From antique furniture to old school electronics, there’s a whole world of vintage items and accessories waiting to become part of your home’s decorative theme. If you’re someone who enjoys the look and feel of old-style furnishings and decor, why not go ahead and include some vintage style in your life?
With that said, it’s essential to know a few basic tips and suggestions before getting started. Here are five pieces of advice for incorporating vintage style into modern home decor:
Pick an era
Is Late-Victorian your jam? Or do you prefer Art Deco, Art Nouveau, or Mid-Century Modern? Rather than have an assortment of decorative pieces and functional furnishings from multiple eras, narrow it down to one or two closely related themes. It’ll keep your home from looking like an antique shop while also simplifying the decision-making process.
Know where to look
While antique stores, second-hand shops, and online bidding sites are great places to find vintage treasures and classic-style decor, they aren’t the only options to consider. For example, many older-style electronics are getting re-released with modern upgrades, like a Bluetooth radio or boombox. These items not only look convincingly vintage and function as such, but they also come with the conveniences of newer technology.
Find inspiration
Many people make the mistake of only focusing on the iconic aspects of vintage style without exploring how things really looked in the past. For example, the hippie movement’s psychedelic look gets overrepresented in terms of 1960s fashion and design. Many styles were coinciding. Consider looking through vintage magazines and watching movies filmed and set in that era to get a greater sense of what things looked like in those days.
Avoid going overboard
Even if you stick to a specific era and become good at knowing what fits and what doesn’t, there’s still the risk of overdoing it on the vintage decor. That may be the intent, in which case it’s okay to have a room decorated top to bottom like it’s in a palace or museum exhibit. However, would that room ever be functional or usable? If you’d be afraid of going in there for fear of breaking or dirtying something, then maybe it’s best to dial it down a notch.
Think about the future
While vintage style is all about the past, it’s essential to think about the future regarding vintage-infused interior design. Will you still be into that style in three, five, or ten years? If you decide to redecorate, what happens to all that old stuff? It’s important to prevent a fleeting fancy with the past from becoming a monthly payment for self-storage.
Vintage style always seems to be en vogue. It’s just a question of which era of the past happens to be in style in the present. Everyone has their preference for the look and feel of styles and designs of long ago. Whether it’s out of a sense of nostalgia or an authentic appreciation for the form and function of old school products and decorative items, there’s nothing wrong with incorporating vintage style into your home decor. All it takes is a little awareness and consideration.
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash