Interior Inspiration: Adding Vintage Accents to Your Apartment

Issue 6

Jul 30

Looking for ways to add a bit of dimension and class to your apartment? Let’s consult a professional.

We’ve interviewed Andrea Siwiec, the woman who restored her 100-year-old Georgian home in Buffalo, NY into the most elegantly modern space, for timeless interior design tips. Read on for the best advice on making the most of a smaller space, hosting recommendations and the perfect cocktail recipe for your post-renovation housewarming (apartment-warming?) party!

When did you first discover your passion for interior design and acquisition of vintage décor?

My passion for interior design started when I was about 24 years old. I had just finished graduate school, began my career as a high school Guidance Counselor and moved into my first apartment. I was anxious and excited to find the perfect blank canvas to create a stylish, sophisticated and welcoming home for all my family and friends to enjoy. HGTV and Pinterest didn’t exist back then, so I had to rely on design and décor magazines such as Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens, and Architectural Digest for my inspiration. By the way, these magazines are still among my favorites to seek interior design ideas!

When I moved into my first apartment I was on a tight budget and couldn’t afford what I was seeing in all of the interior design magazines. I was determined to have that traditional and classic look, with modern touches of course, but I did not want to compromise on the quality of the furniture or décor, so I began to acquire vintage and antique pieces from second hand sources like antique shops and estate sales. It was a means of finding exceptional, high-end pieces at a fraction of the price. Plus vintage and antique pieces have history, character and tell a story which I simply adore.

How do you give your classic pieces a more modern flair?

Classic and traditional doesn’t mean it has to be stuffy, formal, or uncomfortable. Classic design, in my opinion, should be understated, sophisticated and timeless. Incorporating design elements into a space that is both old and new will create a look that is balanced, harmonious, and will stand the test of time. You can place an antique piece of furniture like an English Hepplewhite Style Mahogany Sideboard on a neutral colored wall and hang a contemporary piece of artwork above it, or you could add gold mirror with clean lines, a sleek lamp, or a geometric vase to give it that modern flair. My teenage son has a 100-year-old highly detailed Kittinger desk in his bedroom – above it hangs a mid-century painting from a local artist and the chair, which is an Eiffel acrylic style, is ultra modern. All of the pieces are a blend of vintage and new and work together perfectly. Our master bedroom also has elements of old and new, which creates a classic look with a modern touch. Creating a balanced look to a design takes some time and practice but once you get it, it’s so aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Modern gold detailing on this acrylic chair match seamlessly with a 100-year-old desk.

A bar cart is the perfect place to mix old with new.

This vintage bar cart is given a new life topped with gold-finished decor.

What is your best advice for making the most of a smaller space?

It doesn’t matter if your home is 300 square feet or 3000 square feet, designing your rooms with efficiency in mind will allow for better functionality and flow to your space.

Select furniture that acts as double duty. Buy an ottoman as a coffee table and when guests are over it can be used for extra seating, use a chest of drawers rather than a console table in an entryway for extra storage or add a tall open book case or hutch to store essentials but to also showcase your treasured items that are meaningful to you like a porcelain bowl passed down from your grandmother, framed pictures of family and friends, blue and white ginger jars, beloved books or a pair of vintage Staffordshire Dogs or Herend Figurines.
Measure, measure and measure again. This goes back to design 101, you want to make sure that the scale and proportions of your furniture fits the space.
Sticking with neutral tones when choosing wall color will often make a room feel more open and airy.
Use bold patterns and colors with your accent pieces such as artwork, window treatments, throw pillows, blankets, lamps, sofas and side chairs. Adding large mirrors will also help to create a more expansive feeling in a small space.
Less is more especially in a small space. Keep it clean and clutter free, especially kitchen counters and bathrooms.
And don’t compromise on the quality of furniture that you will get a lot of use from, like a sofa or a bed. In the end you will save more money by buying a more expensive quality sofa rather than a cheap one, which would likely have to be replaced in few years.

For young women moving into their first apartments, do you have any design/style tips for creating a beautiful space on a budget?

You can have that high-end designer look on a budget but you have to keep a few things in mind:

A. Be creative about it.

B. Know where to source quality items for less and,

C. Be willing to do a few DYI projects.

These gorgeous accent chairs were found on Facebook Marketplace and came from an old church.

If you love a Gracie chinoiserie wallpaper like I do but don’t want to take out a small mortgage to pay for it, look at buying a few mural panels and placing them in large elegant picture frames to hang in your living room or bedroom – it’s a way of getting the look but for less. Don’t wait until your wedding day to start your china or crystal collection. Often times you can go to your local thrift store and find stunning heirloom quality china sets for under $100.00. That’s far less than any dinnerware you would buy from Williams-Sonoma, and it would impress any of your guests while throwing a dinner party. Look on Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s list, or LetGo to find gently used pieces of accent furniture with good bones that may simply need a facelift. Those sites are flooded with dressers, end tables or hutches that can be painted a sharp lacquer navy blue or haint blue to give the piece a whole new life. And online stores like Etsy are a wonderful way to find handmade home décor for less such as monogrammed linens, or window treatments and throw pillows made from beautiful fabrics such as Schumacher or Lee Jofa.

Where do you find such lovely and timeless pieces?

Most of our high-end furnishings have come from either antique shops or local furniture galleries that source from brands that stand the test of time such as Maitland-Smith, Taylor King, Century, Bernhardt, Century or Kittinger; however, I have found some of the most beautiful décor pieces and furniture for my home through estate sales and consignment shops. I love the thrill of the hunt, and I always love a good bargain. To be quite honest, I’ve also been known to find a few amazing pieces curbside! So when you are driving always be on the lookout for someone’s tossed treasures.

Andrea acquired this vintage secretary from an estate sale.

Who inspires you when it comes to interior design?

There are quite a few interior designers that inspire me, but one thing they all have in common is their sense of creating a timeless, classic and traditional look to a home. Some of my favorites include Bunny Williams, Holly Holden, James Farmer, Jonathan Adler, Steve Cordony, Patricia Atschul - a lifestyle expert and the late Mario Buatta – the “Prince of Chintz.”

What is the most important to consider when it comes to entertaining guests?

First and foremost is making sure your guests are relaxed, comfortable, and having fun and that begins with you. If you are relaxed and comfortable they will be too.

Second, have a well thought out menu. Keep it simple, make sure it’s something you can make ahead of time, and just pop in the oven so you’re not tied up in the kitchen and your guests can enjoy you.

3. Use beautiful cloth napkins, placemats and/or tablecloths – even if you are serving pizza. Using linens creates an elegant look to the table.

4. Have candles lit throughout the house for a soft ambiance and don’t forget a scented one for the bathroom.

5. Have music playing– it creates a nice backdrop – Let Spotify, Pandora or Apple Music curate a playlist for you.

6. Flowers are a must – keep the arrangements simple and place a few small vases around the house. Using fresh herbs in terra cotta pots also make nice arrangements.

7. Most importantly, have a signature cocktail prepared for your guests as they arrive. When I host a dinner party I always have a fun cocktail or a flute of Prosecco waiting for my guests as they walk in. It sets the tone for the evening and immediately puts your guests at ease. One of my favorite summer cocktails to make is a Paloma (see recipe below) – It’s made with tequila and grapefruit, and it’s incredibly refreshing and light.