Adding vintage decor instantly gives your home character and a sense of history, but achieving this doesn’t require solely using antiques.
The secret lies in blending unique finds—from flea markets, salvage shops, or antique stores—with your current furnishings.
This creates a personalized, curated mix of old and new that tells a story.
Thankfully, vintage pieces can integrate seamlessly into any interior style, so get ready to explore thrift stores and markets for those timeless treasures that will enrich your space.
Make It the Focus
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When you’re introducing a vintage piece of furniture or decor into your modern space, knowing where to start can be stressful.
That’s why our design pros always recommend starting the area you plan on placing it from scratch (no matter how big or small), and then selecting modern pieces based around your new item.
“Choose just one or two standout pieces and let them shine,” designer Kim Morris says. “Less is more when it comes to styling vintage items in a modern home.”
Lean Into Your Personal Style
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We can spend years figuring out our home decor favorites, and throwing an unexpected piece of vintage decor into the mix can seem jarring at first.
Instead of fighting your personal taste to make it work, embrace both and discover where the vintage find and your interior style intersect.
“Spend time determining what it is about those pieces you love the most, and curate surrounding decor that highlights your favorite qualities,” Morris suggests.
Once you’ve taken a moment to appreciate the color, material, and style of the item—and which aspects of it resonate most with your home’s aesthetic—you might find it fits into your space better than you thought.
Layer Items, Eras, and Materials
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Vintage items feel inherently cozy, and you can highlight that further through the art of layering them with furniture and decor of similar materials, features, or from the same time frame.
“Vintage pieces often have rich textures and patinas that add warmth to modern interiors,” interior architect Inara Tirkkonen says. “Incorporate different materials like distressed wood, aged leather, brass, and handwoven fabrics to create depth and interest.”
What is most important is that the whole room or home feels cohesive.
“By maintaining consistency in design style across eras, you create a space that feels intentional and timeless,” Morris says.
Color-Coordinate
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As you start to curate the corners of your home around each vintage item, our designers say one of the most important common threads to keep in mind is the color palette.
“If you’ve inherited a vintage watercolor painting in a gorgeous gold frame, set it on top of a stack of coffee table books with spines that echo the colors of the painting,”
Morris says. “Pull in complementary hues of a vintage rug through pillows, throws or even fresh flowers.”
Play With Room Placement
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Sometimes, finding a new home for an unexpected vintage item within your space isn’t so straightforward.
If your living room is already decorated in a way you love and you find yourself with a new rug, lamp, piece of furniture, or some old family photos, consider styling them in a less traditional room, like the bathroom or kitchen.
“An old dresser can be transformed into a stylish bathroom vanity, or a vintage trunk can serve as a coffee table,” Tirkkonen says.
Don’t be afraid to get creative, and keep in mind that you can always move things around later if you just don’t like it.
Bring Vintage Decor Outdoors
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Vintage decor isn’t limited to interior design. Add antiques outdoors to showcase your style on a porch or patio.
Here, vintage jars and vases provide a beautiful way to display fresh-cut blooms and stems from the farmers market.
The antique containers are layered on a rustic tiered stool and vintage drop-leaf table, and the height variance encourages the eye to scan the space from the ground up the wall.
Freshly painted antique chairs finish the look and showcase the effectiveness of a limited color palette for a cohesive vignette.
Lead with Antique Wall Art
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Another beginner-friendly way to implement vintage decor in your home is to hang an assortment of antique wall art.
This bathroom is overwhelmingly modern, save for the gilded antique mirror and small framed artwork mounted above the toilet.
Because they’re a similar color palette and patina as the vanity, countertop, and wall paint, the vintage pieces are a seamless fit for the room’s design.
A retro silver sink faucet subtly ties in the wall art for an understated, flawlessly executed space.
Mix Decor Styles
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In addition to mixing old and new pieces, embrace mixing several decor styles.
Part of the art of vintage decor is its eclectic look, and the uniquely cohesive yet mismatched appearance is furthered when you mix vintage decor from different interior principles.
This living room employs midcentury-modern accent chairs, a traditional Chesterfield couch, a French country-style wardrobe topped with gilt-framed art, a modern abstract painting, and more.
The combination of styles is intentional, multi-faceted, and well-balanced—not despite the hodgepodge of interior styles, but because of it.
Vintage Artworks
Vintage artworks in your home decor can add a decent amount of visual interest to your space and enhance it with a feeling of warmth and charm.
Moreover, it could add a sense of sophistication.
Candelabras
Vintage candelabras are elegant and often feature elaborate designs and intricate detailing, making them stunning decorative pieces.
They are versatile pieces that can add a touch of old-world charm and glamour to any space.
A Vintage Cabinet
@cranberrycottage_collectibles
Whether you’re drawn to the charm of a rustic farmhouse cabinet or the elegance of an Art Deco piece, vintage cabinets add character and personality to any space.
They could also store all of your memories.
Reimagine and Repurpose
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If you’ve inherited a vintage piece that feels sentimental but doesn’t quite fit into your home and day-to-day lifestyle, don’t worry.
Thinking outside the box and repurposing these items as storage, a planter, or decor could end up inspiring an evolution of style, like in this hallway designed by House Nine Design Studio where a wooden bucket turned into a storage vessel gives the entire setup a welcoming, rustic farmhouse feel.
Decorate with vintage kitchenware
You might think that kitchenware typically belongs in the kitchen (and it does) but it’s also a form of decor that can lend itself well to neglected surfaces, such as bare walls or empty cabinets and dressers.
There are many ways to turn your kitchenware into decor. Imagine a set of handpainted plates on a dining room wall or a trio of vintage mugs hung above a sink, decorating with vintage kitchenware honors the farmhouse kitchen aesthetic while fulfilling any storage needs.
And it’s not just ceramics that work as decor. Vintage utensils and cookware can make the perfect ornament too.
A collection of copper pans positioned above a stove embraces the traditional, country look, just like a row of vintage glassware on a shelf does.
Transform Doors into a Headboard
Photo via @candlewoodcottage
Say goodbye to modern tufted headboards and hello to worn vintage doors!
Painting old doors the same color as your bedroom furniture will help you get a unique rustic look.
Tie everything together by adding extra vintage bedroom decor like a hutch for storing blankets or an antique chandelier.
Utilize a Vintage Bar Cart
Photo via @thevintagetraderuk
A bar cart is a multi-purpose vintage decor item that’s great for bringing both a chic touch to any room and extra storage for knick-knacks, crystal decanters, or heirloom cocktail shakers.
Turn Suitcases into Tables
Photo via @suolamaella
Have vintage suitcases that you’re not using for travel?
Stack them up and use them as a side table for your living room or nightstand in your bedroom!
You can store any extra knick-knacks in them as well.
Incorporate Multiple Design Styles
Photo via @midcenturytoday
Mid-Century Modern tables and chairs are a perfect way to add some vintage style into minimalist rooms, as the sleek design will help create clean lines while also keeping your space simple and open.