Vintage Home Design Trends That Are Making Huge Comebacks
Do you know what we love and consistently keep in the back of our minds as we shop for furniture for our homes and browse Pinterest for inspiration? We love knowing that trends always come back around, whether it's a fashion or an interior design trend. In fact, we couldn't be more excited that several interior design trends are making huge comebacks lately, according to Family Handyman. This is especially excellent news when you're trying to convince your significant other why you need a specific piece of furniture to make your home shine. Per MyDomaine, the unique part of incorporating retro design into a space is finding new ways to showcase a look so that it doesn't feel dated.
We've combed through countless design trends that are hot again in the design world, and here are five of our favorites. See how to incorporate these stunning vintage styles into your home in refreshing and new ways.
Wallpaper
It's true, 1970s-style wallpaper is a trend that is coming back as well, according to Family Handyman. It's a design trend and a style you may want to incorporate into your home, but give it a fresh new look and feel. Wallpaper can add texture, and you can make it look modern with different patterns, from geometric to metallic prints. If you want to recreate grandma's wallpaper in your living room, check out Vintage Wallpapers, an online shop with wallpaper from the 1930s to the 1980s in popular styles that include paisley, flowers, and even vintage children's styles.
Suzanne Lipschutz of Secondhand Rose has a few tips for buying vintage wallpaper, which she told Food 52 about. A few pointers include making sure the wallpaper has a selvage edge, purchase more than you think you will use, and don't forget tiny spaces, which can definitely add interest. So if you have an alcove or a cool nook, that would be such a unique space to add vintage wallpaper.
Wood paneling
Did you know that there are several wood paneling styles, and they're currently all the rage in home design? According to MasterClass, there are five different kinds in all: the Chip and Joanna Gaines approved shiplap, beadboard, drop siding, board-and-batten, and v-groove — all popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, there are several ways to make wood paneling feel fresh and new, bringing it into the 21st century, from welcoming the rustic look (like how all-wood kitchens are the hot new thing) to adding wainscoting and mixing types of wood.
Realtor.com has a few ways to update the wood paneling for the modern-day, including painting over it with white paint. "It brightens a room and gives it a rustic, cottage-like décor," Bee Heinemann, an interior design expert and marketing director of Vänt Wall Panels, told the outlet. Other tips include whitewashing it or adding stripes to the lines.
Sunken conversation pits
One of our favorite design trends that is coming back is the sunken living room — well-known as the conversion pit. According to Dwell, this popular design was in Vogue in the 1950s and 1960s. However, some outlets even say they were groovy spots to retreat in during the 1970s as well. Even Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. has a beautiful sunken living room in his windmill house, located in East Hampton. (We have to say, the major conversion piece in this sunken space has to be the fireplace that ceramicist Peter Lane designed.)
In 1952, the Columbus, Indiana Miller House, designed by architects Eero Saarinen, Daniel Urban Kiley, and Alexander Girard, was one of the first modern-day homes to have a conversation pit that started the movement. "I love that in that sprawling space, Mr. Saarinen was so incredibly intentional about creating an intimate nook for dialogue," said Lucy Jones, a Lexington, Kentucky-based preservationist to Salon. "For the folks who complain about mid-century design being too austere, a conversation pit is a perfect solution. It maintains the clean lines of mid-century modernism with its geometry, but it's also downright cozy."
Retro color palettes
Another way that it all comes back around is with people looking to the past for design inspiration, which can bring people comfort. "I think people are nostalgic for simpler times, and we are seeing this desire reflected back in home design," says Julie Busby, founder of the Busby Group at Compass in Chicago to Realtor.com. "Pick a bold color and one wall, or a smaller bathroom, and paint your way back to the '80s or '90s."
Paint is always an easy way to update your home. Realtor.com recommends brightening up a room in specific groovy colors such as burnt orange, mauve, and forest green, which is an excellent way to bring retro colors into your space. Another tip is pairing these unique wall colors with pops of different-colored furniture, such as bright yellows, greens, and orange. According to MyMove, companies create extraordinary reproductions of retro furniture but with modern-day comforts.
Wicker furniture
According to Family Handyman, wicker is a popular look that is coming back in style, making a statement after the first piece (which was a baby cradle) landed in America after its journey on The Mayflower. After that, wicker furniture was popular in the Victorian era until the 1930s, with a sprinkling of popularity during the 1960s and 1970s following that. To keep the wicker look fresh, however, forgo purchasing an entire wicker set and instead opt for one statement piece.
If you want to be super on-trend, MyDomaine suggests adding a wicker peacock chair to your room. "What we're seeing is a real emergence of tropical-inspired and Afrocentric design," says designer Iman Stewart. "It can really tie into a bohemian design, but you can also make it modern. That peacock chair is so big within Caribbean and African cultures. Every child had one of those growing up."