These vintage-inspired home décor details will have you craving soulful style from a variety of eras, proving what's old is new again.
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Perhaps it’s no surprise that as natural materials such as jute and fiber art like macramé came back into fashion over the last year or so, caning would be next. A refined, artful take with rattan, it fits in lots of settings, most notably on chairs and cabinet doors.
You can find vintage goods, which often have held up beautifully over the years because of expert craftsmanship. Or score some new pieces. Many home stores are carrying caned furniture in of-the-moment disco-glam silhouettes.
Perhaps as part of the return of maximalism, wallpaper is having a moment. But it’s not your grandmother’s wallpaper: These are big, bold and luscious. Watch for jungle themes, botanicals and bold florals to take center stage, as well as textures now available through advances in technology and manufacturing.
Another modern twist on the classic wall covering: Consider a wallpaper mural. They don’t have a repeating pattern per se and can be scaled to your room’s dimensions, making it feel custom-tailored to your home.
Breathe life into vintage furniture that may be languishing elsewhere by finding a new purpose for it. If you have a record cabinet on hand but no longer collect vinyl, it could serve as a drink cart. If you want to go even further, you can design a vintage keeping room full of your favorite vintage furniture pieces.
In this case: Traditional bathroom vanities, while functional, feel a little ho-hum today. Consider adding some historic charm by retrofitting a vintage piece of furniture such as a credenza or dresser as your vanity.
A buyer snapped up this vintage beauty for less than $100 online. With a little polish, some new drawer pulls (also scored online for a song) and careful reframing of interior drawers to fit the plumbing pipes, it gives a custom look and feel to this suite bathroom.
Right on time: Late ’80s and ’90s styles have been creeping back into our consciousness, but stylish interiors influencers are already incorporating them in their homes in big ways.
Marked by big, bold geometrics, unapologetic color and pop art, postmodern style injects some unexpected fun in almost any room in the house. Artwork in a living room, as seen here in vintage dealer Gladys Tay‘s ode to postmodern living, draws oohs and aahs with every photo she posts.
The oversized, over-bright, devil-may-care attitude of postmodern style feels lush, fun and exciting after years of all-white, mega-tailored restraint.
The Earth tones that are hot, hot, hot right now come straight from sunsets in the desert. Think terra-cotta, rust, marigold and dusty rose. Pair them together for an almost tone-on-tone palette that feels simultaneously grounding and invigorating — not unlike a trip to a desert spa.
Washed linen bedding feels especially homey and lived-in without losing any sophistication. It could just as easily be a paint color on the wall, or a cushy rug underfoot, in almost any room.
Nothing adds soul and vintage warmth to a home like something made by the human hand. In this case, artisan tile, from Mercury Mosaics, can be executed in a wide array of vintage tile styles.
Hexagon floral patterns hark back to pre-war homes. Craftsman squares call up memories of Prairie-style homes. And Moroccan fish scales feel at once ancient and jet-set modern, like shopping in Marrakesh.
The twist: Today’s tilemakers aren’t afraid to take color risks or pair up styles for a new take on vintage shapes.
As the sharper angles of the mid-century modern movement continue to fade on the home-trends landscape, rounder shapes are moving in to take their place. Squared-off doorways suddenly feel … square.
Enter the archway. They’re seemingly everywhere, framing doorways and entrances to and exits from rooms. Archways add visual height to a room by drawing the eye upward. Consider an archway that adds a little drama without being overly fussy.
For those who want to take a traditionally styled home a step into something more ornate, a French-style mirror is one stylish option.
A French mirror offers a little art along with function, and these mirrors are popping up on walls everywhere. Try one in a wallpapered foyer or refined bathroom, or as an accent on a gallery wall. Shapes and prices abound, making it an easy, on-trend choice.
As supply chains catch up and cabinet makers finally find room in their schedules, the demand for color cabinets will continue to rise. They’re especially popular among those who love the traditional English cottage cabinet look.
Dark green continues to be a white-hot color choice, as seen in The Katt House‘s remodel. Another option for traditional cabinets is a less-traditional hue. Coral pink puts a fresh twist on a vintage classic.
Still not on board with a color cabinet? Wood cabinet aficionados are competing for vintage salvage cabinets in antiques shops and salvage yards.
The most marked places curvilinear (consisting of or bounded by curved lines) silhouettes are showing up? Sofas, like the one shown here, and chairs.
Expanding outward from the clean lines of mid-century furnishings, curvilinear pieces take up more space visually and oftentimes physically, exuding a sense of casual luxury and comfort. Perhaps being tethered closer to home lately has created a craving for softness and sprawl, not unlike our fashion’s migration from denim to elastic waistband-joggers.
Beyond sofas, look to ’70s inspired office chairs and side chairs that could be used in almost any room.
There are many ways to repurpose old furniture in a practical way. The most straightforward way is to use it for its originally intended purpose. For instance, cane chairs or vintage dressers can still be used exactly as intended. But you can also use a vintage piece for something new. Interior designer of CRAFT by Anika Anika Tarasiewicz elaborates: “Old nightstands can become plant stands or entryway organizers. A vintage dresser can be turned into a bathroom vanity with the right cutouts and plumbing.”
You can also add modern touches to an old piece, such as re-painting a piece, replacing drawer pulls with something fresh, or refinishing a piece that’s worn. “Many outdated pieces just need a fresh coat of paint and updated hardware to feel current,” says Tarasiewicz, adding, “Brass is back and we’re using it to add a sense of richness and continuity across spaces.”
Before choosing bold designs for your home, the most important thing to consider is how they make you feel. Do you love them? Does seeing them fill you with joy? Then don’t be afraid to incorporate them into your decor. If you’re just jumping on a trendy bandwagon, you may not only be wasting your resources, but you’ll be adding something to your space that doesn’t reflect your personality and, ultimately, won’t make you happy.
On top of these considerations, there are some design principles to keep in mind when going bold. Tarasiewicz shares, “Bold works best when it’s balanced. If you’re drawn to a statement color or pattern, consider how it plays with natural light, surrounding materials, and the long-term feel of the space. Ask yourself if it enhances your day-to-day experience or just looks good in a photo. Make bold choices that still feel livable.”
Anika Tarasiewicz is the founder and CEO of CRAFT by Anika, a full-service interior design firm based in Staten Island, NY. She specializes in residential and boutique commercial design, project management, holiday decorating, and professional organizing.
