Vintage Casual décor is as welcoming and warm as it sounds. It’s a home style borne of our increasing desire to mix periods, themes and finishes, while still keeping our homes harmonious and calm. Vintage Casual beautifully bridges old and new, formal and laidback, structured and spontaneous. The effect is controlled but never stuffy, elegant but never contrived. Vintage Casual spaces pay tribute to antique looks yet you’ll find contemporary twists too. The overriding theme?  Comfort and a feeling of richness and abundance.

Classic Vintage Casual trademarks include:

• Typically lighter wood or paint finishes – if darker, often distressed
• Elegant chairs and sofas – but never stiff
• Straight or slightly curved legs or club/ball bases
• Some metallics but never too much bling
• An air of solidity – furnishings should exudes lasting quality

Many of us who choose Vintage Casual do so because we love the inherent contrast. We love to mix styles but still yearn for cohesive looks and sophistication.

Here are some tips to blend Vintage Casual pieces with your antiques, contemporary or traditional furnishings:

1. Use pieces in unexpected ways and places. There’s something wonderful about a wardrobe used as an entertainment centre, a bedroom dresser as a hall table or a gorgeous secretary as a bar service. It speaks to openness and easy living, hallmarks of Vintage Casual.
2. Meet your BFF, paint. Whether crisp white, chic black or a jolt of bright colour, paint is an instant unifier, bringing together pieces from different eras and styles. Paint and/or re-upholster an old piece you were ready to abandon.
3. Blend styles within a furniture grouping. Juxtaposition of modern and vintage is at its most appealing when paired in a grouping – a modern black dining table with traditional, tufted armchairs, a wooden roll top desk with an acrylic chair or a floral fabric headboard with streamlined dressers.
4. Vintage Casual shines against a neutral backdrop. Neutrals make it easy to blend disparate styles. Stick with white, grey, taupe, beige and ivory on your walls and ceilings, letting the many variations in your furniture take centre stage.
5. Anchor styles with wood details. There’s nothing like the beauty of wooden architectural details to give a home substance and provide a glorious backdrop for mixed styles. Ceiling beams, reclaimed floors, cornices, wainscoting – traditional or rustic – either way, the effect is stunning.
6. Easy accessories. Create contrast that invites mix and match with simple additions – a crisp modern lampshade on a vintage base, modern pillows on a traditionally-styled sofa or an antique white pitcher on a sleek metallic hall table.

Tags: decor, design tips, Furniture, trends