Do you just love antiques, vintage accents or the "antiqued" look? A vintage-inspired decorating scheme can look great if done well. If not, your old, worn-out accents can look--well, like old and worn out objects. Need some ideas for decorating with vintage accents? Try these tips and ideas to get started.
Vintage accents can work in a modern home
Yes, they can work great in a modern, contemporary style interior. The key to decorating with vintage accents in a modern home is balance; keep it to accent pieces only. First of all, make sure your vintage decorations have something in common with the more modern pieces: color, style, ornamentation and so on. And don't be afraid to mix vintage accents with larger, modern furnishings.
Follow a chosen theme or color scheme
Again, in any home, the decorations should follow a theme or color scheme. Choose your theme, then incorporate several vintage accents into the decor--or decorate around one or two accent pieces. Another option is to decide upon a color scheme and choose vintage accent pieces that work with your color choices.
For example, I have an old globe that I bought at a garage sale and absolutely love. I incorporated into my office decor by placing the globe on top of a bookcase, next to a stack of National Geographic Society books. It's a simple, but effective, way to display something that could easily be overlooked in a room.
Get a vintage look with painting techniques
Accent your walls or furniture with vintage painting techniques. For example, to "antique" a painted white wainscoting, simply paint over it with a tinted glaze and allow the color to settle into the grooves before wiping the excess glaze away. Or, paint a wooden furniture piece and, once it has dried, lightly sand away the edges and corners. You can also distress the piece by hitting it at random with sharp tools.
Re-purpose vintage furniture to fit your needs
Rather than letting that old China cabinet collect dust, turn it into a bookcase. Turn a hutch into an entertainment center, complete with storage for movies and music. Re-purpose that worthless piece of vintage furniture into something that fits your needs.
Fill vintage containers with flowers
Why buy new vases when you can display flowers in something you already have? Use glass milk or wine bottles or vintage vases to show off flower arrangements. If you don't already own these potential accent pieces, shop for old glass containers at thrift stores or antique stores.
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