When opening this article
you had an exact idea of what you were expecting
to see. However, when doing my research to try to define the term vintage in
home decor context, I have to admit that what I found was inconclusive, to say
the least. I will try to round it up by saying that vintage belongs to the
period from 1920’s to 1950’s, western country home meets French province.
However, we are not here to define but to look for its charm. The following tips
will help you achieve that.
The art of decoupage
You
cannot embark on the vintage journey without first getting familiar with a
technique called decoupage. The basis of it is pasting paper cut-outs onto u a
surface and coating it in lacquer or varnish. It is wildly used for restoring
vintage furniture as well as making wooden objects such as jewelry boxes,
picture frames, coat racks etc. look vintage. It is often combined with pokerwork.
Vintage collectibles
A vintage object is meant to depict
the era it was made in. Even if they do not turn their entire home into a
vintage showcase, people like collecting charming items which tell a story and
have a unique spirit. How better to explain an era than by showing where the
humanity was at the time? This is why among the valued collectibles we have
different vintage devices that are now obsolete such as old cameras, phones,
gramophones,
radios etc.
Art and decorative items
There is a number of things you can
use under this category to accentuate your home. If you have an old wall mirror
you can display it in your hallway or in your living room. Search your
grandma’s home for old pictures and photo frames, or turn to decoupage and
either make or buy some photo frames. Old china and figurines will look well on
your shelves, as well as brass candelabras, plates, and bowls. In recent years,
people found pin-up ads incredibly fun and thus they became an inevitable piece
of vintage decor, particularly when painted on metal signs.
Furniture
Again, your grandparents’ and your
great grandparents’ home is your go-to place for decorating your home. They
probably have pieces of their old furniture stashed away somewhere: a linen
chest, a wardrobe, a cupboard, kitchen cupboards etc…. if not, again, you can
find them on flea markets, garage sales and auctions. Depending on which
direction you choose, you can have a country house kitchen or the 1950’s one with
the appliance designed to look like they are from the decade. Looking at the
entire house, you can implement geometrical shapes of art deco or the romantic
charm of French
provincial style.
Most
people tend to have a mixture of various styles depending on what pieces they
come across. Heavy wooden furniture is a must.
Doors and windows
In order to show dedication, you need
to work on all aspects of your home including doors, and windows. A vintage
curb appeal works best on houses with a wooden exterior and wooden porches,
however, adding a few details here an there, an old bicycle decorated and made
into a flowerpot holder, a wicker chair etc. can help you do the magic. A
wooden front door with a vintage knob and knocker or a front door with stained
glass and metalwork are the right choice. Replace the doorknobs in your home
for the brass vintage ones. Sand and repaint your windows white or a dark,
contrasting brown color. A store selling plantation
shutters in Parramatta reports that many people buy these looking to give
their homes an old charm.
Materials, colors, and patterns
You have probably noticed by now that
a vintage home is very big on wood. When it comes to upholstery and the fabrics
used, again, not a rule but generally, it used fabrics such as velvet, plush,
leather and silk. The patterns include a lot of flowers, polka dots, stripes
and, later on, geometry. The floors of vintage homes are usually made out of
dark hard wooden floorboards with rough finishes. I personally find it quite
charming when you can see wooden beams in a house. The walls were mostly white
if not covered in wallpaper. You can follow the current trends and accentuate a
wall with the use of vintage wallpaper or any other color you find fit. The
furniture is generally light, a lot of white, light blue, blush and green.
Related resource : Wood burning tips and techniques
Decorating a home is all about making
it stylish, tasteful and comfortable. The limits of “vintage” are very vague so
use that to choose what works best for you.
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