The New Traditionalists

By Lexi Green
November 16, 2011

Traditional Home

recent spreads from Traditional Home magazine and the December cover

When it comes to design, are you the kind of person who eschews ultra modern for traditional—with a twist? Do you scour eBay on the hunt for that perfectly worn Louis XVI chair, but, once you’ve finally snagged your sought-after antique, off comes the conventional upholstery and the wood finish, replaced by an unexpected color of paint and a fresh print graphic simply?

If the answer is an emphatic "yes!" then you likely already have Traditional Home magazine at your bedside. The eight-times yearly glossy, one of our favorites of the shelter pubs, distinguishes itself with its contemporary, livable spaces with a nod to history. It's a look that's refined but never pretentious.

Traditional Home’s senior art and antiques editor, Doris Athineos, tells us she is constantly seeking out stories that involve a stylistic marriage between past, present and future. She’s worked on articles covering everything from Richard Gere’s recent guitar sale at Christie’s to her regular expeditions with the famous American antiques experts Leigh and Leslie Keno, with whom she once traveled to the 127 Corridor Sale, a "yard sale" spanning 675 miles and four states.

Athineos is also on a constant mission to find interesting pieces of art and antiques to showcase in the magazine. It’s an expansive job, but someone’s got to do it. She is a huge fan of South African designer Magpie, who makes chandeliers out of discarded objects, and American artist Esther Derxx, who takes Victorian porcelain objects she finds on eBay and reconstructs them into modern art pieces by screen-printing her own shapes and figures onto them.

We caught up with Athineos to talk about her love of mixing the old and new, her favorite finds on eBay (she's a pro at navigating the online marketplace) and Traditional Home’s latest collaborations.

The Inside Source: Hi Doris! So, what’s a traditional day like in the Traditional Home office?

Doris Athineos: Well, I work out of our satellite office in New York. Our main office is actually in Des Moines, Iowa. But here in New York, a typical day is always out of the office—going to product launch previews, visiting a dealer... That’s the great thing about being in New York—all great design eventually finds its way here.

The Inside Source: What’s one traditional décor item you feel everyone should have in their home?

Doris Athineos: I would say an old piece of furniture. I love when I see a young person take an old piece of furniture and update it—like putting denim fabric on an antique chair. To me that is the sort of thing that would find its way into a Traditional Home room.

Traditional Home

The Inside Source: How would you define a Traditional Home room?

Doris Athineos: The magazine incorporates the whole spectrum of design, because really, no one lives in a completely outfitted period room! "The most forward thinking designers have interiors that are inspired by the past. They are pulling it forward. They are deconstructing the past and reinventing it. That is a Traditional Home room."

The Inside Source: Traditional Home did a joint online magazine with Lonny mag, called Trad Home. What was that experience like?

Doris Athineos: It is really exciting because we are bridging both magazines’ aesthetics and reaching a wider audience by connecting with Lonny. For example, we did a story on French furniture where we asked six young designers to put their own personal spin on it. It’s great. Watch out for another Trad Home coming out in March!

The Inside Source: For one of your columns with the Keno Brothers (pictured at left) you traveled through the infamous 127 Corridor Sale. What was that like?

Doris Athineos: It was wild! The 127 Corridor Sale goes through four states and we covered the whole thing. The Keno brothers had their heads popped up through the roof of our SUV. When you hit the good stuff, it is a lot like swimming: you know when you hit a warm patch of water.

The Inside Source: What kind of items did you bring home?

Doris Athineos: I came home with some great things! One of my favorite pieces was a church pew made from beautiful mahogany. The person I bought it from had painted it blue. I took the paint off of it and love it. I also bought a flashy blue Art Deco mirror called a cobalt mirror.

The Inside Source: What kind of stuff are you collecting right now?

Doris Athineos: Right now I’m very into Vera Neumann. She created dinnerware for Mikasa in the 1960s. She also made very bold patterned scarves. That Mikasa dinnerware comes up all the time on eBay in pieces, so you can piece together your own set.

Traditional Home

Athineos' Vera Neumann Mikasa plate collection

The Inside Source: As an editor and collector, how do you use eBay?

Doris Athineos: I just love to see what’s selling! eBay is a great source for dealers because it helps them see what pieces are typically going for so they can set their prices. eBay provides a lot of intelligence for the design community. For younger generations, eBay is a great place to piece together collections. Instead of buying a whole of Tiffany silver [set], you can go on eBay and collect beautiful mismatched pieces.

Athineos turned her expert eye on eBay and came up with the following wish list.

Cast Iron Windmill Weight

"I love windmill weights, especially this stylish rooster. Mill weights were used to counterbalance the weight of a windmill wheel from the 1880s to the 1920s. They look great mounted and displayed in groups."
Mid-Century Paul Evans-Inspired Brutalist Wall Mirror

"I purchased a Lane Brutalist bedroom suite in the same Brutalist style from an eBay seller. But, I paid much less as it was a single lot of furniture, which I then split up among friends. You can see how a single piece is more than enough. You would never want to live with a room full of it. "
Vintage Art Deco Cobalt Etched Mirror

This antique cobalt blue mirror reminds Athineos of the one she found along the 127 Corridor Sale.
Ethiopian Headrest

"Mount a group of Ethiopian headrests and arrange them on a table top. They are very beautiful sculptural objects."
Art Deco Jade Green Ruba Rombic Dinner Plate

"I love, love, love Depression-era Ruba Rombic glass, preferably vases but they aren’t easy to find. It’s Cubist glass. Can you believe it was made in the 1930s?"
Vintage Sterling Bracelet with Tourmaline Gemstones

"Yum, tourmaline. I can always find interesting tourmaline on eBay. Here’s a bracelet after my own heart."
Vintage Black Forest Crop/Whip Hook

"Imagine a group of these 'whip holders' grouped by the entryway and used to hold the dog’s leash or keys .I love Black Forest furnishings. And I love the mash up between rustic and refined."
Victorian Gold Picture Locket

"I buy Victorian lockets on eBay to add to my daughter’s charm bracelet. When they arrive, I add a black-and-white photo of our family or myself. We mix vintage and contemporary charms, and she’s almost ready for a thicker chain because, at age 8, there’s no more room on her first charm bracelet!"
Antique Globe Wernicke Barrister Bookcase

"I love these Globe Wernicke bookcases because they haven’t been stripped and re-varnished. I split a lot of four purchased on eBay with a neighbor in my building. You always have to ask if the hardware is in good condition because most of what’s offered isn’t in great condition. Either pass it up or become friendly with a good restorer."
Antique French Gilt Bergere Louis XV Chair

"I’d love to recover this Louis XV chair in black patent and let the curves speak for themselves. Currently, the pattern fights the curves. It’s a late 19th century copy of an earlier style but there’s a reason they’re still around."
Sterling Silver Flatware Antique Georgian

"I love assembling my own collection of sterling flatware, a few pieces at a time. I love this because of the monograms. (A good sleuth could track down the provenance through the monogram and hallmarks.)"
French Bagues Crystal Chandelier

"And finally, this ornate rock-crystal chandelier is a dream. According to the seller, it was made by the Paris firm 'Bagues' (Bagues Frères created flashy furnishings for Paris society in the forties). Chandeliers look great in any interior and instantly warm up a room. I love this one."