Acanthus Journal of
Memory, Form, & Meaning
A chronicle of beauty, memory, and the meaningful objects that shape our interiors.
Here, we go beyond surface and style. The Acanthus Home Journal is where we explore the deeper stories—of forgotten materials, inherited forms, and the quiet transformation of antiques into modern companions. It’s a space where history is not preserved under glass, but brought forward into daily life.
You’ll find essays on the poetry of patina, the significance of upholstery choices, and why provenance matters in a world oversaturated with the new. We speak to interior designers, collectors, architects, and aesthetes—those who understand that exceptional design is not just about how a room looks, but how it remembers.
Our journal offers inspiration for those curating layered spaces: rooms where a single 19th-century chair can anchor the narrative, or a reupholstered settee can bridge generations. Through behind-the-scenes looks at our restoration work, deep dives into antique history, and features on how to work with storied pieces, we hope to spark not just ideas—but connection.
This is not a lifestyle blog. It is a design archive. A resource. A love letter to the enduring relevance of craftsmanship and the quiet luxury of things that last.
If Acanthus Home is the atelier, then the Journal is its sketchbook—offering insight into our process, our principles, and the timeless objects we’re privileged to bring back to life.
The Quiet Ritual of Living With Inherited Heirlooms
A quiet morning table layered in heirlooms, where antique china and restored furnishings speak not of display—but of memory, ritual, and daily use.
The Child in the Army Coat: A Story of Silent Legacy
In 1945 Los Angeles, a child wears his missing father’s Army coat—months after the soldier vanished in the Hürtgen Forest. Five years later, the boy receives the folded flag. This journal explores presence, absence, and the quiet legacy of memory made material.
The Velvet Courtship: An Heirloom Without a Lineage
Two Victorian parlor chairs—carved with the profiles of a noble gentleman and graceful lady—resurfaced without provenance, but full of presence. Upholstered in couture Pierre Frey velvet and restored with reverence, they tell a story not of lineage, but of endurance, memory, and the quiet poetics of pairing.
Inheritance Without Ownership: The Chamber Reliquary
Some heirlooms are not inherited—they are remembered. Explore the story of The Chamber Reliquary, a 19th-century walnut cabinet revived with reverence and reimagined as sculpture. A legacy, not owned—but kept.
The Chair, the Bench, and the Spaces In Between
Discover how antique chairs, vintage home decor, and heirloom furniture reflect one woman’s life. Acanthus Home explores emotional interiors and luxury design.
The Rosé Obscura: On the Intimacy of Seating
The Rosé Obscura is a sculptural antique tub chair reimagined in couture-level upholstery. A study in emotional design, material memory, and timeless form—crafted for interior designers and collectors who curate with intention.
The Afterlife of Objects: Why Antiques Still Matter
Some objects do not end with use—they begin again. At Acanthus Home, we believe antique furnishings possess afterlives: stories waiting to be heard, silhouettes that continue to matter. Discover how memory, presence, and cultural meaning live on in restored heirlooms.
The Bench Was Empty: A Love Letter from 1919
In 1919, Frank returned to their bench in Westlake Park—with hope. This love letter inspires our view that restored antique furniture is not just décor, but memory made visible.
Reading Furniture Like a Text: An Anthropologist’s Guide
At Acanthus Home, we believe restored antique furniture is more than décor—it is emotional architecture. Explore how heirloom pieces like The Juniper Crest can be read as cultural texts and curated with anthropological intent to ground modern interiors in meaning, memory, and soul.
Why Designers Love Working With Antique Curators
Discover why top interior designers partner with boutique antique curators like Acanthus Home to source rare, luxury furniture. Save time, elevate your designs, and access exclusive statement pieces your clients will treasure.