Debutante Clothing :: A vintage clothing and fashion blog for unconventional style where vintage and runway meet.

I started collecting vintage housewares and furniture way before I moved out of my parents' house. One time I came home with some rattan end tables and my mom furiously wondered where I thought I was going to keep them. I think I was experiencing more of a sense of saving these thrift store finds rather than actually having a design eye. I just bought what I felt was interesting and useful.

Fast forward, and now I am pleased when friends come over for dinner parties or cocktails and they praise my little home.

One of my favorite bloggers, Mademoiselle Robot, was featured in The Independent newspaper for her creative home decor. That girl can mix eras and textures like a pro. She even went as far as giving some decorating tips for people interested in this aesthetic.

I was so inspired by her blog post that I wanted to share some of my favorite thrifted and discount items. Just like my wardrobe, I never do top to bottom vintage. It's more pleasing to the eye to mix and match.

5 Tips for Decorating with Vintage

1. Buy what you love.
   

Your home should be pleasing to your eye. You have to live there. If you don't love your decor, you will not feel comfortable in your own home. If you love that moose head, use it!

2. Don't be afraid to mix wood tones.
   

The 1957 Better Homes and Gardens decorating book reminds us that wood is a color. This doesn't just apply to vintage, but vintage furniture that was meant to last was made of wood. Check for tones in the wood grain that may be complimentary to one another.


3. Be patient. Shop often.
   

My furniture did not come home with me in one weekend. That's one of the luxuries of buying new - you can get a catalog looking living room in one shopping trip.  But in order to achieve decor with character, you may have to be patient for the right piece to come along. Check your local thrift store, flea market, and even Ebay, often.


4. Mix it up.
   

True design comes from mixing unexpected elements, colors, and textures. With vintage furniture, you run the risk of looking like you live in a time warp - same goes for vintage clothing.  Don't be afraid to mix decades, vintage and modern, and shapes.  I tied the straight and rounded lines of my dining room together with a really inexpensive ceiling lamp at IKEA - it has a straight wooden base with rounded white plastic light shades - a perfect blend of both lines in the room.

5. Don't be afraid to re-purpose.
   

The goal of decorating with vintage is two fold - owning quality constructed pieces and creating a one of a kind look.  If you happen to find a fabulous dresser, but have no room or need for one, try re-purposing it as a storage credenza in the living room.  Or use a telephone stand as a holder for remote controls.  We re-purposed a wardrobe cabinet as a TV cabinet.  My husband just sawed out the inner drawers and we use the lower drawers for media storage. It would be a shame to leave a beautiful piece of furniture or accessory behind simply because you have no use for it  in it's current purpose - get creative.