Timeless Textiles

The idea of antiquing conjures up images of period-piece furniture and ornate accessories.

From refinishing a tabletop to fixing the knobs of a dresser to polishing old silver, most people have brought at least one unique piece from the past back to modern life.

But rarely do people think of bedroom linens as key collectibles. Here’s how to re-fresh your bedding with linens from long-ago.

When Beth Harlow, owner of The Painted Lady in Chicago, looks for pieces for her store she puts her feelers out for fabrics. “We carry different lines of bedding but I always pick up vintage pieces for the store when I see them,” she said. For Harlow, the key to warm home decorating comes from mixing past with present.

“A brand new white duvet combined with a vintage quilted pillowcase or sham adds texture and timeless style,” she said.

Favoring an all white bedroom look, Harlow brings the different years and origins together by keeping colorless. “Newer crisp cottons look lovely next to vintage linens,” she said.

Prefer a more diverse pallet? Look for vintage pieces adorned with embroidered flowers in pinks and blues for a color blast from the past.

Graphic designer Janet McCaffrey, owner of Primrose Design in Scott Township, Pa., which sells pillows made from vintage fabrics, loves older designs from the 1940s. “I’m continually surprised at how colorful and modern some of them are for their age,” she said. “I have nothing against modern fabrics, but vintage fabrics just have an aura about them.”

Using similar color patterns, she likes to mix different patterns to create unique combinations.

“Basically, you want to start with one fabric then pick up some of the secondary colors with your other fabrics,” she said. “Maybe take a floral print, then mix it up with stripes or polka dots pulled from the little bits of color in the smaller flowers or leaves.”

Finding the balance between bland and busy, Harlow prefers understating color but overstating layers. “The bottom of a bed becomes a great place to add texture and mix different fabrics. Place a 13-inch bed skirt atop a 20-inch bed skirt. Opt for a new, sheer organdy material, and layer with a vintage quilted piece for a two-tiered bed skirt.”

For McCaffrey, accessorizing her pillows with vintage items is a must. “Vintage buttons are the icing on the cake in my creations,” she said. “I love the brightly colored plastic buttons, many of them flower-shaped, from the ’40s and ’50s, and use them often on my pillows, handkerchief sachets and tissue cozies. Lately, I’ve been stacking them on top of one another for even more color.”

Finding the treasure trunk of bed linens proves to be difficult at times. More than likely the thrift shops won’t have vintage linens on a consistent basis, but once in a while you hit the jackpot.

“I once found a vintage Ralph Lauren eyelet bedding set,” Harlow recalled, “complete from the bed skirt to the pillowcases — it was a beautiful collection. And to think I walked away with it all for under $10.” It might not pop out at you, but keeping your eyes open pays off.

McCaffrey loves to search flea markets and antique malls: “There’s nothing like being able to see and touch fabrics in person,” she said. “Several times I’ve found bags full of scraps at flea markets and those are great for patchwork quilts.”

Whether you stumble upon your antique bed accessories or search high and low for months, after purchase and before use, prioritize a thorough cleaning for these pieces from the past.

“Another reason I prefer all white vintage bedding comes from cleaning it all,” Harlow confessed. Her home remedy? “I fill up the machine with water, use a cup of detergent, half a cup of bleach and a cup of Cascade powder dishwashing detergent. Soak for an hour and then wash as usual.” With colored pieces do the same, but without the bleach.

Vintage doesn’t have to come in the form of furniture. Keep your bedding as an option for antiques. When you look to the past to fill your future nights, suddenly sharing sheets never sounded so good.