Incorporating Vintage furniture into your decor is a rewarding challenge that can elevate your space and create a charming feel. By blending the character of older pieces with modern design styles, you can create rooms that exude timelessness. At the same time, though, you might also have to take special precautions to avoid making your home look antiquated.

In this guide, we'll explore nine creative ways to skillfully integrate Vintage Furniture into your home without losing your desired aesthetic. Embrace the best of both worlds and breathe fresh life into classic pieces while maintaining a stylish ambiance.

Identifying the uniqueness of your vintage piece

Before knowing how to utilize your vintage furnishings, it's important to identify what makes the piece interesting and the potential it brings to a space. For example, an emerald green, crushed velvet sofa brings a pop of color while a baroque wood bookshelf brings dark tones and curved lines. When you can better understand the distinguishing trait of your piece, you can then place it accordingly.

Creative ways to use vintage furniture

Whether you have a plethora of passed-down pieces or small collected tchotchkes, there are quite a bit of ways to incorporate vintage in your decor without losing whichever aesthetic your inner muse desires.

1. Mix and match styles and eras

It's helpful to lean fully into the blending of eras by combining pieces. Mixing furniture from different time periods creates an eclectic look while helping your unique furniture feel purposeful. Not to mention, this creates a visually interesting look sure to speak to your personality.

2. Use a neutral color palette around the piece

Vintage pieces may create a feeling of a lack of control over the room's feel. To create a sense of stability, utilize a neutral palette. Depending on the vintage piece you're trying to place, this will vary. Neutral wall colors work great with a vintage rug while earth-toned couches complement a vintage accent chair.

3. Contrast vintage curves with modern sharp lines

Vintage furnishings have unique lines that make them, unlike other pieces, whether it's the geometric shapes of the midcentury or the elaborate scrolls and flourishes of baroque pieces. An exciting way to complement the eclectic shapes of vintage furniture is by contrasting them with straight lines. This can be done through shelving, floor lamps and coffee tables, all of which have a streamlined look.

4. Utilize as a statement piece

Embrace the stunning, often overbearing visual a vintage piece creates. This is easily done for larger vintage furniture like a couch, bookshelf or painting that successfully stands alone and sets the tone of the room.

5. Reupholster with modern fabrics

If your vintage furniture is a little too striking for your liking, consider reupholstering or repainting it to look less… vintage. This easily breathes new life into your piece without losing its old-school charm fully.

6. Play with shelving

For those with vintage tchotchkes, furnish bookshelves or floating shelves with these unique accessories. By filling these shelves, you're able to show off your collection without it feeling overwhelming.

7. Layer new pieces with vintage furniture

Layering new pieces with vintage furniture entails juxtaposing the old and the new to achieve a blend. Understanding what your vintage piece brings to the space is crucial so you can then complement it with contemporary elements. Whether your piece brings bright colors or unique textures, this is an easy way to blend your vintage furnishing in.

8. Lean into accent usage

Opt for using your vintage furniture as an accent. Incorporating these unique pieces strategically can create a captivating visual contrast, and give you a story to tell about your piece to guests.

9. Find a style that embraces antique furniture

There are quite a bit of decorating styles and navigating these styles through the various trends is not an easy task. A lot of pre-existing decorating styles embrace and even encourage the use of vintage pieces in focal points and accessorizing.

• Mid-century modern
• Victorian
• Dark academia
• Cottagecore
• Art deco
• Boho
• Rustic farmhouse

These are just a few of the decorating styles that lend themselves to pre-loved pieces. While it's not necessary to limit yourself to any of these styles, it can be a great place to start and even find inspiration for how to use your retro items.

Let the pieces tell their story

The best way to use vintage furnishings is to allow them to tell their story. Embrace the colors, shapes and narratives behind your pieces, even if it feels daunting. When you take a step back and treat your space as a canvas, it's easier to weave together modern elements with the charm of your vintage finds.

Still looking for a place to capture this inspired look? Find your dream canvas of an apartment today!

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