When it comes to design taste buds, inside your own home, there’s no rule book for what you can or can’t do!
However, most people hope for their homes to hold a sense of design and style. It’s rare that anybody intends to create a room with a mish-mash of objects, furniture and colours, yet there is a risk of this when it comes to incorporating vintage pieces into your existing style! You’ll want to avoid vintage pieces from looking like Grandma’s old hand-me-downs, and instead showcase a sense of elegance and intrigue.
Therefore, when it comes to fusing vintage with your current décor, here’s some points to consider:
Determine the Desire
Ask yourself: what are you hoping to achieve? Do you want to add a touch of elegance? Do you hope to create a focal point? Are you planning on a new piece of vintage furniture being utilised in your room? Once you know your outlook, it’ll be much easier to incorporate a vintage piece into your existing style, as you’ll create a clear idea of what you intend the room to look like and how your vintage piece will be of benefit.
Large Pieces
When it comes to vintage pieces, we might be talking about a large piece of staple furniture, or we might be talking about a collection of cups you want on show! The size and use will have an impact on how you end up incorporating the item into your room.
For larger vintage pieces, it’s a good idea to make them the focal point of your room. If your room is generally contemporary- or doesn’t currently declare any form of statement- then a bulky object or piece of furniture should become the signature piece in the room. It’ll be the first thing an onlooker probably notices, so make it ‘intentional’ in that way. As an example, Victorian furniture is often made of heavy mahogany or oak (wood that ‘stands out.’) If this is the case, centralise your vintage piece, for it to be admired and daringly decorative.
Smaller Items
For smaller vintage furniture, perhaps consider adding them as an accent or nod to an era. Maybe you find one small antique piece that inspires your design, but to stand it alone might look accidental or ‘lost.’ Instead, buy a few more matching pieces from that same era and incorporate them around the room for a humbly thematic approach.
Marrying Design
When it comes to making combinations out of your existing design and your vintage pieces, be smart about your combinations. An uber-modern chair against a sturdy, vintage desk (just as an example,) can look both stylish and highly intentional. This dynamic will create an impact. When considering your pairings, amalgamate objects that build a striking blend if it’s a point of conversation or clear effect that you’re after.
Contrasts of new and old can work well- if they’re only done on occasion (you certainly wouldn’t want a room full of mix and match!) A vintage dining table surrounded by contemporary dining chairs is another popular way to incorporate a spruce of vintage design.
Blend the Colour
Another simple, yet effective, idea is to paint a wall to match your vintage piece. This usually works best if it’s vintage furniture you’re matching, but creating a colour pairing in this way helps to blend a one-off vintage object into your existing space.
Alternatively, you could create a vintage aesthetic by incorporating a wall design or pattern that ‘shouts’ about the vintage era you are hoping to instil a sense of. A blast of polka dot, for example, signifies the 1950s- and if you have any 1950s displayed in the room to match- this creates a clear sense of connection and blend (not to mention nostalgia!) If you’re not keen on painting an entire wall, sometimes even a new set of cushion covers (in-keeping with the era of your vintage pieces,) can have the desired visual effect.
When it comes to vintage, show off great quality, capture the time frame and embrace a statement!
