How To Add A Vintage Look To Your Apartment

By Danielle Wirsansky on February 7, 2016

Everyone has their own unique style, but one style that’s particularly popular at present is vintage.

Things that look vintage or are actually vintage, that’s up to you. Styling your apartment to add a vintage look to it can be pretty easy or hard depending on how much work you want to put into creating this look.

Read on to find out how to add a vintage look to your apartment.

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Upcycle

Upcycling is the process of converting old or discarded materials into something useful and often beautiful. A big part of adding a vintage look to your apartment has to do with using actual vintage items.

But many items in good working condition are either obsolete (you might have a new version that works a whole lot better) or are way, way too expensive. So a great idea is to find vintage items that you can upcycle in creative ways to make them more useful for you.

A few examples include taking pallets, staining them, and turning them into shelves; making interesting candles from funnels; and taking teacups and turning them into soap holders.

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Distress Paint the Furniture

Help to give the furniture in your apartment an authentic vintage look by distressing it. Almost any (especially wood) pieces of furniture can be given a new lease on life with a shabby chic makeover.

There are a lot of easy and great paint techniques you can try. I recommend you try the method suggested by Better Homes and Gardens. You can add color to otherwise dull pieces and make the color accent or pop wherever you end up placing it.

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Trade Out Your Hooks, Handles, and Knobs

Instead of using the boring, everyday hooks, handles, and knobs that your furniture comes with, trade them out for something a little more interesting. I recommend sticking with metallic colors, like silver, gold, and brass to continue that vintage feel. And don’t worry about matching them — find an eclectic mix that appeal to you.

The hodge podge will be artistic and vintage. These can easily be found at garage sales and off of other furniture that can no longer be salvaged. Or you can simply go to your home supply store like Lowes and Home Depot and pick a couple out!

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Hang Lace Curtains

Lace fabric is beautiful, light, and somehow vintage and timeless at the same time. Lace curtains will be airy in the summer and help to diffuse light in the winter. They can be short or long, whatever you prefer.

You can find already made lace curtains or you can go purchase vintage lace fabric from a vintage shop or place like that in order to make your own if you have the skill. These curtains can either be a statement piece in the room or add an understated elegance.

And lace curtains do not have to be limited to the bathroom — you can use them as bed curtains, shower curtains, and more!

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Floral Patterns

Floral patterns are a throwback to older, simpler, and more elegant times. A nice way to make your apartment softer and more vintage feeling is simply by adding floral prints.

Focus on finding prints that appeal to you, because let’s be honest, there are always ones we prefer above others. Make sure you find a pattern that you really like: it’s not like you don’t have an almost endless supply of different floral pattern objects.

And you do not have to stick to just one floral print (if you are not careful, it can sometimes get a little too matchy-matchy that way), so choose the ones that speak to you! Most will go together, but make sure you check ahead of time because you do not want to somehow mix together the worst floral pattern that the world has ever seen.

Be safe and smart about your decorating decisions so that you save money and do not create an eyesore. You can use these floral patterns to reupholster your furniture, on pillows, your bedspread, seat cushions, curtains, and more! Your options are not even limited to simply fabric related items. You can use floral patterned wall paper or use patterned paper inside your shelves and drawers. The options are endless.

If the vintage look is really what you want to go for with your own apartment, there are so many opportunities for you to make a change. You don’t have to start big. Start small and begin by introducing the elements you enjoy as you discover them. After a while, you will never remember a time when your apartment was not as stylish and retro chic.

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