Dear Diva Readers,
I was recently asked what my favorite piece of furniture is. Each week I am exposed to hundreds of antiques while shopping flea markets and stores on tours all across Europe. With the internet, hundreds more are sent to my email inbox, often resulting in sensory overload! The mix of styles, periods, and price points is so varied that it can be difficult to choose a favorite piece or style. So I decided to look at my own home and try to pinpoint a particular piece that stands out as my personal favorite.
Chairs seen on a Sweden Antiques Diva Tour
I’ve found that trying to choose a favorite antique piece is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. In my living room I have a gorgeous pair of signed Swedish Rococo Stockholm Chairs with traces of primary paint (mostly secondary). These chairs are the crème de la crème of antiques. And if you bought online in the USA you’d be looking at easily a cost of $16,000 – 20,000. I bought them on our Sweden Antiques Diva buying tour and spent around 4600E for the pair. They were a fantastic buy and absolute top quality – my favorite combination.
Catpuccino has refined tastes – he loves sleeping in the sunshine on my Swedish Rococo Chairs
I find that, in general, Swedish antiques are highly sought after due to their timelessness and classic design. Open any shelter magazine and you’re sure to see a few strategically placed Swedish pieces that add just the right amount of style and serenity to gorgeously decorated spaces.
While French furniture is beautiful, it can sometimes be overly carved or too “heavy” to blend into contemporary interiors. Swedish furniture, namely Gustavian, could be viewed as the “toned-down cousin” to antique French furniture. The lines are sleeker, the carvings more reserved. The graceful forms of Swedish furniture are complemented by their color palette which is usually rooted in the natural world, offering hues of gray, cream, pale blue and green.
Our living room – my favorite Swedish Chairs opposite the modern sofa
My home is a very modern space and so I look for those antiques that possess a classic sensibility without being overly flamboyant. My pair of Swedish Rococo Stockholm Chairs fits the bill perfectly. They bring a sense of history to a sleek apartment, proving that all things old can be made new again
The Antiques Diva®
P.S. – If you liked this article you might enjoy reading the article I did over at The Daily Basics on our living room décor.