This is a collaborative post.
If you’re of the romantic, nostalgic kind, then the old-fashioned style of décor might have a lot of appeal to you. However, you might not be willing to fork out the exorbitant costs of a home with real history nor willing to take on the work that a lot of older-fixer uppers require. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out, however. There are a lot of ways to add real old-time charm to your home.
Picture sourced by Gashif Reza
It’s all in the material
If you want your home to immediately feel more cosy, comfortable, and rustic, making the right use of the right materials is the first place to begin. Natural materials like fitting stone walls and hardwood floors immediately give a sense of “permanence” to the room, but are best accented with plenty of rugs and throws to make sure it doesn’t look too cold or sterile. Making good use of reclaimed materials can add real age to even the newest of new builds, too.
Muted, vintage patterns work best
Bright, contemporary colours can ruin the aged appeal of your style, however. If you want to keep a certain timelessness to the home, then think about muted colours that don’t clash with older furniture pieces. You can use real vintage linens, covers, and upholstery. Or you can simply go with more natural colours if you don’t want to go overboard and make the home look a little too out-dated.
Choose a period piece and make it your focal point
Indeed, you might not want to go too far with the efforts to make the home look vintage and end up making it look like a period piece. You can still incorporate plenty of modern appliances and contemporary furniture while maintaining that appeal by focusing it in, aptly enough, a focal point. If the home has a fireplace, this can be the best place to put it. However, any large piece of period furniture, like a vanity or a grandfather clock, can capture the attention by making sure that there’s a clear line-of-sight to it no matter where you are in the room or by using accent lighting to draw more attention to it.
Don’t forget the exterior
That old-fashioned look probably works best when it comes to adding real kerb appeal to the home. It looks much more welcoming and warm, and you can achieve it mainly by focusing on the fixtures of the home. For instance, sash windows add a classic elegance to the home, while simply giving an existing wood door a lick of paint can help it keep some of its historic appeal while keeping it looking fresh and reliable. A natural touch like hanging plant baskets look both established, but lively, too.
You don’t have to transport your home entirely back into the past to give it a little old-time charm. It’s all about identifying those parts of the home where a few vintage pieces might give maximum appeal while still allowing for some of the conveniences of modern design.
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