little too serious, especially if all the case goods (wooden tables, chests, armoires etc.) are nothing but drab, brown furniture. The glow and patina of a beautiful 18th-century Georgian chest — the subtleties of the wood grain, the details of the skilled carpentry and the intricacies of superbly crafted hardware — can become a bit stodgy and dark in the aggregate. But never fear, my antique-loving friends. It’s painted furniture to the rescue!

In 1917 interior decorator Ruby Ross Wood said that painted furniture “is the salvation of many a too-dark room.” It brings a lift of color, a bit of relief from too much brown wood, an eye-catching touch of something a little different. Whether Italian, French, English, Scandinavian or American, painted furniture is the eye candy of the antiques world.

Polychrome. Italian painted furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries is more exuberant, whimsical and over-the-top than its other European counterparts. Extravagant shapes and bright colors are part of what make it so appealing. But the paint also had its practical side: Italy doesn’t have beautiful, exotic woods, so the paint hides carcasses of more humble softwoods such as beech, pine and poplar. Lucky Italians! Can you imagine this fantastically painted 18th-century Italian secretary brightening up a living room, bedroom or study?


This painted bedside chest of drawers, probably English or French, is a bit simpler and softer, but still performs the same important function of adding something a little artful and more unexpected than the usual stained piece. I like the fact that, because there is something painted on the chest, there was no need for a painting or picture over the bed. In fact, that restraint in design allows the chest to shine even more brightly.



Here is another fantastic example of decoratively painted furniture — this time chests of drawers. They are especially rare for two reasons: because they are a pair, and because the finish is original. (Often the finish on painted furniture has been restored.)

I would love to see these chests flanking a fireplace, or side by side in a large entry hall, or as bedside tables in a very special bedroom. In a weak moment I also imagined them converted to vanities in a spectacular bathroom, but I came to my senses. I think it would be pretty close to sacrilege to cut them up for that purpose!




Chinoiserie painted furniture was all the rage in the 17th and 18th centuries when Europeans were trying to copy Chinese and Japanese lacquered furniture. Their efforts resulted in some amazing pieces. This antique secretary is a great example of how extravagant chinoiserie can be. What a beautiful way to contain your home office.


This classic black lacquered 18th-century English chinoiserie slant-front bureau is a stunning piece. Even though it is dark in color, it can still have a lightening effect on a room, because of the shiny lacquer and exuberant Asian scenes in gold, which add drama and punch.


Here is a simpler example of the same chinoiserie technique applied to a bamboo chest of drawers. Black is the most frequently used color in chinoiserie; examples in red, yellow, green and white are rarer.


The mix. What I especially like about this very inviting bedroom is the mix of painted and nonpainted furniture. The bedside table and chest of drawers are very nice brown antiques. But then things are lightened up with the beautifully painted and gilded antique bed. Another layer of interest comes from the black painted French table at the foot of the bed.


This second view shows a bit more detail on the bed and that the night tables are a pair. If everything were brown furniture, it would still be a lovely room, but can you see how mixing in the painted pieces makes things lighter and more interesting?


Monochromatic. Up to this point, we have been looking at polychromatic painted furniture. “Polychromatic” simply means made up of many colors, and we’ve seen beautiful examples of complicated figural and decorative ornament on these pieces. But there is a whole other world of painted furniture, much less rare and more accessible, but in its own way every bit as beautiful and effective in interior design. We’ll just call it monochromatic, meaning made up of a single color.

These are the pieces of furniture that have been (or can be) painted by the furniture maker who isn’t an aspiring Michelangelo but knows how to use a paintbrush. Some were painted in their original form. Others were stained and then painted later by the owner or a refinisher.

The beautiful antique blue monochromatic Swedish secretary shown here is an example of a piece painted from the beginning. The polychromatic santo lamp in the foreground shows how painted pieces can work together — but it is usually wise to use a little restraint. I once heard an interior designer say that decorating exclusively with painted furniture is like gorging on marzipan.


The rustic painted bench helps to establish the relaxed island feel on this Charleston, South Carolina, front porch. Not too precious, it invites you to plop down, put up your feet and sip on a mint julep.


This old armoire is clearly an example of a piece of brown furniture that was painted later. In this dreamy, gauzy, all-white bedroom, it is just right. It’s a nice antique but was obviously not too valuable to put a coat of paint on — the ideal candidate for this kind of transformation.


This wonderfully rustic old cupboard may have been painted originally or stained … sometimes it’s hard to tell. But often a piece like this has been repainted several times, and in different colors. The result is that over time, and with wear and tear, all the colors begin to show through and create a different kind of charm. What was intended to be monochromatic becomes polychromatic by accident.


Talk about transformation! I’m sure this piece was, in its earlier incarnation, a very dark brown, semiserious Renaissance revival chest. But with a little courage, some imagination, and a bit of paint, it has become a whimsical and fun pop of color that brings a smile to your face.


And on the other end of the spectrum is this lovely French chest of drawers (circa 1780). The refined soft gray finish and original ormolu hardware produce a soothing and breezy effect in this restful bedroom.


So whether it’s a little old rustic cupboard that you found in a junk store and painted and distressed yourself to use as a bathroom vanity …


… or the high art of carved, polychromatic and gilt antiques of a very serious nature, painted furniture adds a special and bright dimension to a room. The eye candy of the antique world indeed!

More: Decorating With Antiques: Evoke a Fanciful Past With Bamboo

URL: Decorating With Antiques: Painted Furniture Brings the Eye Candy http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-24212.html