When shopping around for pre-loved furniture, you may come across these three terms: antique, vintage, and retro. These terms can be confusing if you’re new to buying used furniture. After all, aren’t they all just different ways of saying “old”?
We’re here to clarify these terms and assist you in your furniture-buying endeavours!
Antique
An item becomes an antique when it is at least one hundred years old. Therefore, the most recent antiques today are items from the 1920s.
This rule applies to all categories from clothing to documents, but it can be particularly useful when buying furniture. If a chest of drawers is accurately labelled as an antique, you can safely assume that it has lasted at least a century, indicating its high quality.
Vintage
‘Vintage’ is perhaps misused the most often out of these terms. Sometimes it is used to describe a certain ‘vibe’ rather than to indicate the actual age of a piece.
The official definition for vintage that we stick to at OTSE is reserved for items between 20-99 years old. Yes, we’re sorry to say that means many items from your childhood are now considered vintage. Tamagotchis, beaded curtains, inflatable sofas… If it helps, vintage is very in right now!
Retro
Retro stands out from the other terms because it does not indicate the age of a piece. Something described as “retro” is more likely to be a modern piece of furniture which merely takes inspiration from vintage and antiques. Reproduction furniture is often described as retro rather than being falsely labelled as antique or vintage. There can still be value in these pieces when an authentic antique is difficult to source.
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On The Square Emporium is one of Ireland’s Largest Antiques shops stocking thousands of vintage and antique items including Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian furniture, desirable collectibles and stunning decor ideas for your home. Can’t find what you are looking for? Contact our team for help on sourcing it!