Sustainability. I bet you have heard this word in the last week, and rightly so. From making more conscious decisions about the clothes we wear and the food we eat, to reducing plastic and swapping the car for a bike, it’s not the easiest thing to do in Auckland though but we all know that we need to make better choices for the future generations. The same concept goes for the things we buy for our homes, decorative and practical.
When it comes to furniture and home wares, choosing antique or vintage pieces is about the most sustainable choice you can make. At Elsie Wolfe, we have always celebrated interesting and elevated pieces which have had a life before they found their way to Auckland. The greatest thing about buying antique furniture is that nothing needs to be produced, so surely there is no better way of reducing your footprint in our beautiful hidden away country on this amazing planet.
There is also the fact that you’ll be buying something genuinely unique, rather than mass-produced in a far-away factory, not knowing who really made it. I’m not saying we know who made our antiques, but we all know things made in the past were made to last. So, who wants to have another generic item which can be seen in houses up and down the long white cloud? We don’t! Antique or vintage pieces will add to the charm to your home, making it feel loved and lived in and they’re bound to be more of a conversation starter than something from the chain store down the road.
When it comes to home decor, think beyond contemporary prints and posters. From antique advertising signs, ceramics where you can see the years of wear and old everyday items that now tell a story, adding decorative antiques to your home adds a lot of interest, which can be especially helpful in modern or new-build homes. Even domestic items like baker’s trays (pictured above) and cream cans look stylish when grouped in a considered way. It’s all about being creative and breathing new life into the old so that your treasures can continue to bring joy for years to come.