Use this cheat sheet to score the best vintage items for your home.
![items to look for at estate sales](https://tresorestatesales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1502473794-1502464562-landscape-1502225378-gettyimages-471230863.jpg)
Don’t pass up these timeless finds and valuable antiques! Here are the furniture pieces, accessories and decor items you should search for at estate sales — and how to fix ’em up when you bring them home.
Wingback Chairs
![wingback chair](https://tresorestatesales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/wingback-chair.png)
Soaring in popularity since the 1600s, its “wings” were designed to block smoke from the fireplace.
We love it for: Its heft. A wingback chair has enough presence to act as a decorative counterpoint to a sofa. Place it (still) near a fireplace.
Update it with: Upholstery in a large-scale pattern. Or try a two-tone approach: Solid (or small-scale) on the inside; large-scale pattern on the back.
Demilunes
![demilunes at estate sales](https://tresorestatesales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/demilune.png)
This 18th-century staple of French drawing rooms is known for its wall-hugging “half moon” shape. (Jackie O was a fan.)
We love it for: Its compactness. Try it in an entry, in a hallway, repurposed as a vanity in a powder room, or flank a window with a pair.
Update it with: Paint. In a small space, consider coating it with the same color as the adjacent wall.
Settees
![settees at estate sales](https://tresorestatesales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/settee.png)
Often referred to as a love seat (designed to accommodate large skirts, not lovebirds!), this two- seater dates to the 17th century.
We love it for: Its versatility. Try one at the foot of the bed, on one side of a dining table, or below the stairs in an entry.
Update it with: A plush (and durable) cotton-velvet in a statement-making solid color. Or offset an ornate shape with simple stripes.
Dough Bowls
![dough bowls at estate sales](https://tresorestatesales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/dough-bowls.png)
Used for making bread, these hand-carved bowls (sometimes called trenchers) were passed down for generations.
We love it for: Seasonal elements. As with the cloche (see far right), you can swap out natural items (pumpkins, pinecones, moss) as desired.
Update it with: Its one-and-done decorative punch. Place it on a kitchen island, an entry table, or on a dining table as a centerpiece.
Silver
![silver at estate sales](https://tresorestatesales.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/silver.png)
The precious metal has been coveted for centuries. Silverware sets became popular in the 1600s and 1700s.
We love it for: Its heirloom cred. A full flatware set is a shopper’s Holy Grail — even better if monogrammed. Old trophies are prizes in their own right.
Update it with: Ketchup. (Seriously.) Submerge tarnished flatware in it for 5 to 10 minutes, remove, rinse with warm water and buff dry.
From: Country Living US