Designer Heidi Hendricks Says ‘Old Brown Furniture’ Is the Secret to Adding Timeless Character to Any Room – Her Tips for Sourcing and Styling Will Change How You Decorate

Living room with pale pink walls and a pink corner sofa with patterned armchairs and a grand piano in the corner.

Designer Heidi Hendricks is a true expert at harmonizing old and new. Her projects effortlessly combine distinctive vintage pieces with contemporary design, creating rooms that feel rich, layered, and timeless. By blending styles and eras, she crafts spaces that defy a specific time – tapestries of diverse influences that transcend trends and fleeting aesthetics, resulting in interiors that remain captivating for years to come.

Homes & Gardens recently toured Heidi’s latest project – a relatively new build with a lack of history that most of her previous remodels had in spades. Transforming this minimal space into something rich with layers and character was a new challenge, and it was decorating with vintage furniture that played a key part in aging this modern home. Brown vintage furniture, in particular, according to Heidi.

Here she talks us through why she believes every space needs something old and her tips for what she looks for when sourcing specific vintage furniture.

The chairs used in this dining room are Henredon oak and brass chairs and Razor chairs by Henning Kjærnulf, which you can search for on 1stDibs. The contemporary. Lariat pendant light from Apparatus creates the perfect juxtaposition with the heavy wooden furniture beneath (Image credit: Chris Mottalini)

Home & Gardens: Why do you think mixing old and new is important for creating timeless interiors?

‘I think blending old and new is so critical to creating a successful and harmonious room, ensuring it doesn’t resemble a rummage sale. It requires focusing on contrast, cohesion, and storytelling, which can be achieved by carefully considering color, scale, and placement,' explains Heidi. 'I’m always advocating for old ‘brown’ furniture to be rescued from auction houses and estate sales – it brings instant character and a sense of warmth and history to a room.'

Home & Gardens: What styles do you look for most when thrifting and antiquing?

‘The particular antique furniture styles I look out for are Shaker craft and styles from the mid-1800s through the mid-1900s. It has had a tremendous influence on modern American and Scandinavian furniture. I find their clean silhouettes and invisible joinery easy to balance with the curvier lines of ornate antiques and upholstered pieces.’

Heidi sourced these 1950s vintage Italian armchairs for her Carnegie Hill project second-hand and had them reupholstered in a Dedar fabric for a modern twist (Image credit: Chris Mottalini)

Home & Gardens: Do you have any reliable sources you often turn to when looking for a specific vintage piece?

‘I became adept at sourcing online during the COVID days and relied heavily on 1stDibs. In more recent years, I’ve been relishing the thrill of hunting down antiques in person, allowing me to experience their size, scale, and authentic patina firsthand.'

'I love hunting in smaller shops, like Montage Antiques in Millerton, NY, as well as towns with large concentrations of antique shops, such as Hudson, NY. I also have a few “secret weapons” – my relationships with pickers who travel the US and abroad and text me pictures to see if I’m interested.’

Home & Gardens: What's your biggest tip for finding the right vintage pieces?

‘Definitely try looking in person. And arm yourself with ideal dimensions, especially the maximum size allowed, for the targeted piece that you are hunting. I often hear about people’s thrilling finds only to have their spirits crash when they realize the piece is simply the wrong size back in their house. Don’t fear patina; most scratches and loose legs can be refurbished by an expert.’

In this study, a vintage mid-century rosewood shelving unit (try Chairish for something similar) mixes with modern leather swivel chairs from B&B Italia (Image credit: Chris Mottalini)

Home & Gardens: What's your best vintage find to date?

‘The most memorable piece of vintage furniture I have sourced is probably so because it was the greatest bargain. We went to a Shaker furniture auction a few years back, and while the rare and unusual pieces sold quickly and at or above market prices, we held on until the very end when they auctioned off smaller items, including a wonderfully large-scale wooden storage trunk. Unbelievably, we were the only people bidding, so we nabbed it for $300.’

If you want the thrill of shopping second-hand online, as well as in person, 1stDibs and Chairish are the best places to head to. They make sourcing vintage pieces simple, with really easy-to-use sites, and lots of edits for inspiration too. Of course, there's eBay too, which can require a bit more digging, and you have to be alert to knock-offs and getting the right price.

We have a guide of the best places to buy vintage pieces online, but if you are after great quality, vintage-style pieces that are going to add character to a room, there are brands we trust to buy new ones, too. Studio McGee, Lulu and Georgia, West Elm, and Magnolia, to name a few.