Today we have a guest post from Jonathan Ensor of Empire Today. Enjoy!
Photo via Flickr user douaireg.
Vintage home design and décor seem to be all the rage in the pages of interior decorating periodicals and blogs. For those with neither the time nor the budget for antiquing marathons, there’s plenty of inspiration out there for you – from top to bottom.
Photo via.
Wallpaper isn’t as popular as it once was, but a slightly frayed pattern on an accent wall can give your home a cozy feel. You can find actual vintage wallpaper in thrift stores or on the web, but consider distressing new paper with a stain, shellac, paint, bleach or even sandpaper. There are how-to videos for all of these methods online.
Photo via The Modern Housewives.
Rustic hardwood floors are ideal for that old farmhouse look. Slightly softer woods are easiest to distress: pine, oak, even bamboo. As a bonus, a pre-scratched up floor will camouflage any marks you, your kids, pets or furniture might make. Consider hand-scraped laminate flooring if actual wood isn’t your cup of tea.
Photo via Weiler Painting.
I’m just going to go out on a limb and say it: antique furniture is usually a rip-off. So why not fake it? You can buy vintage fabric and reupholster modern pieces or give newer furnishings a dose of old age. Again, you’re going to want to employ your good old friends: sandpaper, stain and paint, along with wire brushes and steel wool. It’s even been recommended to take a heavy chain to your end table or dresser, giving it a few good whacks before you start coating and scraping. Off-kilter dings and scratches are signs of authenticity.
Now that you’ve got your walls, floors and furniture artfully destroyed, it’s time for the fun part. Accoutrements! The DIY world abounds with inspiration for these types of projects, so if you’re the crafty type, you’re in luck.
Photo via Flickr user Editor B.
Turn newer or junky old pots, picture frames or jars into “vintage” treasures by painting them with primer and chipping it away. There are paint methods for getting a faux bronze or zinc patina. Find a piece of old wood, paint and distress it accordingly, stencil on your family name, something French, whatever – and bam! – now you have an antique sign to hang.
Photo via Loffee.
An old, beat-up suitcase can take on a new life as a repurposed end table, medicine cabinet or even a pet bed. Turn pages of old books and dictionaries (bonus if they’re in another language), yellowing sheet music or vintage pattern sheaths into collaged…well, anything, really. Let your imagination wander. A pile of old costume jewelry brooches can be transformed into unique magnets with little more than a dab of hot glue.
Photo via Grungy Galz.
A bit more specifically, my wife is absolutely bonkers for this antique-y, DIY flowered table. We decided to wait until spring to tackle the homemade vintage door I came across the other day; then we realized it might be best to knock out the project this fall, so it can weather outdoors over the winter. There are so many cool tutorials out there for any budget or style. What’s your secret for getting the old-timey look?
Jonathon Ensor is a freelance design blogger for Empire Today. When he’s not scouring yard sales for the best deals on classic furnishings, he moonlights as an amateur hoarder.
