I’d love nothing more than to cover my walls with sweeping 18th-century landscapes and freshly commissioned canvases from rising art stars. But let’s be honest: large-scale artwork often comes with a large-scale price tag, and most of us are decorating with real-world budgets. Thankfully, the vast, wonderful world of antiques and collectibles is full of pieces that can hold their own against any painting—often with more texture, more patina, and a whole lot more story. If you, like me, can’t stand a blank wall but also can’t justify a major art investment at the moment, here are 10 larger-scale antiques worth seeking out for serious decorative impact at a fraction of the cost.
Farmstand Signs
Roadside stands, which proliferated along with the 1920s and ’30s rise of the automobile, have consistently provided an easy and economical way for farmers to profit from their produce. Graphic hand-painted signs advertising available goods (some as large as six feet long!) were often displayed well ahead of stopping points so passers-by could be on the lookout. Today, these finds feel right at home in any farmhouse and can usually be picked up for under $300. For double (and sometimes triple!) the fun, look for multiword signs created as a linking set.
Quilts
Hung on the wall like a tapestry, a patterned quilt can totally tie the color scheme of a large room together—and fill up wall space that extends up into tall ceilings.
Vintage Flags
On this Texas porch, a flea market American flag adds a pop of patriotic flair—and provides a unique focal point for passers-by.
Mirrors with Foxing
If you’re really into the patinaed look, you’re also going to want to look for mirrors with foxing. “Even if you’ve never heard of foxing, you’ll recognize it,” explains CL’s Senior Homes & Styles Editor Anna Logan. “It’s that dappled aging around the edges of antique mirrors—it usually looks like a silvery or brown rust within the glass. Foxing occurs over long periods of exposure to moisture and air. Once moisture or air gets between the glass and the mercury or silver backing, it begins to erode, leaving behind this delightful aged look.”
Old Weather Vanes
In Ali Mahon’s Connecticut farmhouse, an early-1900s rooster weather vane adds a hint of barn charm atop the dining room fireplace.
Pull-Down Maps
Used in classrooms before overhead projectors took over the scene, vintage pull-down maps are colorful, graphic, and a lovely way to emphasize a sense of place in a home.
Carnival Wheels
While Wheel of Fortune–style games of chance have existed since the time of ancient Greece, they entered into the American experience between 1870 and 1920, during the golden age of traveling carnivals. Largely discontinued from fair midways starting in the 1960s when states began enforcing gambling laws more strictly, these colorful pieces of folk art are coveted today as eye-catching wall decor. Values range from $400 for smaller 20-inch circles to upward of $1,000 for three- to four-foot wheels.
Antique Windows
In this Nashville primary suite, a 1930s window serves as a pass-through between the bedroom and bath areas. If budget doesn’t allow for this sort of custom installation, similar pieces can make just as much of a statement hung on their own.
Pairs of Shutters
In the mudroom of John Wentworth and Jamie Gluck’s Maine cottage, four green shutters with pine tree cutouts that once hung on John’s grandparents’ camp add a personal touch—and a serene swath of color on the white walls.
Board Games
Okay, cheating here a little bit, but that’s because the concept is just too good! While restoring her great-grandparents’ 1908 farmhouse, CL Executive Editor Jen Kopf hung a collection of vintage board games on a wall in the play area. Such a winning idea!
