Vintage is modern. Although this sentence might sound like a paradox, it is actually true that today more and more people turn back to the past times in search for inspiration for their work today. This process has been going on for a while in many branches of art and one of them is definitely interior design. While cutting-edge homes of today are instructed to follow the strict guidelines of minimalism and sterility, some designers turn to the old-look design and many people do accept their tips on how to make you home look fresh, bright, positive and vintage.
Colors live up the space
Applying home decoration methods from the past should be begun with colors. In the old times (say one hundred years ago), colors were not that reachable. Only really rich people could afford to enrich their homes with colorful decor solutions. That is why most people used colorful details. For instance, in a vintage kitchen, you will put cheer curtains, colored light green or lemon yellow. By doing so, the whole room will give the impression of vividness. Also, in the living room, you can apply lively colors on vases, ashtrays or any similar items from the shadow.
Show the cracks
If you want your wardrobe or cupboard to look vintage, you must allow for some cracks to be visible. Probably the most affordable option is buying an older item of furniture online and bringing it back to life all by yourself, but only to a certain degree. You need to sandpaper it and give it a new coat of stain or paint, but you should also leave some cracks visible, so that it can be seen that the item is vintage. Apart from the cupboard, another item that can be made to look fashionably vintage is the kitchen door. When it comes to the door, you can also look for an older door with two windows in the upper part. Those windows can be nicely decorated with some fancy vintage curtains with laces.
Exhibit the dishes
In the older times, there was a cupboard that would usually dominate the kitchen or the living room. That cabinet had actually two cabinets. The lower cabinet would have wooden door and it did not show anything. The upper cabinet, however, usually had a glass front part. All the dishes that an average household had (which was not too much back then) would be exhibited in that upper cabinet. If you really wish to go vintage, you definitely need to get yourself a cabinet like that. Also, it demands getting some vintage cutlery and crockery, as well. The crockery itself should also have some old-fashioned patterns, so that they match the cabinet. What you can do is buy some old plates and cups, but neutral in color. That way you can think of some patterns that could look vintage. There are even some online ideas for such a graphic solution.
Neat vintage floor
The floor needs to be neat and clean, even if you want to make your home look vintage. When it comes to floors, they need to be maintained because of your personal hygiene, of course, but you also need to know that people kept their floors clean in those vintage times, especially in towns. Back then wooden flooring was almost the only one available option. Poorer citizens would go for simple wooden planks, while those well-off people could afford wood strip flooring. Maybe the best option for a modern vintage-like home is to put parquet on the floor and cover it with some traditional rugs. Many different materials and patterns can be chosen, so just turn on your Internet browser and see what is being offered out there in the virtual space.
Sophie Andersen is an interior designer from Australia. She’s interested in architecture and home-decoration. Love to write and share her home décor tips & tricks.
