By Nancy Moraa
If modernization was anything to go by, then old and antique would be the last option in any mundane of minds. But yet again in this ‘larger than life’ era, the pressure to outdo and outperform has been so much that most homeowners have taken up the old and antique to be the new normal. Vintage was one of the most commonly used decors in the 40s and 50s and the charm and ambiance of life they bring to a home are what has made them be the new normal.
There are many vintage home decorating ideas that many homeowners can find helpful and some of them are further outlined below:
1. Floral wallpaper For The Kitchen
In any vintage décor, the floral wallpaper is always a common accompaniment. This can mostly be found in the kitchen and the dining set area or even the bedroom, depending on the setting of the abode. Remember the old country kitchens with floral wallpapers back in the day? Standing in such a kitchen will make you feel like some great tasting food is already cooking.
2. Bedazzling Antique Beds
With its rusty antique look, a vintage-looking bed adds a charming and romantic lilt to the bedroom, especially if it’s one of those cast iron beds or the four-poster bed. The beds are usually comfy to sleep on. Back in the day bedrooms always had the four-poster beds and some made of cast iron for that antique feeling in the room. You can do the same; have an antique cast iron bed made or get one from an antique shop. Just make sure it is in great condition because your comfort and safety should also come into play.
3. Pink Bathroom Tiles
If Twitter was a famous platform back then, the pink bathroom tiles would be a huge trendinalia. Almost in every bathroom back in the ’50s, you would find the pink bathroom tiles but over the time they had been on the low with new bathroom designs coming up. However, they are making a comeback and they can do a lot for the bathroom décor. They are the perfect vintage signature look in any modern bathroom.
4. Cedar/ Hope chest
These chests go way back in the medieval days of marital traditions, where brides stored everything they loved before moving with it to their matrimonial homes. You can place the chest at the foot of the bed and store in it your own personal valuables.
5. Art of embroidery
A lovely piece of embroidery work on a piece of clothing doesn’t fail to mesmerize. You could have one made for hanging on your wall. It could be an embroidery work depicting flowers, countryside setting, a city or anything that you would love. A visit to an embroidery shop near you should give you ideas because all you need is to tell the embroidery expert what you want to be made on the cloth, then look for a strategic place in your home to hang the finished embroidery artwork.
6. Use Doilies
If your grandparents haven’t yet modernized their home, then you will see a doily somewhere. In the modernized vintage décor, the doilies can be sewed into one large table runner suitable for tea lovers. They could also be framed on the wall- just make sure each frame holds a unique pattern of the doily design. You could hang your doilies in the hallway or just use them to hold your teacups and saucers for those afternoon tea sessions with your guests or family.
7. Valuable Do Aways
These range from missing pieces of toys to incomplete dinner sets of plates that can be turned into a whimsical yet attractive form of art that simply brings out the vintage décor. Also, old vases with distinct patterns can be used to hold flowers and act as a centerpiece.
You can also repurpose the old stuff in the garage into useful vintage decorative pieces. You could use that piece of wood in the garage, for example, and turn it into a children’s chalkboard which you can hang somewhere in the kitchen for writing reminders and menus for your days. There is nothing like a chalkboard in the kitchen for that classic look.
Conclusively, from family hand- me downs to market finds, the most valuable do aways are the little pieces that can be used to bring out the vintage look in any home. The best part about this is that it can be done.