June 20, 2007

Vintage Inspiration for Your Home

Does your home need a little inspiration? Here are some ideas for every room of the house, all tied together by the blue-green shades that I love.
What could be more welcoming than a beautiful entryway? This not-to-be-overlooked part of any dwelling is the first chance your home has to impress your guests. This front hall was spiced up with a fantastic abstract mural the homeowner painted herself. If you do not possess the artistic skill for such a mural, why not let a boldly printed wallpaper stand in? You can afford to be especially daring if you administer wildness in small doses.


Don't have a high-ceiling, midcentury architectural masterpiece for a living room? Neither do I, Dollfaces, but we can all take a cue from its clean lines and cool color scheme which really pops against the warm wood paneling and sleek fireplace. The lesson here is edit, edit, edit, something at which I'm not very adept.


This showstopper of a dining room with its suddenly new again blue and brown palette would bowl over even the most finicky dinner guest. See how cleverly the brass fish sculptures on the table reflect the design of the hooked rug wall hanging? An art piece can become the jumping off point for a room's color scheme or theme. Alternately, the right painting, photograph or wall hanging can tie together dissimilar elements and make mismatched furniture or accessories seem deliberate, which can be of great benefit when attempting to unite several one of a kind vintage finds.


This white kitchen with aqua and yellow pops of color is a marvelous example of how redecorating needn't be a costly, long term commitment. By keeping the background neutral, you are free to explore your current tastes and color whims through affordable accessories and small splashes of paint. When you finally move past your robin's egg and daffodil phase, your lovely kitchen will be a cinch to makeover. Lime and lipstick red, anyone?


Towels and curtains are a simple way to add colorful accents in an all white bathroom, useful for those of us who rent. Touches of black in furniture or accessories are my favorite way to "ground" a room. I'm a firm believer that if you add enough black, any mismatched jumble looks purposeful!


Children deserve a special place to call their own, and what youngster wouldn't love to spend time in this sunny little nook under the eaves? Decorate according to their interests, such as in this attic bedroom for a young aviation enthusiast. Even in a shared bedroom, each child needs a corner dedicated to his or her own taste.


Many of us would be thrilled to own the gorgeous blond wood furniture in this master bedroom, but if the price tag is beyond your reach, something akin to this nearly built-in look can be achieved, even with disparate pieces. Why not paint those garage sale dressers, night stands and bookshelves one unifying color and rearrange and stack to your heart's content? Push two low dressers together, top one with a set of second hand shelves, add a mirror to the wall, and you have yourself a custom vanity slash storage unit. If you or a friend are handy with tools, a long headboard with two shelves for reading lamps would be a simple weekend project.


Decorating inspiration can come from anywhere. Keep your eyes peeled for color schemes in nature, vintage fabrics, artwork, even an odd assortment of objects in a flea market booth. Look at the set design of your favorite old movies or classic television shows. Don't be timid! Do jump into decorating your living space with both feet. If it doesn't work, change it. Think of your home as an ever-evolving work of art and representation of you, but never alter your tastes to suit what's in style. In beauty, fashion and home decoration, let your true self shine.

All pictures are from Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Ideas, copyright 1960.

1 comment:

jungle dream pagoda said...

Editing is my issue too! I am in the midst of a big purge,we are prepping my amazing home to sell(kinda a big WAH on that,but we are popping at the seams over here.),actually there is a house we are planning on looking at this weekend with a fireplace like that 2nd photo!