By Kate Yandoh
Does your home environment make you yawn? Searching for something you can’t find at the mall? Or have you been watching too much “Mad Men?”
Not to fear. Stylish MOMeos know the best update for the future can be found by shopping in the past. We’ll show you how to add vintage flair to your home enjoyably and easily.
The first rule is to start small. Instead of decking out your whole living room as a ‘60s den, try a couple bookends and a funky side table. Or, choose the smallest room in your house, such as a powder room or home office, and add accents such as a chandelier – or even something as small as drawer pulls or switch plates.
Then, think about what appeals to you. Do you love birds, muted colors, Scandinavian styles, or clean lines? Not sure? Luckily, adding some vintage is a perfect way to experiment without spending a lot or making a huge commitment.
You don’t have to choose one era and go full out. In fact, according to Mina Ortiz of Bohemian Vintage, a more eclectic approach makes rooms look fresher:
“With bohemian style, everything goes. A ‘60s lamp can sit on a cottage shabby table and work beautifully.”
If you like a piece, but it’s the kind of dark wood doesn’t appeal, Ortiz advises breaking out the paint: “it’s simple and transformative. Try white, teal, or baby yellow.”
Mackenzie Sullivan, founder of I’m Still Me kids’ products, grew up with vintage thanks to her antique dealer mother and treasures her mix of “a marble top table with a French base and the American country blanket chest that now serves as my coffee table…with two kids I want to make sure everything can be easily lived in and, abused! The good thing about antiques is, the more scratches and dents, the more character.”
Ready to shop? You don’t have to get up from your keyboard – our picks below are all on etsy.com. Should they be sold out, the site is super-easy to search. Or use these as a guide for your own foraging in flea markets, yard sales, eBay, or even the recycling area of your town dump (a secret vintage mavens have kept to themselves until now!)
Sublimely 70’s
Roll out the barrel and hang this “rec room” chandelier in the guest bath or office:
bold graphic pillows give your neutral sofa a fast infusion of style, and you can change them in a flash.
Bonus: babies and kids will dig the vivid pattern!
Switch plates are a fun way to switch up a room. Even the least handy person can install these:
Cottage Charm
Drawer pulls give your regular standard pieces some vintage ooh-la-la.
Warm up a room with this sweet tin roof sign (you can have it customized):
A vintage frame adds a ladylike note – and it’s even more fun when you ‘vintage’ a picture of your loved ones (try it on iPhoto, Photoshop, or the super-simple Bakumatsu Koshashin Generator.)
City Chic
Let these red sconces rev up your kitchen or dining room.
Notes to self: “look amazing” in this vintage frame.
Put a literate dash of vintage on your fridge or on your file cabinet.
Mid-century Modern
A delicious resting place for fruit, bread, holiday ornaments, or even random toys:
A stylish splurge, these stacked ball lamps demonstrate the chic power of pairs.
Celebrate the early days of TV with these sweet (and cheap) shakers.
But, What About the Children?
You’re never too young vintage. Next column, we’ll show you looks for kids and their rooms that will make them the style leaders of their playgroups. In the meantime, here’s something for your little darling:
