Hyderabad’s antique trade finds new life in home décor
Antique dealers in Hyderabad are seeing a shift in their customer base as vintage items become popular for home decor, film sets, and event styling. While traditional collectors are fewer, businesses and younger buyers are driving demand for items like gramophones and vintage furniture.
Why it matters
This trend highlights the evolving value of cultural heritage objects in modern commercial and aesthetic applications, impacting the local economy and preservation efforts.
Antiques are making their presence felt beyond private homes in Hyderabad. Dealers in the city state that event managers frequently rent vintage objects as props for weddings and themed events. Film productions also source antiques for period settings, while cafés and restaurants use them as part of decor. Some businesses opt for smaller decorative pieces , while others invest in larger statement objects that become focal points for visitors.
For antique dealers, this growing visibility seems to have created fresh opportunities.
At Moghal Arts antique store at Darulshifa, Rizwan Ali, whose family has been in the business for three generations, says nearly 70% of their store’s customers now purchase antiques for décor rather than as collectors’ items. Vintage telephones , gramophones, radios and wooden artefacts are among the store’s most popular items.
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