Vintage furniture - why is it worth taking an interest in it?

The ever-returning trends of the past are not only present in fashion, but also in interior design, as evidenced by the unwavering popularity of the old fashioned trade fair and the numerous shops that offer stylized furniture and decorations. Why so much love for past fashion? Why are designer solutions from the communist era and even older ones so popular? What's more, interiors are not only dominated by one, old-fashioned style. It is fashionable to combine several different conventions, among which the leading one is mixing the old with the new one. And all this comes down to one extremely popular term - vintage.

The phenomenon of vintage style

Vintage - this word is known to almost everyone, but does everyone know what exactly it hides? Certainly hardly anyone is aware that this popular term is related to the English language and means vintage, and specifically a good vintage of wine produced from the fruits of one season. It may be a clue to decipher the meaning of the word, which has become part of the terminology related to interior design. If the older the wine, the better, then so can it be with the enduring style, which will never cease to be fashionable, and its secret is to draw on the ideas from years ago. On the other hand, one-seasonality of wine means maintaining a certain consistency, just like in a good interior design. This is what we call vintage - the right proportions in combining old furniture with modern design and a reference to the old style. Such solutions allow you to create an interior with a unique character, because vintage is often avant-garde, shocking combinations and solutions emphasizing the individualism of the owner of the apartment.

Interiors in vintage style

What are the characteristics of vintage interiors? This is a basic question for anyone who would like to furnish their apartment inspired by this style. According to the definition, you can:

focus primarily on stylized furniture and accessories that refer to past eras,

in a modern space set up a few old, stylish furniture,

introduce a few modern elements into the interior of the old-fashioned style.

So you can clearly see that vintage offers many possibilities in interior design. Depending on your own preferences, you can freely arrange the space - above all with stylish furniture from years ago or only emphasizing the modern interior with old accessories.

If you want to decorate your apartment in vintage style, you can not be afraid of bold combinations of colors, fabrics and textures, but everything should maintain a certain consistency, far from the impression of a mess. As a base you can use white or gray color on the walls, where you can beautifully expose a navy blue couch, blood red armchair or harmoniously blend in a pastel chest of drawers. Similarly, ultra-modern concrete and glass can be combined with a wooden showcase or a high-gloss sideboard straight from the communist era grandmother's apartment.

Speaking of vintage interiors, it is worth noting that it is a style for everyone. This is possible thanks to a great variety of furniture, decorations and ways of combining individual elements of decoration.

Vintage furniture

When choosing vintage style furniture, you should pay attention to a few special features. First of all, they should be old objects, with history, but not dating back to the Victorian era. So it is better to avoid equipment richly decorated in favour of simpler, high-gloss wooden furniture or on the contrary - matt or even slightly scratched. Such furniture has its own charm and brings to mind the old times, creating a sentimental atmosphere even in the most modern interior.

It is also good if the vintage furniture is authentic, so it actually comes from a second hand and is at least a dozen or so years old. Such specimens can be found in grandfather's flats, attics and cellars of old houses, flea markets and internet auctions. However, if this is not possible, you can "age" the furniture yourself, e.g. by replacing knobs or wiping the wooden surface.

When lifting old furniture or styling new items to make them look much older, it's worth playing with colours and patterns. Vintage loves diversity and is not afraid of avant-garde solutions, so an old wooden sideboard can be painted in pastel blue and a used sofa can be given a second life thanks to new, bright yellow upholstery.

It is worth being aware that vintage furniture can decorate any space, not only rooms. Inspired by this unique convention, in the kitchen you can use a website that once stood in your aunt's living room, and in the bathroom hang original posters from the 70s, which once decorated your dad's room.

Vintage decorations

Vintage style decorations should emphasize the individual character of the interior. It is a good idea to use a large amount of fabrics such as blankets, blankets and bedspreads, various sofa cushions or curtains with Indian patterns, which were a real interior hit a few dozen years ago. Typical vintage decorations are also stylized wall clocks, photo frames and decorative figurines, which could successfully fill a hundred years ago. Posters and pictures from the first half of the 20th century are also a must-have for decoration. But retro ornamentation also means reaching for a less distant style, which was present in the 70's and 80's of the last century. That's where his passion for combining expressive colours, high-gloss wall units and posters with funny slogans comes from.

It is also worth noting that in vintage style interiors there is no shortage of items that are completely useless, but have only a decorative character and often stand out for their extravagant appearance. Such decorations perfectly fit into this unique style.