8 Decorating Tips To Help You Achieve THE Vintage-themed Home

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The charms of an old-school home never go out of style. Precisely why new homeowners, sometimes modernists too, do everything they can to recreate the warmth and beauty of a vintage or antique-looking house. Turns out the effort to do so can be cut by half all by following this guide on how to set up a vintage home. Here we break down this distinct aesthetic, how to showcase valuable finds or rather how to replicate it with similar or cheaper products and still add soul to your home. Old-fashioned but not drab or boring is the end result we're going for - bookmark and join us already, won't you?

Paint Transforms Heaps

You've heard this multiple times and probably already know the wonders of a simple coat of paint. But before you go changing the walls to look more muted/rich/vintagy - pick a theme or an era - think Victorian, colonial (we have a cool list), 50s or 80s, antique farmhouse or arts and crafts and use that as a stencil or starting point. Another great tip is to mix colours (we mean different colours for different rooms/walls) to date your home without making it look sad. Think a mix of deep berries, olives, greys, charcoals, mustard, mauves, forest green, navy, pink. Chalked paints, aged glazes, rust-oleum or antique finish paints are available and highly recommended too. Also suggested is to achieve a weathered look using paint. So, rather than a flat, or smooth wall that looks too new, opt for thinned paint to coat walls or lime wash paint. This adds texture, movement and character to your walls, all you want to capture vintage. Okay with spending a little more money? Swap out paint wherever you can for antique-inspired wallpaper that's easy to remove. Doesn't get more old school than this. Head here for brands that sell cool wallpaper.

Colour Schemes That Don't Scream

Pick a muted colour scheme (some intentional exceptions are okay) because with an antique aesthetic home you want the colours to blend in rather than stand out. Try to complement or contrast with the colours of the walls as much as possible - we think earthy tones go well with pretty much anything and achieve that vintage look effortlessly. Check out our list of earthy themed decor and furnishings covering all bases - home accents, rugs, wall art, linen, decor, crockery and more. Another easy way would be to head to LBB's Home & Kitchen section, browse categories and sort by earthy/muted colours. Easy! Don't forget to match the furniture, cabins, and ceilings too. Make things interesting by pairing together different shades of one colour. It's a great delicate layering technique in our books. Likewise, try to repeat colours too to create a sense of balance. Picture a painting matching the colour of the furniture or curtains matching the flooring.

Brands to check out: House This, Saphed, Opaque Studio, Tattva Handmade

Mixing & Matching Saves Time & Money

Mismatched design is a vintage home's standout and common feature, running through all areas. This also saves you time and money because you don't have to wait to buy from the same brand or stick to only expensive vintage or antique decor pieces. The smart thing to do is gradually add different kinds of vintage furniture and antique collectibles from different eras. A little bit of quirk, some classic, or edge - all of this will build up to a cool result. Do the exact same with patterns, especially if you want to spice up a corner in a sea of neutral. Avoid going crazy though, mix and match but try and keep things cohesive, overall. All of this will let you achieve that lived-look without it looking too forced. 

Brands to check out: Pixie Magick, Picket Fence, The Vintage Feel, The Antique Loft, Blue Trunk

Distressed Or Not, Wood Is Good

Nothing like dark wood to turn up the dark, mysterious nature of a vintage or antique home a few notches. We're smitten by Temple Town's recreation of sophisticated antique furniture - chairs, bedside tables, antique canopy beds, dressing tables, and bureaus inspired bygone eras. What helps achieve this? Grand teakwood of course. Similarly, distressed wood is a big winner too. We're loving Yatha on LBB for all things vintage and distressed in photo frames. Try incorporating wooden wall decor, small coffee tables or serving trays, vases, and wooden crockery too. If you want to push the boundaries, especially here in India, try all-wood flooring, it will set your vintage home apart. If vintage/antique wood decor/furniture is hard to find or too expensive, do not settle for low-quality plastics and synthetic blends, instead look to other natural materials like rattan, bamboo, or cane. They add a timeless appeal much as wood does.

Brands to check out: Hollyhock, The Green Collective, Studio Indigene, Bamboopecker, Asama, DoorToHome 

Pick Vintage Even When It Isn't

We get that vintage or antique decor is expensive, which is why you don't really have to force yourself into buying collectibles or souvenirs. Stick to decor or home accents that only look the part or get creative, instead. Use books as antique wall decor or use pages from them and frame them in the wooden frames above or turn old doors into vintage headboards that are rustic and charming, we've seen IG handles use thrown away ladders in their bathrooms or bedrooms for interesting decor or stack up old not-in-use suitcases as side tables. Can't DIY? No stress! Shop for this antique-vibe oval mirror in a wooden frame, or this vintage wooden telephone, embossed antique plate, mandala clock, and more. By more, we mean great pro tip - search for vintage or antique on LBB and sort by Home & Kitchen.

Brands to check out: Color Palette, Vintage Vistara, VintageCrafts, The 7 Dekor, Meera, Amoliconcepts

Find a more curated list of vintage + antique type decor and accents here.

Textures Tie It Together

To unlock old-world warmth on all levels, go ham with textures.  Also, it's so easy when you have LBB's catalogue of rugs & carpets, throws, tapestries, and curtains or home linen. We've cherry-picked this suta-macrame bunting wall decor, boho-style woven cushion, fringed hem throw, kalgi cushion cover, and black kunbi wall art for interesting textures and styles. The piéce de résistance though is this ceylon natural hairon leather rug paired with this woolen textures hand-tufted carpet. Introduce textures by placing knitted taupes like this ivory and charcoal one in textured storage baskets like this water hyacinth storage basket or these bongo baskets. Throw in a couple of knitted stools too. The idea is to layer textures, so don't be afraid to do so. Mix antique and vintage decor textures like a Persian rug (pro tip says to pick a rug/carpet that holds all furniture for whatever space you're buying it) with neutral fur rugs or place velvet or silk pillows on leather furniture. Just keep in mind the points discussed above (colour schemes and mix and matching) before and while picking out textured elements.

Brands to check out: The Artsy Barrel, Sashaa World, Dazzhome, The Velvet Box

Bedazzle With Chandeliers & Lights

One brand on LBB that nails vintage lighting is Fos Lighting. The rustic sconces here can add pizzazz and character to any room. We can't stop staring at this ivory half shade wall sconce, this antique brass finish double wall light, and this black aluminum outdoor wall light. Lampshades like this antelope print number or this liberty table lamp and lavish chandeliers from online brands like Lamp Crafts infuse an old-world charm to any home, instantly too. Repurposed lamps like those from Wasted are cool too, especially since they also double as cool table decor. Stay away from generic light fixtures, instead find pieces that fit your vibe whether royal palace or farmhouse cottage.

For some cottage charm, check out this cottagecore trend guide.

Extra Tips To Make Things Extra

There's so much more you can do to complete and nail the antique/vintage home trend in the head. Display expensive paintings or create a wall only with painting or old-school wall plates (Vintage Vistara). Replace modern hardware with antique finish wall hooks or doorknobs (Color Palette, Picket Fence). Bring the outdoors in with natural ceramic or jute/cane planters and plants, of course. Pick specific corners and maximise rather than try and make every place vintage in appearance. Most importantly, have fun with this project!