The vintage style, like retro or antique styles, is not a single style, but perhaps an experience of an era.
Some argue that retro is what has gone out of fashion in the last 20 years. What is older than that but not older than 100 years, or at least newer than 1900, is vintage, and what is even older is antique. According to these definitions, the content of these categories should constantly change over time. That is, what is now retro includes our items from after the year 2000. And then vintage is what came before that. So, as time passes, retro eventually becomes vintage, and if we forget to update our vintage interior, will it become antique? If I created a retro interior design in 2005 inspired by the 1980s, is my style definition wrong because it’s now considered vintage? – No way! I refuse to accept that – for me, it will always remain retro.
Another perspective is that only original items that are at least 20 years old can be called vintage. They say that retro is a modern thing, copying a bygone fashion, and you don’t buy the original now but a reproduction that just looks like the older one. In contrast, vintage can only be something original from that time, meaning it’s also structurally original. However, some narrow down the period and say vintage can be from 1920 to 1980. So, if you have a 1960s-looking radio that is original and uses radio tubes, it’s vintage. But if it just looks like that and is a modern manufacture with a hidden CD tray or USB port, it’s only retro-looking. Similarly, we can buy retro-looking stoves or refrigerators, and even if their design is from the 1950s or 1960s, we can’t call them vintage because they hide modern technology inside.
This is a more understandable approach for me, but the vintage umbrella term still bothers me.
This is not a style; it’s a style kaleidoscope of an era. This era can include, for example, late Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Bauhaus with its still-influential tubular or wooden framed lightweight furniture, and even the small apartments’ favorites, the folding, expanding, and stackable furniture. But since I mentioned tubular frames, our stronger industrial-style items can also be categorized here. At the same time, in the era of functionalist tubular furniture, we have the soft, feminine egg chair shapes, the reimagined – formerly antique – wing chairs. This interwar period is labeled the classic modernism style. Overall, it was based on geometric patterns and simple forms, rejecting – as unnecessary – small and non-functional decorations. The characteristics of earlier styles’ decorations were replaced by interesting combinations of materials and textures typical of this era.
The post-WWII style, known as mid-century modernism, marked the beginning of mass production. Materials like glass, plywood, veneer, fiberboard, chrome-plated steel, and leather became very popular. Functionality also strengthened, becoming the primary characteristic of the style. All these elements mixed with the still-favored Scandinavian style, giving this modernism a naturally softer form.
In contrast, when people think of vintage, the following types of images come to mind:
That is, we should not forget the so-called country styles either. From this style kaleidoscope spanning at least 60 years, you can create truly appealing and harmonious interiors. Moreover, many skilled interior designers can select elements in such a way that the final result provides an additional experience. However, calling this combination the vintage style is quite interesting because it results in many different forms.
The above images were created by DALL-E. If you observe the details in the images, you will surely notice that artificial intelligence struggles with the number and logical placement of furniture legs. 🙂 Nonetheless, I believe these images successfully convey what I intended to say. Below, you will only find images of real interior design items.
We cannot leave out (though I would prefer to), the postmodern style from the mid-1960s, which theoretically encompasses everything that developed after modernism. Originally, postmodernism was a counter-response to the modernist concept. Postmodern furnishings depict an inverted world compared to earlier styles. This is a parody of previous styles, where nothing is as it seems – shock value is more important than usability. It’s a disturbing, overly colorful world with broken lines and asymmetry – period. Highlighting the essential element of vintage, that is, promoting timeless tranquility – the shocking and disturbing world of postmodernism is completely contrary to this. Regardless of the era, it has no place in vintage.
Interior designers aim to blend harmonizing elements of this encompassing style world into an eclectic vintage style. According to my perspective, this results in:
In vintage interior design, we select pieces from the furniture and other decorative elements of past decades that strive to build harmony – aiming to create a timeless, nostalgic atmosphere.
Regarding furniture, vintage style includes restored, refurbished pieces which can be made entirely of wood, or a combination of wood, metal, and leather, industrially processed wood (veneer, plywood), and turned wood (chair, table, and cabinet legs). The furniture shapes are generally simple, with either angular or curved lines. Their elegance comes from this line design rather than embellishments (which are avoided). They are airy, almost always standing on visible legs, and the legs have a thin character to enhance the sense of airiness – almost floating. I must emphasize that I accept that a true vintage piece of furniture is original, around 40-100 years old. But in a vintage-styled home, considering the overall interior, it is entirely secondary whether the furniture is 50 years old or was manufactured last month. The key is that it harmonizes with the room’s style and other furnishings, achieving the intended overall look.
The role of colors: The vintage style color palette is more charming, cheerful, and fresh, but not gaudy. Typical colors include pastel shades like powder pink, light blue, mint green, and yellow. Earth tones like beige, brown, and gray are also common, especially if we want to reference the first half of the last century with the interior.
Textiles: Natural materials such as cotton, linen, and silk are often used in vintage-style interior design. Delicate floral patterns are also common, seemingly contradicting the strongly functionalist nature of modernist furniture usage, as smaller decorative items often incorporate lace and other embellished textiles to evoke a timeless atmosphere.
In vintage interior design, it is characteristic to use older (or older-looking – antique) items and accessories. These can include old pictures, mirror frames, crystal chandeliers, porcelain items (knick-knacks), or old books. Silver or bronze-colored decorations such as vases, candlesticks, and clocks can also be beautiful additions.
And when you feel everything has come together as a whole, you might start wondering why most modern vintage interiors seem so feminine?
Lots of white and pink, many soft characteristics, plush, tufted upholsteries?
The modernism typical of the era is more masculine. In contrast, we can say that the softening effect of rustic styles is evident in the popular vintage style trend. This results in softer lines, refinement, almost gentleness – a feminine character. This is partly supported by rustic styles. An English country style and the Victorian style, which theoretically ended at the turn of the century (1901) but obviously filtered through. The slower fashion followers of rural lifestyles prefer a simpler (influenced by the 19th-century industrial revolution in furniture manufacturing), but conservative furniture form.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, pieces preceding vintage should be called antique – hence, versions resembling antique furniture can be included in vintage. Some opinion leaders go as far as to call everything vintage during the big vintage craze, be it a Chesterfield sofa or a baroque piece. That doesn’t fit for me. I accept vintage to the extent that it can have a delicate, curved world, can be pink, can be velvet, and a larger upholstered surface has to be handled somehow, so it can be quilted or tufted, but not in Chesterfield style. The boundary in the feminine direction for me is the luxury, refinement, and elegant play of Art Deco, as well as the botanical motifs from Art Nouveau, the Scandinavian form world, and simplified conservative furniture forms in rustic style.
Overall, it is a special blend of past-century styles. Therefore, the vintage style recalls styles from the last century, such as extravagant, premium-material, yet functionalist and less ornate furniture from Art Deco, and natural botanical motifs from Art Nouveau, which I envision more in wallpaper patterns or drapery applied in vintage. Rustic styles can appear in furniture forms or smaller decorative objects, while classic and mid-century modernism and retro represent a kind of furniture evolution embodying functionalist Bauhaus, airiness, lightness, and modern material use.
The atmosphere of vintage interior design aims to create a pleasant, nostalgic, and warm ambiance. This mood is achieved through the timeless design harmony of furniture and accessories.
So, overall, the vintage style blends design elements from 60-80 years of different styles (a style evolution), creating a unique and distinctive style. Yet, I am convinced that two interiors can be arranged that appear to have nothing in common, even though, based on the above, both comply with vintage style. If you look closely at the furnishings, it may even happen that the items are in stark contrast with each other. This apparent contradiction, even if not to such an extent, is tolerated by almost every style direction, and sometimes even requires some out-of-place pieces of varying sizes. This is the essence of eclecticism, and perhaps it can be stated that without eclecticism, interior design would not be as interesting as a creative activity.
If we look around various online stores and search for their vintage product offerings, we notice two things:
- Firstly, despite professional musings, it is completely understandable that we find new products. Of course, we are not searching at a second-hand dealer or flea market. Thus, the notion that only the original is vintage should be completely forgotten.
- Secondly, the listed products often interpret the already diverse styles characteristic of vintage even more broadly. We can experience that some online stores mix country/rustic or antique styles, or classify a high-tech style item as vintage simply because it is labeled art deco, to a confusing degree. Despite all this, with a clever approach, complete vintage interiors can be selected.
The vintage interior design style embodies timelessness, nostalgia, and elegance, creating a unique atmosphere in the home. Encompassing the influence of nearly 100 years, mostly with modernist furniture, the combination of characterful textiles and decorative elements from bygone times makes this style particularly appealing to those who love time-tested designs and the charm of the past.
Vintage = 100% eclecticism.