Eve Di Potenza

I love the aesthetics of antiques. They were made with style and intention. I have an old cabinet in my living room. From what I understand, it was used to hold canisters or records for a gramophone, so it has to be from the early to mid-19th century. The latches are highly detailed. A stamped oval grid with wheat stalks and a fancy ribbon with a pie plate edge and delicate little hinges on the pull.

So much detail for something fairly insignificant. Household items used to be made to outlive their owners, not fall apart in five years or be discarded for a newer trend the following year. People used to make stuff they could be proud of. The person who made this hinge was a metalsmith, not a line worker whose 9-6 consists entirely of pressing a button on a machine every 10 seconds.

They had a different way of doing things back then. Intentional living is often touted as a modern concept, but it’s actually quite old-fashioned. Taking a step back from the distractions of a ‘what’s next?’ and ‘how fast can I get there?’ mentality is key for a proponent adopting a vintage aesthetic in a modern world. The mentality shifts to ‘how can I maintain this?’ and ‘How was it made?’ instead.

So now I have a cabinet in my living room that I will likely hand down to my firstborn. It is the perfect shape and size for holding my record collection, and she will use it for that purpose, then pass it on to someone else. This hinge maker’s work will go through household after household and be a part of our lives for decade upon decade, and that’s pretty darn neat in a modern world where items like this are easily discarded.