Of Vintage Charm and Shabby Chic

In an era where sustainability and eco-friendliness rule trends in almost all aspects of life, décor is a key contender.

Vintage and shabby chic, the latter popularized by Rachel Ashwell about 20 years ago, lends itself very well to this age of recycling, repurposing and upcycling. Vintage, shabby chic are forgiving, comfortable warm styles that infuse history, character, charm and dimension to modern spaces. The good news about vintage décor is it can be an inexpensive style, with many items coming from vintage or secondhand shops. It can also be incorporated into almost every room and with other styles.

Vintage as the name suggests refers to items from the past of good quality. Shabby chic refers to a décor style that uses furniture, furnishings, curios, accents and other décor items that have a pleasingly old and somewhat worn appearance.

Let’s look at how you can weave these elements into a cosy, charming ambience in any room in your home, which will make you, your family and guests linger on.

Decorate with ‘Distressed’ (with techniques like light sanding or hammering) tables, chairs, boxes, crates in neutral colours and powder blues, teal, beige, brown, red and white help in creating a faux-aged surface and is a clever way to amp up the vintage quotient in very attractive ways.

Flirt with fabrics such as cotton and linen in pastel or floral. Simple slipcovers (inspired by Rachel Ashwell) for cushions, plain or flowered hark back to another simpler, stylish era. As do ruffles, soft and billowy items in curtains, pillows and bedspreads in plain or pretty patterns in toile, floral, quatrefoil, and stripes.

Display double-duty furniture pieces such as a wooden/metal/wicker/packing wood chest/ trunk in the drawing room as a coffee/centre table cum storage box. Not only does it lend charm and character to the ambience, it is the cynosure of all eyes and an instant conversation starter.

Mirrors matter in vintage and shabby chic décor – the more the merrier. Hang up vintage-framed mirrors of various or similar shapes on the bedroom wall – works brilliantly if your bed doesn’t have a headboard. Use a distressed wooden frame mirror in your bathroom or dresser or even the entryway.

Illuminate interestingly with vintage chandeliers and metal lanterns. Chandeliers are a beautiful addition and can lift the scheme to one with more refinement, elegance and sophistication. Distressed metal lanterns in robust red placed on a console, along with other vintage accessories adds layers to the overall décor as do vintage print fabric lampshades.

Collect vintage clocks and block them on a single wall or as single pieces spread in various rooms. Old cuckoo clocks, wood and brass ones with a pendulum, wrought iron Victorian, gilded frames, and the popular distressed blue wooden ones with Roman numerals are sure-fire style targets.

Accessorise with odds and ends that perk up the space, like an old wooden soda/Coca Cola crate to hold plants or books, an antique glass jar as a terrarium, or just to store colourful cotton balls or marbles, a vintage metal/wooden jewellery box on the centre table doing double duty with playing cards inside, antique animal table tops and curios such as old telephones and typewriters as bookends.
Kitchens convey strong character with cast-iron and terracotta pots and pans stacked up and stored; include enamel, tin, aluminum boxes and the brown and white ceramic jars (vestiges from grandma’s times) both for storage and for dramatic décor.
Vintage leather or metal suitcases with old books with leather spines tied up in lace, atop them, resting in a corner of the living room or study creates a beautiful tableau. Complement with vintage inkpots, pens and pen holders and a bunch of vintage-style silk peonies or tea roses in an antique flower vase or even a distressed metal water-can.
Store daily newspaper and weekly magazines in a rugged open burlap box or wicker basket, next to your distressed metal chair or plump sofa.
Dress up your dining room wall cabinet with vintage porcelain dinner sets, jars and mugs, and use them for special occasions. Enhances the elegance and imparts an unhurried pace of dining and conversation.
Block a wall in your bedroom, study or living room with an antique, carved, metal-embellished wooden door or even a trellised portion from a vintage gate. Sings ‘old is gold’.
Collect old art prints, frame them in pastel and distressed wood/metal and create a wall display.

At Artisans Rose we value vintage just as much as we cherish contemporary. The photo alongside is a tableau of some of our vintage and distressed collection. We invite you to write in to us as at [email protected] and visit our website, https://artisansrose.com/web/index.php/ for more such pieces.
You can also call +91 90727 87773, Monday to Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm.

We spearhead interior design and architecture projects along with our esteemed partners and elevate and enhance spaces (home and commercial) to our clients’ complete satisfaction.