Turning A Living Room Into An Antique's Showplace

There are several things antique collectors love to do, but perhaps one of the biggest is to show off their finds. For those who go with a generalized theme like period pieces or simply "antique glass" the living room is a great location for showing off that collection.

Turning a plain, everyday living room into a museum of antiques is not necessarily an easy undertaking. It all depends on what you have, what you want to have and how you arrange it. Those who go for period styles will find the process can be a blast, as looking for just the right pieces to flesh out the room's décor becomes a treasure hunt of sorts. If decorating period style is desired, here are some ideas: * If you're new at the antiques collecting hobby, don't expect to rush out and fill an entire room in a day. Antiques can be expensive and they can be quite rare. Finding the right pieces can take years, but that's frankly half the fun. * Go slow and set a theme. A room doesn't have to be completed in a day. It can "evolve" over time with non-antique pieces being removed to make way for big finds as they come along. Picking a theme or period, however, will help focus the search. Whether you choose to collect pieces from the early 1900s, or Victorian era or beyond is desired, the statement of purpose for the room will not only help guide you in the search, but also others who might be looking on your behalf. * Decide the extent of the collection. Do you want everything, maybe minus the TV, to be authentic? Furniture, artworks, glass, rugs and so on? Or, are you just wanting authentic accents like art and glass? * Set a reasonable color/design theme. Period is very helpful, but to really get down to the nitty gritty, you need to decide what the room should look like. Are you wanting to go with a specific color or family of colors? How about patterns? * Study antique books and magazines. Find items you like in these and look for them in the real world. Use the pictures to pattern your room and guide your purchases.

Collecting antiques is a fun and rewarding hobby. It's also one that can transform an ordinary room into an extraordinary one. Paying attention to styles, time periods and even the choice of collectibles can help point the search in the right direction.

Remember, a room that's meant for antiques doesn't have to be finished in a day, a week or even a year or 10. It should be a fun process that evolves over time.