If you love vintage farmhouse decor, you can easily work this style into your modern home. By using antiques and vintage pieces, you can add a sense of history and beauty to any home. The modern farmhouse style is all about adding character while keeping things neutral and easy to live with. These tips will help you incorporate antiques in a contemporary way.
Use Antique Cabinets for Storage
You can find antique cabinets at flea markets, garage sales, and antique stores, and these older pieces can offer tons of storage in a contemporary home. For instance, you can use antique china cabinets in any room to store everything from craft supplies to towels and linens. You can also use closed cabinets, such as armoires, to hide your television or store board games.
Reflect History With Antique Mirrors
An antique mirror adds an instant sense of history to any interior. For a farmhouse style, skip the ornate frame and go with something made of wood. Natural materials are an important part of vintage farmhouse decor, and a wooden mirror frame lets you incorporate this element with ease. You can find wood-framed mirrors at antique shops or on classified sites. Don't worry if the finish is worn or the silvering is coming off; a little patina adds to the vintage appeal.
Add History With Vintage Accessories
You can have antique farmhouse decor without investing in a lot of expensive, large pieces. Accessories can also create this look, and they are actually an important part of having a layered interior style. Consider displaying interesting collections, such as a jar of vintage marbles or a stack of rare books. Show off unique antique candle holders and vases too. Anything can make a great display if you place it in a vintage jar or jug. Shop your own home for vintage farmhouse decor ideas to display on a fireplace mantel or buffet.
Try a Vintage Office Chair
If you have a home office, you can give it an antique farmhouse look by using a vintage office chair. You can find them at consignment shops and thrift stores. If you choose one made of wood, it will introduce the natural element needed for a modern farmhouse interior.
Display a Reclaimed Clock
Clocks from old schoolhouses or other industrial buildings can feel right at home in a farmhouse-style interior. You can mount the clock on a wall between two rooms so it can add a vintage touch and serve a practical purpose in multiple spaces. You can find vintage reclaimed clocks at architectural salvage stores, antique shops, and flea markets.
Use Vintage Suitcases for Storage
Vintage suitcases make a great style statement in any interior, and if they are neutral in tone, they are perfect for farmhouse styles. Use them to store everything from board games and extra throw blankets to off-season clothes. You can use them in a living area to store your knitting or sewing too, allowing you to keep your home clutter-free.
Add Extra Seatings With an Antique Rocking Chair
If you want to add an extra seat to your living room or bedroom, an antique rocking chair can be the ideal choice. Whether you choose an upholstered chair or a wooden rocking chair, they don't take up too much space and offer a great place for guests to sit comfortably. You can find these chairs at antique stores and consignment shops.
Hang Antique and Vintage Art
Nothing contributes more to antique farmhouse decor than vintage and antique art. You don't need to pay a fortune for huge or important pieces. You can frame any vintage painting or print you like and get an instant vintage feel. Small antique etchings are a good choice because they are affordable on auction sites and are neutral in color. You can hang small pieces as a grouping to give them more impact.
Mix Eras With Some Mid-Century Furniture
The key to vintage farmhouse decor is not to try to replicate any era but to mix antique and vintage pieces from different periods. Include some mid-century furniture next to your Victorian pieces and modern couch. Mid-century pieces are available at thrift stores and consignment shops, and they can serve as a bridge between older items and modern finishes in your home.
Add a Claw Foot Tub to the Bathroom
You can create a vintage bathroom by adding a clawfoot tub. Stick with the standard white or get creative and paint the exterior of the tub a fun, bright shade. Either way, you can buy vintage-style tubs new or search for resurfaced antique and vintage ones locally. Because of the weight, shipping these tubs is cost prohibitive most of the time.
Use Architectural Antiques to Add History
Architectural antiques, such as moulding and trim from older houses, can give you instant vintage farmhouse decor. Hang stained glass windows from your window frames, use antique cabinet hardware, and incorporate decorative trim as wall art throughout your home. You can also use antique corbels to support shelves or range hoods in your kitchen.
Hang Vintage Sports Equipment for a Sense of Fun
If you have an extra tall wall in your family room or other space, display vintage sporting equipment to give your home a sense of retro fun. Oars from rowboats, old skis and poles, or any other vintage pieces can bring instant appeal and act as a focal point. To maintain the farmhouse style you're after, it's nice to stick to sports equipment made of wood or other natural materials.
Decorate With Old Books
Old books add instant nostalgia to a home. Even if you do most of your reading on an e-reader, antique books are still a beautiful addition. Stack them on a nightstand or end table, arrange them on a bookshelf, or use them anywhere you want to add a library feel to your vintage farmhouse. You can find rare books and antique tomes at speciality shops or antique stores.
Vintage Farmhouse Decor Gives Your Home a Collected Look
Decorating with antiques and vintage finds is a great way to give your home that lived-in, collected look. Shop your local antique store for more vintage farmhouse decor ideas. Almost anything can work if you incorporate it into your home in a thoughtful way.
