Vintage Design Style

Vintage Interior Design' is about 1940's glamor and the end of World War II.   In fact, most people tend to think of vintage being anything that isn't quite new.  However, that's not the case.

This is a wonderfully, beautiful era to recreate in your home. It is extremely nostalgic and looks to an elegant time in history for influences.

The image below of shows a tastefully put together living room. It very much reminds me of old movies and somehow you would expect to see Humphrey Bogart walking into this room along with James Stewart and Betty Grable.


Take note of the soft colors and the fantastic assortment of fabrics. This room looks fabulous.

After a long, suffering period of war worry and 'make do', people very much created warm, comforting homes. The forties and early fifties has a distinct mix and match look.

It is a growing trend and vintage interior design has become increasingly popular. Designer Cath Kidston, has shot to the top with her collections of vintage brickabrack and home items. Have a look at her designs for inspiration.

The entrance/hallway that you can see in the below image, shows how interesting and tasteful this concept is. Vintage interior design may have kitsch but it is also classical. Look at the wallpaper. It is bold however, it blends well with the rest of the decor. Note the type of lighting that has been used. All is soothing and balanced.

Color: blend your color scheme with light neutral tones and throw in a bolder color to create some impact into your space. Be careful not to go too bright otherwise you might lose sight of this design style.

Start off with off white and add in some soft, pale colors similar to those you can see in the first image. Egg shell blue and white look stunning together.

The mushroom color of the upholstery used on the chairs to the right with the navy blue and white scatter cushions look stunning.                                                                        Button-backed upholstered furniture do well with vintage interior design, especially with plain or leather fabrics. Perhaps you could add a similar easy chair into your room.

Walls: floral or bold patterned wallpaper make excellent choices to help you get your vintage look spot on.

However, painted walls look just as good. You might want to consider adding some timber wall paneling into your design. The above images show good examples of how you could achieve this.

The living room in the image below is another fabulous example of a 1940's styled home.

Floor: for vintage interior design it is best to have a beautiful hard wood floor. Parquet or floor boards stained to a mid-tone work best. Large rugs can be used to define zones within a room i.e. sitting area, drinks area, dining area and so on.

Secondly you could opt to have a carpet installed. Select a patterned carpet from a heritage collection to keep on the vintage track.

Decor: sideboards, cabinets and display units became items of high demand during this era. It was in the forties that television became increasingly popular and slowly but surely took center stage as the focal point in many modern homes.

Look to add a mix of elegant furniture with some distressed looking items to give your space an authentic feel.

Look at the items crafted by the company Wedgwood for some inspiration.

You could perhaps accessorize your room with some items like those shown below.