The word “vintage” came to us from the French language, where it meant strong aged wine that had been waiting in wine cellars for decades. Then the concept was transferred to the interior to indicate a style direction where old things were transferred to a modern home. But the vintage style in the interior presupposes not only their presence in the house - the very atmosphere in it has its own specifics.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
Are retro and vintage the same thing?
A vintage item is a truly period item that is at least 30 years old and was fashionable some time ago. Retro is a general concept of style, which is characterized by both antique items and modern, antique-style “remakes”.
Grandma's chest, which once contained her trousseau, is a vintage piece, as is the sideboard in which she kept the service she received as a wedding gift. And an artificially aged table, a crocheted rug, a tablecloth cross-stitched in an old style - this is retro. Vintage uses things that were once fashionable and have become popular again. Retro does not depend on fashion, it simply belongs to its era or depicts it.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
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The main features of the vintage style
Today, vintage interior style refers to the recreation of the furnishings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But we already live in a different century, so things dating back to the middle of the last century can already be considered vintage.
When choosing a vintage style direction for your interior, you need to decide which era is closer to your spirit and what you want to embody in your apartment. Do not forget that all rooms of the home should be decorated in the same style. Ultra-modern or, on the contrary, classic and, even more so, embodied luxury, baroque and other similar styles cannot be combined on the same territory with vintage that breathes antiquity.
Important! The main requirement when decorating an interior in a vintage style is the presence of objects belonging to the era being recreated.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
In fact, vintage in the interior is not a pile of old furniture, yellowed napkins and valances - things “with history” get along quite well with modern ones, and there are no strict requirements here. But there are no random objects here, so this design is created over a long period of time, gradually. You shouldn’t be like Plyushkin and bring into the house all the old things you come across - they should be carefully matched to each other.
It’s not difficult to create a vintage interior - you don’t have to buy antique furniture and household items - your older relatives or friends’ parents will happily give away what is lying idle in attics and garages. Some can be found at flea markets, some can be created with your own hands by artificially aging them.
Main features of a vintage interior:
- a combination of antique and modern items;
- simplicity of the interior;
- some randomness, slight disorder - a blanket carelessly thrown on the sofa, magazines left on the table, a basket of handicrafts;
- a touch of romance;
- floral scenes - on wallpaper, textiles;
- abrasions, barely visible inscriptions on things, as if (or actually) erased by time.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
See alsoSoviet interior
A little history
The vintage style is quite young, it came to us from beautiful and unique France ten years ago and translated from French means “aged wine” .
It all started when the American architect Patrick Willis presented to the public in 2002 an original house consisting of five-walled rooms (or honeycombs), emphasizing the nobility of antique furniture in a modern interior. This vintage style was quickly picked up by the French, which brought it recognition and popularity throughout the world.
This fashionable trend, used for interior decoration, is a harmonious combination of classic and modern style.
The main thing in vintage is antique lampshades and plates, paintings and furniture, thanks to which a quiet and charming atmosphere of antiquity is created.
Modern designers, taking into account fashion trends, create luxurious furniture sets “out of rarity”, using a large assortment of decorative elements.
Vintage is distinguished by the fact that old things take on new life, creating an unforgettable image of sophistication and luxury.
The most suitable option for a vintage-style interior are items produced more than three decades ago.
Remember! When decorating a room in a vintage style, use exclusive and original items rather than ordinary second-hand items.
Features of room design
If you decide to decorate your apartment in vintage style, you will have to give up some fashionable ideas:
- stretch, suspended ceilings;
- laminate;
- ceramic tile;
- plastic windows;
- stone window sills, countertops;
- built-in lighting and similar modern finishing methods.
Filling a room with antiques is not enough. We need to create an appropriate environment for them. Therefore, you need to start with repairs.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
See alsoFrench style in the interior, photo.
Expert recommendations
There are no special rules for decorating rooms in a vintage style. He is characterized by complete freedom of decision-making and avoidance of fantasies.
Vintage style uses natural materials: wood, ceramics, linen, natural fabrics, metal and brass. Stucco stretch ceilings create the perfect image in combination with parquet or ceramic floors, stylish wallpaper, photographs, ancient sculptures, paintings, and decorative pillows.
When creating an atmosphere of vintage style with your own hands using wallpaper rather than furniture sets, you should choose canvases in soft light colors with a floral or contrasting pattern.
Lighting is also important. Vintage light should be warm and soft. An excellent choice would be lampshades and floor lamps, table lamps and crystal chandeliers.
Advice! Do not clutter the room with various old furniture and accessories. The combination you choose should have a sense of proportion and good taste.
Vintage pieces are a great way to combine your love of the past with modern room decor. The popularity of vintage style is growing every year. Vintage furniture is the best way to add a piece of the past to a dull and dull room, giving it a sophisticated and elegant look.
Wall decoration
The best material for wall decoration is wallpaper. They must be paper, with a small or large pattern. Floral, geometric patterns, always contrasting, look good in a vintage interior. You can choose wallpaper in oriental style - Chinese or Japanese: butterflies, twigs, flowers, birds. However, if you plan to saturate the room with many decorative details, it is better to choose plain wallpaper for the walls or simply paint them in one of the pastel colors.
As a finishing option, you can apply a roll-on pattern to painted walls using a rubber roller with a convex pattern: by applying paint to it, you can transfer the pattern to the wall. Stencils can be used for the same purpose.
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Who is retro style intended for?
This style is definitely not a craze. It is very original, bohemian, crazy, it combines many colors, patterns and materials.
This often teeters on the border with kitschy style, but if you want to liven up your home with a retro look using interesting combinations and accessories, then don't limit yourself to your imagination.
Ceiling finishing
It's better to paint the ceiling. Take white water-based paint for it. You can decorate the ceiling with stucco - just don’t use plastic imitations, only plaster rosettes and fillets are appropriate.
Important! Do not try to get rid of all the cracks on the surface of the ceiling and walls. This is vintage, and small unevenness and cracks will only emphasize the stylization, the main thing is that there are not many of them and they are not very deep.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
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How to artificially age objects
It is not uncommon to find an antique item in excellent condition. During her lifetime she got used to it a little, and then she lay in the attic for half a century. This is very good, but not quite suitable for vintage style. History is needed. That is, long-term traces of use and time.
it is also quite acceptable when the product was recently manufactured. There are many craftsmen who make furniture copying the style of a bygone era. In this case, in order for the object to match the vintage trend in the room, it has been aged.
Using special paint, a network of artificial cracks is created on the surface of the object. There are several ways to do this:
- The object is painted using the dry brush technique. With this method, paint is applied only to uneven areas, and the relief is emphasized.
- A coating (patina) is applied, simulating color changes over time.
- A glaze is performed in which the lower colored layer shines through the translucent upper one.
- From time to time a spray is applied to simulate the contamination of the item.
- Vintage style works well for creating a crackle grid on a layer of paint using a special paint.
- Paint the scratches using the shabby chic method.
- Chemical etching of wooden objects is popular.
- Wire brushes are used to highlight the soft layers of wood furniture pieces. This method is called purging.
- Simulates the damage caused by carpenter beetles.
Floor finishing
Laminate is not suitable for finishing the floor; it is better to use parquet or a regular wooden board. They will be the best option for the living room, bedroom, and other living rooms.
You can lay linoleum on the floor, because it has been known since the end of the 19th century, although it was not so popular until the 1980s. It is best used for the kitchen, hallway, and bathroom. You can also use tiles for these rooms.
The choice of materials for decorating a vintage interior will depend on what you decide to focus on, what creates stylization - if furniture, then limit yourself to a calm color scheme for the walls, painting them in pastel colors or covering them with light wallpaper with an unobtrusive pattern. If you want to create a bright environment for your furniture, then you can choose wallpaper with a bright ornament or a pastoral pattern, adding a small number of details to the interior.
Any finishing materials should be artificially aged to give the impression that they have stood the test of time.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
See also Laminate on the wall in the interior: features of application and installation
Features of finishing
The design of a room in the vine style requires attention to finishing work. Taking into account the specifics of the direction, it is necessary to avoid the use of modern finishing materials, technological innovations - dozens of years ago, people knew what LEDs, laminate and natgoyazhnya were. Therefore, they will not find a place in a vintage interior.
The features of room decor in this style are simplicity and character, they are named after these principles and should guide the functioning of the home. In general, the department of excellence involves the use of simple natural materials - wood, stone, bronze. Different types of paints, ceramics or tiles can be used.
Ceiling
Standard white - bleached or tinted. Stucco molding is used for decoration: cornices, rosettes, stucco molding, bas-reliefs.
Walls
The choice of materials for walls is different: most often wallpaper is used for decoration, as is the traditional paper version, so it is more expensive and easier to use. The abundance of sizes will allow you to choose wallpaper to suit any interior. : It could be a beautiful painting of flowers or a beautiful design piece that also has its own style or flair. If you wish, you can simply paint the walls in a suitable shade and separate the lower part with wall panels.
The final choice will depend on the interior theme and the choice of epoxy resin in the spirit of which the decorations were chosen. For example, the original design of the 40s of the last century is shown with more characteristic shades, geometric lines, and the end of the 19th century - ideal Vintage style - interior photo:
Old style presets harmoniously complement each other, creating a unique design
Floor
Oddly enough, it is he who creates the vintage atmosphere. It’s good if the apartment has old parquet - just paint it, repaint it with a protective agent and you can use it. If imitation is needed, look for tiles or laminate with scratches.
Vintage style color palette
Vintage is a romantic style, so the color scheme characteristic of it consists of pastel shades - ash, beige, light pink and light blue, delicate green tones. White, milky colors can be used as the main ones, but against the background of soft warm colors, white, beige, shabby, patina-covered furniture will look harmonious, and the interior itself will be filled with light, warmth and comfort.
Important! The colors should appear faded with time.
Bright color accents can be burgundy, purple, blue. Brown and green colors are more often used in textiles. Decorative elements such as napkins, tablecloths, bedspreads are often chosen white or the color of unbleached linen.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
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Furniture that bears the stamp of time
Correct, harmonious vintage style is the obligatory presence of real antique, retro furniture against the background of antique-style walls. Suitable for interior:
- tall wardrobes;
- buffets with slightly peeling paint and scuffs;
- forged furniture;
- chests of drawers covered with patina;
- low coffee tables with copper frames and large wooden tables;
- whatnots, carved shelves.
If the furniture is wooden, it may have traces of cracked varnish, and painted surfaces may have cracks in the paint or abrasions.
Important! Do not create a “junk shop” from the room - everything should be in moderation, although you should not combine ultra-modern and antique furniture in the same room.
There should be harmony in everything: in the bedroom, a wooden chest of drawers with a cracked front will complement a wrought-iron bed covered with a lace bedspread; lay a knitted “grandmother’s” round rug on the floor. In the living room you can put a round table with a white tablecloth, and a simple vase of flowers on it. A cuckoo clock on the wall and black and white photographs on the shelf complete the styling.
Vintage style in apartment interior design
Room interior in vintage style
Modern apartment design in vintage style
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Why designs from the 50s, 60s and 70s are so interesting
The main reason is probably that it was the post-war period, which was characterized by euphoria, fresh ideas, the emergence of young designers and new artistic movements. Of course, all these innovations did not even make it through the interior design.
During these years, new materials, shapes and colors, as well as distinctive patterns, were used.
Typical retro style of the 50s and 60s
In this design direction, the distinctive features of the interior are:
- rounded shapes of devices with chrome elements;
- lamps of various shapes;
- curtains and blinds instead of curtains;
- glossy leatherette on square furniture;
- combination of wood and chrome on furniture;
- bold colors and geometric patterns on fabrics;
- posters printed instead of classic paintings and much more.
Typical retro style of the 70s
The 70s trend is characterized by designs that combine symmetry, compactness and slim shapes:
- small plastic furniture;
- hanging chairs;
- various side tables;
- furniture made of white and colored laminate;
- open shelves;
- modular sofas, corner sofas and much more.
Features of vintage room decor
To complete the stylization, you need to select lamps, textiles and other objects that fill the space in the same style.
Lamps in such a room can be either as simple as possible, having strict geometric shapes, or complex, with numerous details, volumetric compositions:
- chandeliers with shades made of thick glass, an abundance of screws, brackets, and metal parts. They are attached to the ceiling using a strong chain;
- lamps with wooden shades;
- floor lamps with large lampshades;
- handmade designer lamps - made of metal, wood. Their shape can be different: in the form of an old kerosene lamp, a dome-shaped cage.
Important! Both lamps and other decorative items should correspond to the era that you are stylizing.
That is why an antique copper samovar, a cast iron iron, a sewing machine from the Singer factory, as well as a Soviet-era fan chandelier and an abundance of glass and crystal in a lacquered sideboard may be appropriate here.
Vintage style in the interior of the room
Apartment design in vintage style
The following can complement the interior of a living room in a vintage style:
- floor or wall cuckoo clock;
- a mirror in a carved frame - if you find an old one with black spots on the amalgam - it will be perfect;
- black and white photographs on the wall or on a closet shelf;
- carpet on the floor (the same as they used to hang on the walls);
- gramophone or reel-to-reel tape recorder - depending on the period that is embodied in your room.
On the walls of the bedroom and hallway, decorated in the spirit of the 50-60s of the last century, posters, posters, theater posters of that time can be placed, there is also a place for a forged or wooden shelf, dressing table. Place a floor lamp on a high leg with a fabric lampshade next to the bed.
Creating a vintage interior in a modern apartment is exciting and interesting. Decoration will not take much time and will not require significant expenses, but you and your friends and family will have the opportunity to plunge into past eras and take a break from the reactive rhythm of modern life.
See also: We create a practical, stylish design for a studio apartment of 25 sq. m. m.
Lighting options
During the birth of the style, artificial lighting was just entering homes. The light was dim, incandescent lamps alternated with candles, so the overall picture could be called dark.
If the goal is full compliance, focus on a soft, warm and diffused glow. No white spotlights.
Chandeliers come either with printed fabric shades or chic wrought iron ones with “cup holders” reminiscent of candelabra. One point per room will definitely not be enough, so add a floor (floor lamp with ruffles), a table or a wall (sconce on a candelabra) to the ceiling lighting.
