5 Vintage Items Designers Say You Should Get Rid Of

While many designers are head over heels for vintage, they also know how to weed out secondhand items that just aren’t so special. What types of furnishings fall into this category? Keep reading below, as Southern designers speak to five categories of vintage items that they would rather you part ways with ASAP. Consider this your sign to stop trying to make these so-so furnishings work in your space.

Anything Shabby Chic

Multiple designers shared that they’re all for getting rid of anything overly shabby chic. “While they had their moment, they can date a space quickly and often clash with today’s cleaner, more streamlined take on vintage,” says Laura Lubin, the founder of Ellerslie Interiors in Nashville, Tennessee.

Emily Janak, who is based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but also completes projects throughout the Southern U.S., feels similarly. “It feels contrived and oversaturated the market in the 2000s,” the founder of Emily Janak Interiors says of the shabby chic style.

Bulky, Dark Wood Pieces

While wooden furniture is certainly having a moment, anything that’s overly bulky is no longer in vogue, Lubin explains, noting that such pieces “can feel heavy and outdated in modern interiors.” She adds, “We encourage clients to look for vintage pieces with cleaner lines, or those that can be reimagined with updated upholstery or finishes.”

Cathleen Gruver, the lead interior designer at Gruver Cooley in Purcellville, Virginia, agrees with this take. “Pieces that overpower a room, like oversized armoire or fussy Victorian reproductions, can make even a light-filled home feel closed in,” she says. “Not every vintage piece deserves a forever home.”

Mid-Century Modern Reproductions

Janak notes that she will always say no to mid-century modern reproductions. “To me, we’re still too close to that era to cherish anything that’s not authentic,” she says. Save your pennies for something legit instead!

Furniture Sets

Designers aren’t into matching furniture sets, vintage or otherwise. Lindsey Gregg, a senior interior designer with Big Sky Design in Wilmington, North Carolina, notes that you don’t have to part ways with a set entirely, though. A little creativity is all you need. “Separating vintage sets is a great way to honor their history while giving them a new lease on life,” she says. One option is placing a dresser in one room of the home and then hanging the mirror that came with it in another. “Using individual pieces in a creative way, applying a new finish or ultimately just keeping part of the set is a nice way to modernize vintage,” Gregg comments.

Poorly Maintained Pieces

If a vintage piece simply isn’t in great condition, it isn’t worth keeping in your home, explains Laura Umansky, the founder of Laura U Design Collective in Houston, Texas. “I always encourage clients to part with pieces that hold zero sentimental-value, are of lower-quality construction, and aren’t candidates for restoration,” she says. “Not every vintage item is worth saving.”

She also encourages getting rid of any poorly made upholstered pieces or case pieces that have veneer damage. “Vintage should add soul and craftsmanship to a space so if it’s cheaply made or beyond repair, it’s time to let it go,” the designer reflects.