BETTER WITH AGE: HOW TO MASTER VINTAGE CHIC STYLE

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If your heart skips a beat at the sight of a well-worn rug and you’d rather surround yourself with treasures from the past than passing fancies from the present, then read on to find out how to create the not-so-shabby, but oh-so-chic look in your home. Creating this style is easy once you decide on the particular brand of vintage you want to cultivate.

What’s Your Kind of Vintage?

Choose a particular vintage aesthetic, or integrate elements of them all.

1. European Flavor – Continental influences (wrought iron, stone statues, planters or china) set the stage evoking the grace of an English garden at teatime.
2. Equestrian Influence – Leather-bound books, boots, and chairs, Persian rugs and silver pieces with an aged patina showcase the elegance of a bygone era.
3. Country Cottage – Whitewashed or cream finishes, gently distressed to create a sense of age, paired with wicker and warm woods inspire a soft and dreamy look that feels comfortable and familiar.

 Mix and Match–A Recipe for Success

Variety is the spice of the vintage-inspired lifestyle. Furnishings in an assortment of tones, textures and materials add interest and a sense of timelessness. Limit your palette to soft pastels and whites and sprinkle rustic elements throughout your decor. Keep in mind, while the vintage-inspired look is weathered and desaturated, the use of a few colorful accent pieces can add a welcome pop of color to your design.

In the bedroom, layered linens are a must; quilts, coverlets, blankets, throws and pillows pile on the style in a simply irresistible way. Choose from an all-white or floral palette for your linens. Lay down a natural sisal rug and complete the look with wrought iron or wicker pieces topped with cushions or old lace.

Add interest in the living room by pairing a rug and a chair in the same color family, but differing patterns.

Or play the same game with a collection of throw pillows across your sofa or loveseat.  

Want to stir it up some excitement in the kitchen? Be inspired to approach seating in a whole new way. Combine chairs, benches and stools around the table and top with cushions and pillows to tie it all together.

 

Feel free to use light, dark and even painted finishes together in your rooms. The eclectic mix of wood tones will add to the cottage appeal of your rooms.

Chandeliers and pendants can be used liberally throughout your space to heighten the feeling of nostalgia. Romance your vignettes by adding soft lighting elements with a vintage vibe.

Rugs that show their age are perfect underfoot and, when used in multiples create lovely conversation nooks within a room. Nothing says faded eleganceas eloquently as a well-worn Persian on the floor. Today, you can find pre-distressed area rugs that look as though they’ve been “in the family” for generations, adding to their vintage charm.

In fact, if you don’t happen to have an attic full of antiques, what could be better than a collection of intentionally curated choices to provide that “flea market find” appeal without all the legwork? Ashley HomeStore’s Vintage Casual Lifestyle reflects the best aspects of cottage farmhouse living with new and trendsetting furnishings and accessories. Click on the SHOP NOW button to browse through our Vintage Casual assortment.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next chapter in our Ashley HomeStore Lifestyle series.