5 Ways to Bring Vintage Style into Your Home

Create a collected look that harkens to the past with these expert designer tips
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In this San Francisco home, Heather Peterson used vintage items of a similar era (1970s) and material. The tambour screen in the family room joins objects in other rooms to play against the more formal moldings.
In this San Francisco home, Heather Peterson used vintage items of a similar era (1970s) and material. The tambour screen in the family room joins objects in other rooms to play against the more formal moldings.

Josh Grubbs

Many homeowners are leaving minimalism in the past and embracing a lived in, collected look—for spaces that reveal more personality and character. For many, some of the best inspiration for their interiors comes not from current trends but from bygone eras. Vintage items and antiques are frequently one of a kind and can add a layer of storytelling to your home.

“There is a desire for authenticity,” says Heather Peterson, principal designer at Heather Peterson Design, who regularly partners with clients to help them identify their style, and search for vintage items, specializing in creating thoughtful, collected, and immersive spaces rooted in personality.

But achieving a layered, vintage look that feels refined and cohesive—rather than tacky—can be trickier than browsing through a few shops. Here, Peterson shares some of her top tips to help you bring vintage style into your home.

Identify an Era

The home design industry is like the fashion industry—different styles are reflective of different eras. There’s the bold decadence of art deco; the sleek functionality of mid-century modern; and so on. Before you design a space, it might be helpful to ask yourself, “What era do I identify with?”

“One way that that I think you can start to get your head around that is to go to local vintage shops because they tend to have a point of view,” recommends Peterson. “Go and check out different shops, and you’ll start to see which ones you gravitate to …  you can’t choose wrong if you just choose something that speaks to you.”

[Related: Vintage Items Bring Heirloom Energy to This New Cabin]

Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Vintage and Contemporary

When considering adding vintage style to your spaces, Heather Peterson recommends pairing something with its opposite to call attention to the qualities of both. "I particularly love the pairing in the entry, where a square and heavy armoire is paired with a curved and ethereal ghost chair," she says of one of her projects.
When considering adding vintage style to your spaces, Heather Peterson recommends pairing something with its opposite to call attention to the qualities of both. “I particularly love the pairing in the entry, where a square and heavy armoire is paired with a curved and ethereal ghost chair,” she says of one of her projects.

Josh Grubbs

A common misconception? You have to go all-in on a vintage theme. Peterson notes that there is beauty in the past mingling with the present.

“If you put something very modern next to something very antique, you notice the modernness and the antiqueness of each one,” she says. “And I think that sort of counterpoint is both what people are a little bit scared of and feel like they can get wrong—but it’s also where the magic lies.”

An example would be styling modern chairs around an antique dining table. Or maybe think in systems: all the rugs or all the lighting are vintage.

“You don’t need to have focal points all over the place,” Peterson adds. “Choose a focal point and let other things be auxiliary.”

Embrace the Hunt

Themes of flora, fauna, and, landscapes run through vintage objects Heather Peterson collected for more than a year for a cabin project.
Themes of flora, fauna, and, landscapes run through vintage objects Heather Peterson collected for more than a year for a cabin project.

Josh Grubbs

Creating a vintage look requires patience, but to Peterson, part of the joy is in the hunt. When you find an item or motif you like, find something you love and slowly start to build a collection of similar items. “Leave space to find it and give yourself time rather than feeling like you’re going to go out and find it on the first pass,” says Peterson.

For one client, Peterson collected items for more than a year to furnish a vacation home. Other clients have found fun, quirky decor they love along the way, like paintings, fabrics, and other items featuring rabbits or roosters that became central to the identity of their home. “Just find something that takes hold … and when other people see it, they want to get it for you,” says Peterson.

Additionally, if you’re hunting for larger items like furniture, make sure you’re prepared to buy on the spot.  Peterson recommends that you “have the dimensions [of the room] with you so you’re ready. Vintage is one of a kind and when it sells, it’s gone.”

Rethink How Pieces Can Be Used

In this 1940s Colonial home in Edina, the table in the dining room that now serves as a bar was previously underutilized in a corner of the bedroom.
In this 1940s Colonial home in Edina, the table in the dining room that now serves as a bar was previously underutilized in a corner of the bedroom. Now, “it has pride of place and serves a more dedicated function as a bar,” Heather Peterson says.

Scott Amundson

Some homeowners must search for antiques, while others may have heirloom family items or have collected various furnishings over time already. If you fall in the latter categories, when redesigning a space, Peterson encourages you to think of using existing furnishings in different ways.

“We had a client who had this really great little carved wood table that was in the corner of their bedroom … [and we asked] how do we repurpose this?” They ended up repurposing the table as a bar cart in the dining room. “I think people should give themselves permission to use things differently than their original intent.”

Practical Tips: Colors and Palettes

Another way you can emulate the spirit of a different time period in your home is with color. Peterson suggests muddier shades with brown undertones or colors that feel mellow. Some eras, she notes, are known for distinctive hues, and you might be able to leverage a pre-made palette to guide your project.

“We were working on a project where the couple was really into mid-century, but their house wasn’t mid-century at all. Both Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore had done paint palettes for mid-century as an era, and we ended up letting that guide our palette, not in paint necessarily, but in fabrics,” she explains. “Inheriting a framework like that can be really helpful.

“I love the ‘70s in design and the ‘70s was a lot of like brown and gold and avocado green—that’s totally my palette. So, it can give you an organizing principle.”

Shop Like an Expert: A Guide to Twin Cities Vintage

The brass chandelier in this Edina dining room was originally spotted through the window at Clarabel Vintage on a day the shop was closed.
The brass chandelier in this Edina dining room was originally spotted through the window at Clarabel Vintage on a day the shop was closed. “It sports sunflowers and I have never seen one like it,” Heather Peterson says.

Scott Amundson

Ready to start your collecting journey for your next home project? Peterson shared some of her favorite vintage and antique retailers in the Twin Cities metro area:

If you like mid-century modern:

If you like older eras and antiques:

  • Loft Antiques, Minneapolis: Three-levels of early- to mid-century antique furniture, decor, fabrics, linens, and other items
  • Clarabel Vintage, Minneapolis: Eclectic antique and vintage finds
  • A Rare Bird Antiques, Minneapolis: Antique shop filled with curious goods
  • H&B Gallery, Minneapolis: Art, antiques, and household goods
  • Andie Collective, Minneapolis: An assortment of furniture, art, and other unique furnishings
  • J. Atelier, Minneapolis: Two locations in the metro featuring unique home finds from around the world
  • Victory, Minneapolis: New and vintage goods, gifts, jewelry, home decor, candles, rugs, furniture, and more in a cozy Linden Hills shop

Pro tip: Don’t miss a day trip to Stillwater to shop on Main Street, where a variety of antique shops await.

Discover Instagram sellers:

  • TOPE Studio: Thrifted vintage and modern items, including clothing and housewares, with an emphasis on natural materials
  • MSP Vintage: Unique finds from various eras
  • Elyon Gallery: Furniture, lighting, art, and other objects
  • I’m Staying Home: Art and design
  • Spacial Ligature: Modern furniture, art, lighting, and other objects from various eras

Read this next: A Timeless Redesign by Heather Peterson Design


 


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