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House Beautiful reports that three interior designers are seeing interest in six antique categories: pedestals and plinths, maps, drop-leaf tables, accent chairs, small paintings and bar cabinets. The article is based on designers’ observations, not sales data or a measured survey of homeowners.
Three interior designers told House Beautiful that homeowners are looking for six types of antiques for fall 2026: pedestals and plinths, vintage maps, drop-leaf tables, accent chairs, small art and bar cabinets. The report offers design professionals’ observations about current interest; it does not provide sales figures or survey results establishing how widespread that interest is.
Jennifer Baxter, Victoria Maggard and Gaia Guidi Filippi described the pieces they see clients seeking for their homes or as gifts. Their selections range from functional furniture, such as drop-leaf tables, to smaller decorative finds, including paintings and maps. The article frames these items as ways to add history and individual character to contemporary as well as traditional rooms.
Baxter is drawn to antique pedestals and plinths, which can give a vase or sculpture a dedicated display spot, and vintage maps, which can connect a room to a place with personal meaning. Filippi described drop-leaf tables as practical for compact rooms or entertaining: the hinged leaves can fold down when the table is not needed and lift to provide a larger surface.
The designers also pointed to antique accent chairs, particularly wingbacks, and small oil paintings or drawings. Chairs can be left with their worn finish or updated through paint or upholstery, while small artworks can fit in a range of spaces. The sixth category is antique bar cabinets, which the source describes as potentially less accessible than chairs but appealing to people who entertain. It provides no price ranges, sourcing guidance or detailed account of demand for cabinets.
Small Antiques, Flexible Rooms
The designers’ choices point to a practical distinction: antique collecting does not have to mean buying a large, costly centerpiece. Small paintings, chairs and plinths can be introduced one at a time, while a drop-leaf table can serve different purposes as household needs change. That may be useful to homeowners looking to refresh a room without replacing all its furnishings.
Several suggestions also have a personal or adaptable quality. Maps can represent a meaningful location, and an antique chair can be reupholstered or placed beside modern furniture. These are the designers’ assessments of how the pieces can work in a home—not evidence that antiques will raise a property’s value or that any category is appreciating as an investment.
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Designers’ Seasonal Selections
House Beautiful presented the recommendations as a look at what people are buying around the fall season, drawing on interviews with Baxter, Maggard and Filippi. The article’s premise is that older pieces can add layers and character to rooms with varied styles. Its examples focus on how each object might be used, rather than on auction results, retail data or a ranking by popularity.
The source gives some historical and functional context for individual items. Drop-leaf tables use hinged leaves that fold down or lift up, unlike dining-table leaves that are separate and removable. The article also says bar cabinets gained popularity toward the end of Prohibition in the United States, but the supplied text ends before explaining that history further. It does not date the specific antiques designers are seeing or define how “right now” was measured.
“A pedestal gives one object, like a vase or a sculpture, its own focal point and gives a neglected corner or window bay some personality.”
— Jennifer Baxter, interior designer, as quoted by House Beautiful
No Sales Data Behind the Trend
The report does not establish how many homeowners are searching for or buying these antiques. It gives no survey method, sales totals, search-volume figures or comparison with earlier seasons, so the categories should be read as three designers’ observations, not a measured market trend. The source also does not give typical costs, availability, condition guidance or regional differences.
The supplied article text cuts off during its discussion of bar cabinets, after noting their historical popularity. It is unclear what further explanation or expert comments appeared in the complete report. No specific retailer, auction house or marketplace is named as a source for the selections.
Check Demand Before Buying
The article offers design ideas rather than a forecast or a scheduled industry update. Readers considering a purchase can compare examples from antiques dealers and other sellers, check dimensions and condition, and decide whether the piece fits the room and intended use. Prices and availability will vary, and the source provides no figures with which to predict either.
Further reporting would be needed to test whether the designers’ observations match broader consumer behavior, such as through sales records or a clearly dated search-interest study. Until then, the six categories are best understood as recommendations from the designers interviewed by House Beautiful, not a verified ranking of the antiques most sought after by homeowners.
Key Questions
Which six antiques does the report identify?
It names pedestals and plinths, vintage maps, drop-leaf tables, accent chairs, small art and bar cabinets.
Is this list based on a survey or sales figures?
No survey results or sales data are provided. The list reflects observations from three interior designers interviewed by House Beautiful.
Why might a homeowner consider a drop-leaf table?
Its hinged leaves can fold down to reduce the table’s footprint and lift when more surface area is needed. Designer Gaia Guidi Filippi said it can work as a console and later serve as an extra dining or card table.
Are antique wingback chairs part of the list?
Yes. They are included under accent chairs. Victoria Maggard said she uses them at dining tables, beside gaming tables or on their own in a corner.
Does the article say these antiques are a good investment?
No. It discusses decorative appeal and possible uses but offers no investment advice, price data or evidence of future resale value.
Source: housebeautiful.com
