What’s old is new again. These days, there is no shortage of
rustic, shabby-chic décor to be found at any mass-market showroom.
Country-inspired signs to hang on walls, rough-hewn wood furniture, and
ceramic dishes that wouldn’t look out of place in your grandmother’s kitchen
are all suddenly making their way into the mainstream again, found everywhere
from apartments in Brooklyn to the streets of suburbia.
But
how do you make vintage furniture fit into your otherwise modern décor? And
where do you get started if you don’t have any particular style selections
from yesteryear?
Here are a few tips for turning vintage
furniture into modern furniture:
Upcycle,
upcycle, upcycle.
You may be leery of
picking up furniture from the side of the road, but don’t let the threat of
bedbugs stop you! There are plenty of other places you can score furniture
for a steal and turn it into something new again. Hit flea markets and estate
sales to see what you can score. Thrift stores are also good places to seek
out treasure so you can repurpose it.
Once you have your
one-of-a-kind item, make it new again! Sand it down and repaint in a vibrant,
modern shade. Replace old brass or metal knobs with bright, modern pieces in
chrome or glass. Breathe life into a well-loved piece by offering it a
refresher.
Mix textures and
shapes.
Seek out wood, metal, and other
quality textures of the past. Mixing quality vintage pieces with your modern
textures, even plastic, can help make a space seem more
fresh.
If a piece is too heavy or old-fashioned to seem
salvageable, get creative! Mix textures and shapes right on the furniture’s
surface. Old chairs can be reupholstered in modern fabrics, like a deep
leather or cow’s hide print. Added grommets and other tacking to the arms of
chairs or couches can also give an old piece a modern
update.
Even order pieces such as mirrors and chandeliers
can be made to look more modern by adding applique to the frame or swapping
out hanging wire to something that fits your modern
style;
Think outside the
box.
It can be easy to categorize furniture
by room or by purpose. But what if you let all of that go and just thought
about form over function? Sure, you need a place to store your clothing, but
dressers can live a vibrant life in several rooms of your
home!
Many millennial have already inherited quality
furniture from their grandparents.
Refresh the dresser, for
example, with new hardware and drawer lining – or even a coat of paint – and
make it into a buffet for your dining area. It could also serve as a TV
stand, or a changing table in a baby’s room.
Another piece
that is incredibly versatile – a trunk. Something that lived at the foot of
many a bed could also be of service in a living room, guest bedroom, garage,
or even outdoors. Painting a vintage trunk a bright, modern color is one
great way to liven up any space!
Even old-fashioned picture
frames can have décor and anything from feathers to beads added on for a
modern effect that plays off of the piece’s history.
No
matter what vintage piece you find, there is a way to make it
modern!
