The word “vintage” came to us from the French language, where it meant strong aged wine that had been waiting in wine cellars for decades. Then the concept was transferred to the interior to indicate a style direction where old things were transferred to a modern home. But the vintage style in the interior presupposes not only their presence in the house - the very atmosphere in it has its own specifics.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
Are retro and vintage the same thing?
A vintage item is a truly period item that is at least 30 years old and was fashionable some time ago. Retro is a general concept of style, which is characterized by both antique items and modern, antique-style “remakes”.
Grandma's chest, which once contained her trousseau, is a vintage piece, as is the sideboard in which she kept the service she received as a wedding gift. And an artificially aged table, a crocheted rug, a tablecloth cross-stitched in an old style - this is retro. Vintage uses things that were once fashionable and have become popular again. Retro does not depend on fashion, it simply belongs to its era or depicts it.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
Living room
In the living room, lovers of experiments can give free rein to their imagination. This room is most suitable for implementing creative ideas.
The finishing is done in light colors: soft green, blue, light pink, white and beige are often used.
But in the living room you can also use rich shades - they were often found in the seventies, provided that you are focusing on this time period.
In most cases, ceilings are made light; built-in lighting has no place here. It is best to use a massive chandelier as a light source, the shades of which resemble the shape of candles, or a round light fixture (do not forget about the correspondence to the chosen era).
It’s great if the living room is equipped with a fireplace - it will make the perception of the interior special. The fireplace creates a warm atmosphere in which the residents of the house will feel cozy and comfortable.
Place a fluffy pile carpet on the floor for added comfort. Place souvenirs and family photos on the shelves.
Place a rocking chair in the corner and cover it with a fur blanket. Sitting in a chair, you can drink aromatic tea and read a book with an exciting plot.
The main features of the vintage style
Today, vintage interior style refers to the recreation of the furnishings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But we already live in a different century, so things dating back to the middle of the last century can already be considered vintage.
When choosing a vintage style direction for your interior, you need to decide which era is closer to your spirit and what you want to embody in your apartment. Do not forget that all rooms of the home should be decorated in the same style. Ultra-modern or, on the contrary, classic and, even more so, embodied luxury, baroque and other similar styles cannot be combined on the same territory with vintage that breathes antiquity.
Important! The main requirement when decorating an interior in a vintage style is the presence of objects belonging to the era being recreated.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
In fact, vintage in the interior is not a pile of old furniture, yellowed napkins and valances - things “with history” get along quite well with modern ones, and there are no strict requirements here. But there are no random objects here, so this design is created over a long period of time, gradually. You shouldn’t be like Plyushkin and bring into the house all the old things you come across - they should be carefully matched to each other.
It’s not difficult to create a vintage interior - you don’t have to buy antique furniture and household items - your older relatives or friends’ parents will happily give away what is lying idle in attics and garages. Some can be found at flea markets, some can be created with your own hands by artificially aging them.
Main features of a vintage interior:
- a combination of antique and modern items;
- simplicity of the interior;
- some randomness, slight disorder - a blanket carelessly thrown on the sofa, magazines left on the table, a basket of handicrafts;
- a touch of romance;
- floral scenes - on wallpaper, textiles;
- abrasions, barely visible inscriptions on things, as if (or actually) erased by time.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
History of origin
Nowadays, expensive, exclusive things from the 19th and 20th centuries are called vintage.
The word “vintage” itself came into the general lexicon thanks to winemakers. Back then, this was the name given to wine aged for a long time in a cellar.
The history of the origin of the style is very funny - it happened at the end of the 20th century in the USA. Patrick Willis, as a young architect, decided to present the house in the style of an ellipse.
To complete the composition, he went to a flea market, where he found many unique things that seemed worthy of attention.
It is said that Patrick ended up in this market because he did not have the money to complete the project.
Willis cleaned and restored the purchased items and contributed them to the overall project, which critics approved, noting the ambition and novelty of the young designer's idea.
Since then, the vintage style has appeared in the interior.
Features of room design
If you decide to decorate your apartment in vintage style, you will have to give up some fashionable ideas:
- stretch, suspended ceilings;
- laminate;
- ceramic tile;
- plastic windows;
- stone window sills, countertops;
- built-in lighting and similar modern finishing methods.
Filling a room with antiques is not enough. We need to create an appropriate environment for them. Therefore, you need to start with repairs.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
Difference from other styles
The main distinguishing feature of vintage style is the combination of antiquity and modernity. Also for vintage it is important to restore furniture that has gone out of fashion and use it in a modern way.
To create a vintage interior design, they also use interior items that were at the peak of popularity in a certain era.
The main distinguishing condition is to choose antique items or give new things an aged effect. It is necessary to abandon modern finishing options.
Wall decoration
The best material for wall decoration is wallpaper. They must be paper, with a small or large pattern. Floral, geometric patterns, always contrasting, look good in a vintage interior. You can choose wallpaper in oriental style - Chinese or Japanese: butterflies, twigs, flowers, birds. However, if you plan to saturate the room with many decorative details, it is better to choose plain wallpaper for the walls or simply paint them in one of the pastel colors.
As a finishing option, you can apply a roll-on pattern to painted walls using a rubber roller with a convex pattern: by applying paint to it, you can transfer the pattern to the wall. Stencils can be used for the same purpose.
Color spectrum
The main task of decor is to reflect the characteristics of another time period, so design experts advise choosing laconic, slightly “faded” light shades.
Beige and light pink, pale yellow and muted blue are great tones for creating a background.
It is good to use patterns of other (most often contrasting) shades, always with a yellowing effect from time to time - slightly faded.
Muted tones make it possible to enjoy the surroundings and pay special attention to interesting accessories.
But you can use bright shades - they will look advantageous against a light background. Sofas, carpets and curtains in emerald or chic burgundy shades will create a luxurious atmosphere and amazingly transform the room. Such rooms have a special sophisticated charm that guests always notice.
A specific color palette is selected based on the characteristics of the selected time period. In the fifties, catchy combinations were popular, playing on contrasts; orange shades were often combined with blue.
The end of the 19th century is characterized by shades of a cool color palette and plant designs.
No matter in which room you want to create a vintage atmosphere, first select a time period. All things must be appropriate to the era - this is the only way to create a holistic composition.
How you can use decorative brick in the interior: varieties, color palette, style solutions for design. Read about the rules of interior design and design possibilities in the shabby chic style in this article.
Ceiling finishing
It's better to paint the ceiling. Take white water-based paint for it. You can decorate the ceiling with stucco - just don’t use plastic imitations, only plaster rosettes and fillets are appropriate.
Important! Do not try to get rid of all the cracks on the surface of the ceiling and walls. This is vintage, and small unevenness and cracks will only emphasize the stylization, the main thing is that there are not many of them and they are not very deep.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
Lighting
Lighting fixtures in a vintage room should be expensive and luxurious.
Chandeliers with crystal elements, sconces and floor lamps (wonderful if they have fabric lampshades and fringe), and bronze lamps are suitable.
Modern lighting devices are not used in room decoration. The lighting itself should be warm and soft, avoid harsh and contrasting light.
Floor finishing
Laminate is not suitable for finishing the floor; it is better to use parquet or a regular wooden board. They will be the best option for the living room, bedroom, and other living rooms.
You can lay linoleum on the floor, because it has been known since the end of the 19th century, although it was not so popular until the 1980s. It is best used for the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom. You can also use tiles for these rooms.
The choice of materials for decorating a vintage interior will depend on what you decide to focus on, what creates stylization - if furniture, then limit yourself to a calm color scheme for the walls, painting them in pastel colors or covering them with light wallpaper with an unobtrusive pattern. If you want to create a bright environment for your furniture, then you can choose wallpaper with a bright ornament or a pastoral pattern, adding a small number of details to the interior.
Any finishing materials should be artificially aged to give the impression that they have stood the test of time.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
Materials and finishes typical of a vintage interior
The finishing should use predominantly natural materials: wood, stone, metal.
The walls in a vintage style interior are usually covered with wallpaper with a characteristic floral pattern or painted in soft colors. All walls must be decorated in the same color. Their task is to helpfully highlight furnishings and stylish accessories, but not to dominate the interior. The color of the walls can be pure white, beige, grayish, blue.
The ceiling should be plain, painted or whitewashed. The presence of cracks and some unevenness in the finish is a completely authentic nuance of the vintage style. Stucco molding can be a wonderful decoration for the ceiling. But such an interior is strictly not acceptable for suspended and plasterboard suspended ceilings.
Natural parquet or tiles, artificially aged or truly old, are suitable for the floor. Neither laminate nor carpet are compatible with vintage style.
Important! It is necessary to feel the measure in deliberately “adding age” to the details of a vintage interior. Finishing, furniture and decor items should radiate an elegant simplicity of style, and scream about the need for urgent repairs.
Vintage style color palette
Vintage is a romantic style, so the color scheme characteristic of it consists of pastel shades - ash, beige, light pink and light blue, delicate green tones. White, milky colors can be used as the main ones, but against the background of soft warm colors, white, beige, shabby, patina-covered furniture will look harmonious, and the interior itself will be filled with light, warmth and comfort.
Important! The colors should appear faded with time.
Bright color accents can be burgundy, purple, blue. Brown and green colors are more often used in textiles. Decorative elements such as napkins, tablecloths, bedspreads are often chosen white or the color of unbleached linen.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
Styles and colors
Vintage furniture should not dominate the interior. It only complements the decor of the room. There may be 1-3 items that do not stand out from the overall design.
This furniture fits perfectly into the Scandinavian style. It is characterized by lightness, airiness, and fullness of light. Chairs and armchairs with high legs 100% meet these requirements. Furniture from the last century makes Nordic design more comfortable. The main thing is that there is not a lot of it. A pair of textile armchairs or a modest-sized sofa with brown leather upholstery is quite enough. They will dilute the monotonous snow-white walls and bring home comfort.
Absolutely organically contains objects from the past loft style. Its raw brick and concrete walls and metal staircases go perfectly with old, shabby tables, chairs, and sofas that look like they were brought from a landfill. Loft-style interiors are chosen by creative people. They will certainly love the exclusive furnishings.
Vintage and hi-tech cannot be called an ideal combination. Antique furniture does not harmonize well with ultra-modern materials. Perhaps you can fit an old tube TV or a modest-looking bookcase with laconic shapes into the interior. In any case, there should be very few vintage items in a room decorated as high-tech.
Boho goes well with vintage furniture. This unique style, which creates the illusion of disorder, is perfect for creative individuals. Vintage for such an interior should be decorated with expensive textiles, since boho tends to be bohemian.
Recommendations for choosing furniture design when arranging an interior
The fusion style, the main feature of which is the combination of incongruous things, can easily accommodate any number of vintage items. In such an interior, an antique wardrobe is very simply combined with modern household appliances, a high-tech armchair and Doric columns.
The palette of vintage furniture is based on natural colors. All natural shades of wood are in use. Upholstery textiles can be green, blue, brown, red. White and black colors are almost never used. The patterns on the fabric are very discreet, small, and do not catch the eye. For the most part, the upholstery is plain, without print.
Scandinavian style
Loft
High tech
boho
Fusion
Furniture that bears the stamp of time
Correct, harmonious vintage style is the obligatory presence of real antique, retro furniture against the background of antique-style walls. Suitable for interior:
- tall wardrobes;
- buffets with slightly peeling paint and scuffs;
- forged furniture;
- chests of drawers covered with patina;
- low coffee tables with copper frames and large wooden tables;
- whatnots, carved shelves.
If the furniture is wooden, it may have traces of cracked varnish, and painted surfaces may have cracks in the paint or abrasions.
Important! Do not create a “junk shop” from the room - everything should be in moderation, although you should not combine ultra-modern and antique furniture in the same room.
There should be harmony in everything: in the bedroom, a wooden chest of drawers with a cracked front will complement a wrought-iron bed covered with a lace bedspread; lay a knitted “grandmother’s” round rug on the floor. In the living room you can put a round table with a white tablecloth, and a simple vase of flowers on it. A cuckoo clock on the wall and black and white photographs on the shelf complete the styling.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
DIY Vintage Style
Furniture in country design is usually made of wood and can be upholstered in silk, cotton or damask plush. At the same time, the sofa and armchairs have small and compact dimensions. The optimal solution here is decorative tables and large chairs. If we are talking about arranging a vintage living room decor with your own hands, then the optimal solution is to place a huge glass table with a luxurious large-sized sofa.
Decorative items such as carpets, wallpaper, paintings, curtains, antique accessories, musical instruments, fluffed pillows, and watches are also appropriate here. All of them are selected for country design with a touch of modernity, hinting at a comfortable and cozy lifestyle. The prevailing colors are pink, white, purple, yellow.
Even seemingly insignificant little things can fill the room with a completely unusual atmosphere: a patchwork quilt, an old fan, black and white photos with frames, a wooden chest of drawers with handles, industrial-style task lighting.
Features of vintage room decor
To complete the stylization, you need to select lamps, textiles and other objects that fill the space in the same style.
Lamps in such a room can be either as simple as possible, having strict geometric shapes, or complex, with numerous details, volumetric compositions:
- chandeliers with shades made of thick glass, an abundance of screws, brackets, and metal parts. They are attached to the ceiling using a strong chain;
- lamps with wooden shades;
- floor lamps with large lampshades;
- handmade designer lamps - made of metal, wood. Their shape can be different: in the form of an old kerosene lamp, a dome-shaped cage.
Important! Both lamps and other decorative items should correspond to the era that you are stylizing.
That is why an antique copper samovar, a cast iron iron, a sewing machine from the Singer factory, as well as a Soviet-era fan chandelier and an abundance of glass and crystal in a lacquered sideboard may be appropriate here.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
The following can complement the interior of a living room in a vintage style:
- floor or wall cuckoo clock;
- a mirror in a carved frame - if you find an old one with black spots on the amalgam - it will be perfect;
- black and white photographs on the wall or on a closet shelf;
- carpet on the floor (the same as they used to hang on the walls);
- gramophone or reel-to-reel tape recorder - depending on the period that is embodied in your room.
On the walls of the bedroom and hallway, decorated in the spirit of the 50-60s of the last century, posters, posters, theater posters of that time can be placed, there is also a place for a forged or wooden shelf, dressing table. Place a floor lamp on a high leg with a fabric lampshade next to the bed.
Creating a vintage interior in a modern apartment is exciting and interesting. Decoration will not take much time and will not require significant expenses, but you and your friends and family will have the opportunity to plunge into past eras and take a break from the reactive rhythm of modern life.
Bedroom
The design of the bedroom needs to be given special attention, because this room is intended for relaxation.
The central element in the bedroom is, of course, the bed. You can choose a chic wide sleeping bed and certainly with an originally designed headboard.
In most cases, home owners choose beds with wrought-iron headboards; beds with wooden headboards, decorated with skillful carvings, also look very impressive. The best solution would be to make a custom bed.
Light shades are most suitable for the bedroom. This decor creates a cozy and comfortable atmosphere and puts you in a romantic mood.
You can add a small amount of pink tones and elegant lace, because when creating the interior of a bedroom you need to remember romance. This bedroom is perfect for a young girl.
Or create a more feminine atmosphere: in this case, instead of frills, you should use more strict, carefully thought out details. Light-colored wallpaper with an almost invisible pattern, pieces of furniture the color of milk chocolate, parquet with a worn effect. This look is simple and perfect for the bedroom.
A canopy over the bed will help add chic. These are the beds that aristocrats slept on many years ago.
The canopy can be made from airy lace material or from a denser fabric with a rich shade.
If desired, this element can be made by hand. On a note! In small bedrooms, decorating the bed with a canopy is not the best solution.
A small space will seem even smaller, so this decorative element is only suitable for spacious rooms. A dressing table will fit well into such an environment - a necessary piece of furniture in the bedroom, on which you can lay out perfumes in unusual bottles, accessories, family photographs in carved frames or dolls with porcelain faces, suitable for a certain era.
