The word “vintage” can simply mean old. It can refer to a particular time period, or it can just mean used, recycled, or repurposed. If you’re looking to update your home to add a vintage feel, remember the homes of yesteryear. They tended to be a bit smaller, and everything in them needed to have a function. Here’s a quick guide to get you started on vintage home decor.
1. Look for multi-purpose items
Keep an eye out for things that can have a second purpose. A flat-topped blanket chest can be a terrific storage container. With a cushion, it’s a bench. Simple cotton kitchen towels become decorative items with a bit of embroidery.
Photos on the wall become history. Books on the shelf are decoration, reference, and entertainment. While many decorative items of today are mass-produced and easy to get, in the not-too-distant past, every object in the home was crafted by hand. From cuckoo clocks to ornate mirrors, vintage style means that even decorative items need more than one purpose.
2. Avoid matching sets
There’s nothing more modern than a chair, loveseat, and sofa that all match. With the vintage design, you’re free of this limitation. If you love your wooden rocker, put it beside your grey wing-back armchair and your rose footstool. Add a patchwork quilt to the space to bring the colors together.
To that end, make sure that your decorative choices leave some room to rest the eye. For example, potpourri in a jar with a lace cover will scent the room and look pretty. A jar of seashells beside the potpourri may turn into clutter if the table or shelf is too small. Don’t put out more items than you can keep tidy, and try not to fill up every flat space. Leave some visual rest.
3. Use recycled items
Visit second hand and junk stores for items to put to use in your home. A single antique plate can be a lovely fruit dish on your counter or kitchen table. One pretty casserole dish can make putting dinner on the table a treat.
When shopping for recycled items, make sure you have a location for what you buy. The mindset of “I’ll use it sometime” can turn your home into a cluttered mess. Additionally, the idea that you’ll use the item in a craft project is exciting, but if you don’t have the tools at home for that project, the skills to make it happen, or the time to do the work, you’ve just added a burden to your current workload. Don’t overbuy when shopping second hand.
Vintage style also plays nicely with other trends you might be exploring at home, from high-ceiling decor that draw the eye upward to simple mid-century décor touches. Thoughtful lighting, statement wood pieces, and a few well-chosen accents can help you mix these influences without losing that cozy, collected feel.
4. Add wainscoting, shiplap, or paneling
If you’ve got an older home and want to increase the vintage look of your space, the addition of wood to your walls is a wonderful way to improve the rustic charm of the space. If you’re working with tall rooms and want high-ceiling decorating ideas for your home, using vertical paneling or taller bookcases with trim can visually balance the height and make the space feel more inviting.
As you experiment, you can also look to some of the largest home décor brands in the U.S. for inspiration on color palettes, finishes, and layouts, then interpret those ideas through a vintage lens with thrifted or second-hand finds.
If you’re not a carpenter, invest in a set of bookshelves that you can add trim to and around. Once the bookcase is in place, paint it and all of the trim to match, but paint the back of the case the same color as the walls. On each shelf, add a pretty decorative item that you love in addition to books. Make sure you use bookends or turn several heavy books to lay flat as a temporary measure.
5. Use self storage as a buffer zone when redecorating
If you are in the middle of repainting, adding paneling, or rearranging furniture, a temporary self storage unit can act as a buffer zone so your home does not turn into a construction warehouse. Instead of stacking extra chairs, boxes of décor, or out‑of‑season textiles in the hallway, you can move them off‑site for a few weeks while you work. That gives you room to see the bones of each room clearly, make better design decisions, and bring back only the vintage pieces that truly fit the updated space, rather than keeping everything just because it is already in the house.
Bottom line
Vintage decor doesn’t mean cluttered or fluffy. The decorative pieces of the past were unique in that they generally had a second purpose. Owning something that was both useful and lovely was something to celebrate, so be ready to display your favorite vintage finds. Buy slowly and with care to avoid a cluttered home.
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