5 Antique and Vintage Trends That Will Be All the Rage in 2025, According to Experts
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE Decor editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.These days it takes a lot more than a simple CB2 haul to impress a guest. For your apartment to be dialed in by contemporary standards you need a mix of thingsmaterials, colors, scales, and most definitely, periods. But how to go about collecting antiques if you are new to the field, or new to design as a whole? Here at ELLE DECOR weve been obsessed with all things beautiful, antiques included, for eons, profiling up-and-coming antique dealers, and always highlighting how designers of today infuse their clients homes with personality via a clever dose of vintage. But just because something is old (take your grandmothers glass vase), doesnt mean its special. And just because its finely made, doesnt mean its of the moment. Paradoxically perhaps, antiques have their peaks and their troughs like any other fluctuation in the world of interior design. Below, weve gathered the top antique and vintage trends that will pick up speed in 2025, according to dealers and experts. 19th-Century American Quilts Courtesy of Ry Fillman and Marin KirkseyAmish Diamond-in-the-Square quilt, mid-20th century. During the social upheaval of 2020 all many antiques insiders were hearing about were Gees Bend quiltsthe narrative patchworks made by a society of Black women in Gees Bend, Alabama. Gees Bend quilts are very collectiblecolorful, bold, and graphic textiles made by African American women in Gees Bend, Alabama, says Marin Kirksey, one-half of the popular Instagram @catsonquilt. Like many movements, this rich and expressive body of work was flattened and funneled into a bid for diversity in the design world. But the beauty of the material is unarguable, and the popularity of these quilts has spawned a reinvestigation of American quilts from the early 1800s to the early 1900sand that trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2025.David MitchellAntique quilts used in a Nina Farmer project.While quilts are designed to serve a straightforward function, a good antique quilt can serve as unexpected abstract art. (Antique dealer Paula Rubenstein tells us she hangs her quilts backwardfavoring the interesting details that reflect how quilters worked.) Whats more, theyre a unique slice of American craft: Quilts are a strong part of American textile history throughout the 19th century with a renaissance in the 1930s as a result of post depression thriftiness, says Kirksey, adding that quilting is also a huge part of womens work and women's history. While authentic Gees Bend works will set you back well over several thousand dollars, there are also more affordablebut no less beautiful or historicalternatives. The geometric patterns seen on Amish and Mennonite quilts from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana are increasingly sought after, according to Kirksey, likely for their quality but also for their ability to blend in with more contemporary surroundings. Early 19th-century American quilts using chintz imported from England are also a consistent favorite among collectors, as well as Hawaiian quilts with their detailed appliqud surfaces. Amish quilts were much more expensive 20 to 30 years ago then they are now, though they have retained their popularity, according to Rubenstein. (For further reading, we recommend this Stella Rubin book for beginner quilt collectors.)Victorian Wicker Courtesy of Charlap Hyman and Herrero.Victorian wicker in Adam Charlap Hymans former apartment.Another word we never thought we would hear again is wickerspecifically the Victorian wicker chairs and tables exploding with curlicues and decorative elements that weve started to see spotted through our favorite interiors.ELLE DECOR A-List interior designer Adam Charlap Hyman, of the ELLE DECOR A-List firm Charlap Hyman Herrero, works wicker in wherever he can. Two brands in particular have a hold on Charlap Hyman: the American brand Heywood Wakefield and the French brand Perret and Vibert. For furniture that is over 100 years old, the wicker pieces by these brands look like something out of the future. What draws me to Heywood Wakefield is that the forms are very abstract and kind of odd, says Charlap Hyman. They almost connote sea creatures or aliens. Sometimes you see them in these 1920s and 1930s houses alongside surrealist art.Maura McEvoyA vintage Wakefield Brothers wicker chair in a Maine vacation home designed by Angie Hranowsky. The Victorians, in particular, stretched the material to its limits, bending wicker into rocking chairs, side chairs, chaises, tables, and lamps. There are varying levels of quality available, like any other antique, with prices ranging from the low hundreds to high thousands. 1stDibs is always well stocked with great examples, but many designers, including Charlap Hyman, have found their favorites at Paris flea markets. When you find the Victorian wicker thats right for you, remember context: There is something refreshing about having something made out of a grass in your New York City living room, says Charlap Hyman. The coolest thing is when it doesnt belong.Surrealist Paintings Frank FrancesAn Earl Swanigan painting in Sheila Bridgess Hudson Valley home.Weve already told you about the jolie laide, or pretty ugly, trend thats swept our social feeds in which designers are embracing objects and accessories that surprise or disgust. Fortunately, the antique world is way ahead of the curve here, with bizarre surrealist and nave artworks poised to pop up everywhere in the year ahead. And while most of us cant afford a Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, or Salvador Dal painting, no one can deny the impact of a dreamscape in a home that is decidedly rooted in real life. For those of us with midmarket budgets, an entre into the dreamworld can come via a few lesser-known artists. Less expensive than the leaders of surrealism but still a reach for most are the works of Gertrude Abercrombie. The bohemian artist was an engaged member of Chicagos music scene in the 1920s but fell into obscurity during the middle of the 20th century. Her psychologically tense yet playful landscapes and interiors started selling like hotcakes after a wildly successful solo show at Karma Gallery in New York City in 2018. Her work is still available through the gallery and at auction, with newly available paintings listed frequently on Artsy, generally upward of $10,000. More recent, and more humbly priced, are the paintings of Earl Swanigana self-taught artist working in Hudson, New York, until 2019. His portraits embody the at once disturbing and playful energy of early 20th-century surrealists, usually picturing famous historical figures as cats, dogs, or birds. Before his death he became a favorite among Black contemporary artists and designers on the East Coast. ELLE DECOR A-List Titan Sheila Bridges often uses Swanigans paintings in projects and owns several, which she hung in her Hudson Valley home. Swanigan has been something of a secret, so getting your hands on a painting can take a little while. If you are lucky enough to visit downtown Hudson on a weekend, try White Whale Limited. If you arent a local, set up alerts for online auctions. The plus side to his relative obscurity is that his prices are still extremely accessible, with paintings almost always going for under $1,000.Winsdor Chairs Courtesy of Olde Hope Antiques.An 18th-century Windsor chair.In a Netflix era when seating is designed mostly for watching TV or working at your laptop, it follows that weve grown used to the upholstered, cushioned, and swiveling. But for those who like to look at their chairs as much as sit in them, the classic 18th-century Windsor chair holds as much interest as it did when it became a staple in American Colonial homes. To the contemporary eye the form of these chairs is graphic and simplea wooden seat carved out of one piece of hardwood, with spindles threaded into the seats back, held together by a softly rounded piece of wood at the top, and balanced on four simple feet, sometimes with a stretcher connecting them. These chairs can range vastly in price, depending on age, condition, maker, material, whether they are painted or not, and who might have owned them. The least expensive, still functional examples can be had for as little as a few hundred dollarsusually lucky finds at a coastal antique dealers shop. The best examples range from the low to very high thousands. Battle Brown in Hudson always has a few on offer, generally from the 18th or 19th century. Olde Hope Antiques always has several in stock, of the highest quality, usually in the mid-thousands. 1stDibs has a wide range of styles and sometimes even matching pairs (which generally hold their value more than single chairs). Courtesy of Historic New EnglandHenry Davis Sleepers seaside dining room at the Beauport-Sleeper McCann House with mismatched Windsor chairs. For decorators and collectors these chairs are a clean, simple way to communicate a sense of place and time. They are one of the purest 18th-century furniture forms that are still useful (and reproduced) today. Their simplicity can also lend themselves well to more eclectic interiors. We have all been sort of drawn to these kinds of pure and puritanical furniture forms lately, says Charlap Hyman. But my personal favorite example of these are the mismatched sets of Windsor chairs in Beauports dining room that are all painted uniformly in teal. Knole SofasCourtesy of Klismos GalleryWilliam IV Knole sofa, open.No one is unfamiliar with the fold-out couchthat scourge of 1990s hospitality. Few know of the earlier and altogether more stylish predecessorthe Knole sette (no, not that Knoll!), which functioned as the sleeper sofa of yesteryear. They originated in Kent, England, in the 1600s for monarchs to receive guests (sessions that could last for hours and hours) and are typified by a straight, long back, seating for at least two, and foldable arms that can be positioned to create something closer to a chaise longue. In a contemporary context, they are the perfect sofa for an overnight guest. Finding period or stylistically appropriate upholstered sofas is challenging. And finding ones that you can comfortably sink into for a long conversation or a drink or two is extremely rare, says antiques dealer Collier Calandruccio of Klismos Gallery. Knole sofas, at least by the 19th century, had achieved that level of comfort. They roamed scores of drawing rooms in historicist mansions of the Gilded Age and their simple geometry and versatility make them an easy fit for modern life. I see a clear through-line from Knole to the long sofas of Le Corbusier.Early examples are extremely hard to find, with many designers opting for reproductions over the real thing. On the accessible end of the price bucket are Victorian and Edwardian versions, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 usually. Knole sofas can range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands. Really good examples, and pairs particularly, are scarce, but well worth the search and investment, says Calandruccio. The fun thing about this type of antique is that old and valuable though it may be, you still have a degree of control about how it looksreupholstery is a perfectly acceptable way to keep the old form fresh. And like everything weve listed above, these sofas offer a direct link to the past while remaining functional for contemporary life, a feature thatif handled wellcan launch you into a stylish future.
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