There are many great things that get better with age – a nice wine, fine leather, and quality antique English furniture. When items like these are made with the best natural materials using age-old methods, they’re strong enough to live through the ages, collecting countless stories on their way.
Pictured: A Painted 18th Century Antique 6ft English Server Buffet Console Table
As items age, they often pass through various categories and denominations. When does something go from being old to being retro, or from being vintage to becoming an antique?
What Does Vintage Mean?
Generally, the term vintage can refer to anything that evokes the best of the era in which it was made.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, vintage has a few different meanings depending on the context in which it’s used, but generally refers to something that:
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Is in the typical style of the period in which it was made.
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Is of distinctly high quality.
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Has gained value (or is likely to) over time.
There’s a general rule that says vintage items need to be between 20 and 100 years old. However, this isn’t strictly followed; some items deemed vintage can be younger or older than this timeframe, often depending on how much value it is deemed to have gained since it was made.
Pictured: Vintage plates and antique metal on top of an antique Welsh Oak Sideboard
It’s also important to distinguish vintage from terms like retro, which refer to items made in the style of a bygone era but are commonly produced in the present day. Unlike retro, vintage items must have been made in the period which they evoke.
What Does Antique Mean?
Antique has a similar meaning to vintage, although it often relates to much older items and objects.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, something is generally referred to as an antique if it is:
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From ancient history (e.g. museum pieces)
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Something that has become valuable or collectable thanks to its age and quality (e.g. antique furniture).
In general parlance, antique can have positive and negative connotations. However, when it comes to furnishings like Windsor chairs, it’s always considered a positive.
There’s a general rule that furniture labelled as an antique is over 100 years old, but this isn’t always the case.
Pictured: Vintage and antique furniture on top of an Antique English Georgian Cumbrian Washed Oak Slant Front Desk
How to Tell if Something is Antique or Vintage
Because there are no widely followed rules around what’s called vintage and what’s called antique, there is naturally some overlap between the two. You’ll particularly see these terms used interchangeably when dealing with items between 70 and 100 years old. As an example, many will consider some items from the 1930s to be vintage and others to be antiques.
The biggest difference is usually the emphasis put on an item’s age. Vintage items evoke a bygone era but are usually loved for their particular style and quality, with the age being considered a bonus. Antiques are also often of great quality, but the age of the piece is considered just as important, if not more so.
What sets antiques apart is their ability to tell a story. Antiques offer a lived-in feel; whether through their craftsmanship, the scrapes of regular use or both, antiques provide a trip through time and the lives that came before simply through sight and touch. The fact that antiques can also still serve as functional items in the home just makes them extra special.
If you’re inspired to discover what we consider some of the finest pieces of antique furniture available, why not check out our handpicked collection today? Our heirlooms are packed with beautiful stories and always evoke wonderful emotions for anyone who sees them.