You take pride in your work, your relationships and your appearance. You believe that to do good, be good and create good; Also, you need to know what looks good. How can you feel happy about your life if your environment is left wanting?
Too often, we ignore the design of the interiors of our homes because we feel guilty spending money that we think can and should go elsewhere.
But ask yourself this: Why do you work? Surely you have more reasons for working every day than trying to pay back student loans. You shouldn’t feel bad for wanting to spruce up your living space. Your home is where you spend your down time; it’s where you binge on Netflix, host gatherings and raise your family. Your home is where you can rest easy and be your absolute authentic self. So really, why wouldn’t you want to dress up your home in your favorite style aesthetic?
For vintage lovers, finding the perfect décor item means scavenging showroom floors and antique dealer warehouses. Though you want your home to have a vintage flavor, you might not know what type of items you need to accomplish this goal. Fear not: this list will tell you.
Here are 10 items you need to pull off a charmingly vintage home!
Military Trunk
Decorating your home doesn’t mean you’re forced to go with a traditional decorating scheme. Everyone you know has the traditional 3-seat sofa, walnut (or some other wood) coffee table and lounge chair. Isn’t that boring?
Outfit your space with a DIY custom-made military trunk coffee table. Simply order a trunk from Etsy, attach two pairs of legs and voilà—you have an original coffee table with history behind it. The coffee table will serve as a great talking point, too! Yay for double the style points!
Painted Screens
These days, gallery walls are all the rage, but do you want something that everyone else on Pinterest is raving about? Of course not! You’re an individual with a vintage style all your own.
To celebrate your unique style, look for wall hangings that don’t prescribe to what’s popular now. Decorating your home in what’s in fashionable will go out of fashion and might quickly.
Painted Japanese screens and Turkish wall tapestries will highlight your sense of adventure and show your appreciation for art. Screens and tapestries mean so much more than a few custom-framed art prints.
Nelson Bubble Lamp
What’s a well-decorated room without a few well-placed light fixtures? What people fail to realize is that light fixtures play just as an important a role as the other furnishings in the space. To keep your space looking cool and feeling smart, look for vintage light fixtures like the Nelson Bubble Lamp sold at retailers like Lumens.
Originally designed in 1945, the George Nelson Bubble Lamp’s history has been one of art, originality and success. Having the right light fixture in your home is equal to having a beautiful sculptural artwork—only the light fixture is functional AND exceptional.
Crib Bench
Strolling through your local antique store, you’ll find an assortment of 19th and early 20th century furniture pieces. The ArchitectureArtDesign blog writes that you turn these pieces into fully functional furnishings with a whole new purpose. Take, for example, a child’s old iron crib. You can remove particular elements of the crib and make a funky new bench or herb potting locale.
Reclaimed Barn Wood Wall Art
Driving through the countryside, you’ve probably noticed the dilapidated and wind-worn barns and corrals dotting the passing pastures. If these structures aren’t serving their original purpose anymore, why not contact the owner and ask if you can remove some of the wood?
There are several tutorials online that teach you how to turn reclaimed barn wood into stunning pieces of art. Hanging barn wood wall art in your home will bring in rustic charm and vintage style.
Old Dresser Refurbished and Bathroom Vanity
As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to use a piece of furniture for its originally intended purpose. You have the option to modify your furnishings to better fit the aesthetic of your home and your lifestyle.
Dressers aren’t for storing clothes in the bedroom closet any longer. As Better Homes & Gardens points out, “with its flat top surface and handy drawers for storage, dressers large to small make themselves at home in several unexpected places.” Take the bathroom for instance. You can customize a dresser to work as a bathroom vanity instead of going with the typical builder-grade vanity. A bathroom dresser vanity will provide you with more counter space and storage as well as make the bathroom a more interesting space to use.
How many of your friends have dressers in their bathrooms? Don’t be afraid to be the first!
Paisley Patterned Wallpaper
Once thought of as old and out-of-date, paisley prints are making a comeback. If you want your interiors to be bold and exciting, finish a wall or an entire room in a paisley patterned wallpaper. The paisley print will bring sophistication and class into your home while serving as a funky throwback to earlier decades.
Paint it White
Yes, we have all been warned about painting our interiors white. White has been labeled as boring, lifeless and drab. But, outfitting a white cube of a room with jazzy fixtures and furnishings will frame the space and make it the ultimate hang-out.
Antique Bird Cage
Keeping an animal in a cage that has the gift of flight is cruel, we know this. But instead of just throwing away the surplus cages, we can alter their use. Using an antique iron bird cage or simply spray painting one you found at the local Goodwill, you can make an indoor hanging succulent garden.
White Enamel Dishware
Remember the china Mom would never let the family use unless it was for a special occasion? It was always stored behind in an immaculate glass credenza. Little did you know that the china served two purposes: as art and as server ware.
White enamel dishware harkens back to a time of simplicity and happiness. Lining your shelves with this sweet enamel server ware will bring the French Country aesthetic into your home and help it to feel relaxed and joyful. Unlike Mom though, let people use the dishware. It’s what it’s for after all!
There are so many ways to outfit your home. Don’t be afraid to experiment!
