The following is a guest post from noted interior designer Brian del Toro

For those interested in the decorative arts, interior design and fine arts, the annual winter antiques show in New York City is an exhibition not to be missed. With exhibitors from all over the US and Europe, it allows the discriminating connoisseur the opportunity to view and shop from each dealers best pieces, collected all year long to be presented here. Some have likened the show to shopping in a museum. Even if one’s pockets aren’t deep enough to purchase, the chance to see the caliber of the items presented here is astounding.

The more show stopping pieces exhibited here can be the focal points of fabulous rooms, or the smaller accessories can add depth and extra shine to a room to finish it off, like a great earrings or beautiful watch  to a well-tailored suit. Antiques like these add a graciousness or a sense of quality to a room, and can be mixed with more contemporary items. Everything in a room does not have to be as precious as some of these items, but can actually stand out when paired with simpler, more tailored items of much lesser cost.

Antiques like these also add a very particular note to interiors that reflect their owners taste and sophistication. They add polish and uniqueness to rooms and make them truly special and unique. Like any type of art, unique pieces like these will hold their value while giving their owners years of pride of and enjoyment for many years.

Some of my favorite items include an amazing French, art deco red lacquer gueridon, circa 1940 inlaid with eggshells on oak legs with bronze details at the Carolle Thibaut Pomerantz booth. It would be lovely between a pair of chairs floating in a room so one could appreciate it completely.  For $40,000 it could be the prize in a modern New York City room.

Hyde Park Antiques, a New York institution for 18th English Furniture, has a Georgian Mirror, which would be stunning over a mantel, and could be in both a traditional or more contemporary setting. At $35,000 it is jewel.

I love beautiful pottery, and Maison Gerard never disappoints in its collections. Among many lovely things, they have a stunning collection of art deco vases by Charles Catteau, made in Belgium in the 1920’s. They range in price from $5200-8600.

Megan H Gallery has my favorite piece of the whole exhibit: a show stopping biomorphic desk and chair designed by Wendell Castle. It is a piece of sculpture, made of Vermillion wood, and was made in the US, in 1965. The price is show stopping too, at $650,000. I’d love to see this a focal point of a room in front of a window so you could appreciate it sensual shape.

Another favorite of mine at the show is a fabulous, wall mounted cabinet that could anchor any room, and provide scale and dimension. This sort of item would anchor a room that does not have a fireplace, or would even make a stylish addition to a dining room.  It is at R20 20th Century, and is by Joaquim Tenreiro, who was a Brazilian designer. This piece was made in 1955, and is priced at $250,000.

This show fills the creative eye with inspiration, as we are surrounded too often in our present day world with mass produced items that inundate our homes. Mixing antique and vintage pieces allow an interior to reach another level of design, that brings things out of the box.

I love to see these truly unique, wonderfully designed items from our cultural history, as they remind us what really great design can be. Antiques inspire my creativity and allow and wonderfully unique interiors to be created.

About Brian del Toro

Started in 2010, Brian del Toro INC is a small interior design firms that offers design services ranging from decoration, renovations and architectural design, all focused on creating classic, livable, friendly spaces. The firm specializes in personalized service, specifically tailored to each project, allowing clients to achieve interiors that are reflection of them and their lifestyles, in a stylish, comfortable way.

Brian has over 20 years of experience working on projects of all scopes and sizes, and has worked with some of the most venerable firms of the 20th century including, Parish-Hadley, David Kleinberg Design Associates, and Bunny Williams Inc.

You can visit him at briandeltoro.com