Decorating with Antique Silver

We’ve all been on a gold and copper kick the past few years. But I kept seeing my local thrift stores shelves brimming with antique and vintage silver pieces. So I started to pick them up and turn out— I’m hooked.

I love being surprised by a newfound love of something I hadn’t thought much about before. Discovering my personal home aesthetic with mainly thrifted wares challenges me to be open minded and always on the hunt for something new that inspires. I hadn’t previously seen anything on Instagram or Pinterest that prompted me to think about silver, but when I stopped to think about all the pieces I was passing up I thought…why not?

Is antique silver actually a thrift store’s best kept secret?

Here are a few reasons I’ve fallen in love with antique silver pieces.

Beautiful silhouettes

The silver pieces I’ve collected all have strikingly beautiful shapes. Round curved bowls and pitchers, sharp angular candlesticks, and delicate ornate trays and shallow dishes. The shapes are clean and crisp, like the shining metal that they’re made of.

Surprisingly warm

Silver is considered a “cool” metal, but especially as it ages it has a bit of a warm undertone. I noticed this particularly when I added some silver in our lemon yellow kitchen, which has grey toned granite countertops. The warmth of the patina on the silver added a wonderful contrast to the cooler tones in the background.

Versatile style

Silver also suits a variety of styles— it can look “fancy” and ostentatious or it can look rustic and simple. A silver plated pitcher can strike a dramatic minimalist note sitting on a bare table, or multiple silver bowls and dishes can be decadently piled up with charcuterie snacks and fruits on a formal tabletop.

I collected all of my new silver pieces for this past Christmas, to add a sort of Victorian/Classic Christmas feel to my tabletop decoration. But these shiny metallic pieces look equally beautiful full of bare branches for a post holiday winter aesthetic, and will look just as becoming full of fresh flowers in the warmer months.

Silver also suits a variety of styles— it can look “fancy” and ostentatious or it can look rustic and simple. A silver plated pitcher can strike a dramatic minimalist note sitting on a bare table, or multiple silver bowls and dishes can be decadently piled up with charcuterie snacks and fruits on a tabletop.

How to find and care for silver

There is usually a full shelf of “silver” at my local thrift stores, but they aren’t all true silver plate. Though pretty, they don’t clean up as well and have the same high quality.

To make sure you’re buying true silver plate, look for a series of numbers or a stamp, usually on the bottom of the piece. Also look for rust or oxidation- some silver is so dark it appears to be almost black (this just means its in need of a good polish).

To clean your silver, you’ll need a silver polish. After a few weeks the bright white of the cleaned metal with develop a patina, which gives it that wonderful aged look that makes it so appealing.