If you’re a believer in ‘Old is Gold’, the Vintage decor style is made for you! Learn how to set up your home by celebrating all things vintage and antique.

Vintage is not a style that’s for everyone, but if you’re a true lover of antiques and would love to bring some of that old word magic to your space, this is the perfect style for you!

Decor Styles 101: Vintage

The word ‘vintage’ originates from the making of wine, where older, seasoned wines are considered better quality and are generally more expensive. Today, however, the word refers to a time when ‘something of quality was produced’ and there can’t be a better way to describe vintage decor!

This style originated in France, but it was soon taken over by the rest of Europe and the Americas, and now the whole world. This style focuses on bringing back the splendour of the past, especially when it comes to handmade quality and craftsmanship.

Most vintage decor spaces are styled with a certain era in mind, and the furniture, furnishings and decor reflect this era. Mixing vintage style in modern settings makes for some beautiful spaces that are comforting, warm and brimming over with many stories.

The overall vibe of vintage decor is classic, elegant and interesting, where every piece has a tale to tell. These days, the vintage style is used in homes as well as stores and restaurants. To know more about this style, let’s look at what constitutes as vintage decor.

Characteristics of Vintage Decor Style

• Vintage style uses vintage furniture for the most part, either actually from that era or resembling it
• Most items have a slightly weathered, lived in look to show its age
• An assortment of materials, textiles and woods are present in vintage decor
• Soft, muted colors are used throughout the style, to give a romantic vibe
• Imperfections and cracks are celebrated as part of being vintage
• Decor pieces are used abundantly in this style

8 Ways to bring Vintage Decor Style to your Space

1. Get the Layout Right

Vintage style often uses vintage furniture, which is usually heavy and sturdy. This means that the layout allows for enough free movement around the various pieces so it doesn’t look stuffed. Vintage decor places a significance on symmetry, so you can place identical table lamps on both night stands, or arrange chairs symmetrically.

2. Keep it Cohesive

Planning out your vintage space needs some care, as vintage can mean many things. Generally anything between 30 and 60 years ago is considered vintage, but this spans a wide range of styles. To keep things cohesive, pick an era and style your room around it. You can also use colors or a kind of wood to connect the various pieces in the space.

3. Choose Furniture Carefully

Furniture plays an important role in the vintage style, and it can also be what makes or breaks your space. If you can get your hands on some truly antique pieces – great! If not, you can still find furniture in the similar look that are for sale. Vintage furniture is well built, heavy and with carvings or inlays. If they have a few scrapes or scratches, leave them – they’ll only add to the look.

4. Play around with Furnishings

Fabrics are quite prominent in vintage style, especially when it comes to drapes. Curtains are usually thick and long, flowing all the way to the floor. They can also have matching cords or tie back clips. Upholstery is also a place you can experiment – vintage furniture with modern upholstery looks good. Florals can bring in a romantic vibe, while other prints can be more simple.

5. Include a Mix of Materials

Since vintage style includes pieces obtained from various sources, it’s natural to have many materials in one room. Wood, of course, is the most common, but you can also find lots of wrought iron, crystal, brass, ceramic, glass and even some stone. Use these in decor items, lighting and even kitchen equipment.

6. Have Fun with Decor

This is the most enjoyable part of styling a vintage space, especially if you’re an antique collector! The vintage style is maximalist, and you have the freedom to display many of your pieces. Vintage books are a classic option that never go out of style. If you can find a vintage typewriter or gramophone, it can really uplift the place. Don’t forget antique clocks, cameras, candlesticks and music boxes. Black and white photos or vintage posters go very well on the walls.

7. Go the DIY Route

Vintage decor gives you plenty of opportunity to get crafty. With techniques like decoupage, you can transform any old thing into a vintage product – trays, boxes, tins, jars. You can also make your own wall art with decoupage paper. Distressing or craquelure are techniques you can use to give that weathered look to wooden pieces, whether furniture or accessories.

8. Scourge for Stuff Everywhere

When it comes to sourcing things for your vintage space, don’t ignore any place! Whenever you visit your grandmother or another relative’s home, look around for pieces they are preparing to throw out and see if you can repurpose them. Flea market and thrift stores are great spots to find vintage items for low prices, even if you have to do some minor repair work.

When you choose to bring the vintage style to your space, you need to be ready to maintain everything. Even a thin layer of dust on vintage furniture can make it look very worn out and dirty. You also have to be prepared for other tasks like upholstering, repairing springs, hinges and so forth. In short, vintage is not an easy decor style to implement or to maintain, and is certainly a minimalist’s nightmare! However, if you truly love antiques and can’t wait to show them off, go for it – the vintage style is all yours!

This post is a part of the Blogchatter A2Z Blogging Challenge 2021.