After nearly 15 years as a design editor, I've seen a lot of very pretty rooms that have what I've come to call 'showroom syndrome'. On paper, these spaces work. The furniture is the proper scale, there's beautiful symmetry, and every accent works to tell a cohesive story. But still, it seems like the rooms are missing something. They look like furniture showrooms.
The thing that's usually missing? Soul. Layers. A depth to the contents that gives it a real point of view and tells the story of the people who live there. That missing piece is almost always because the room lacks history. Decorating with antiques and vintage items brings a uniqueness and warmth to the space that can't be replicated with even the most expensive upholstery and utmost attention to detail. Old pieces add contrast to new items in a way that creates depth, and they can 'throw off' a perfect room just enough to make it interesting.
