The furniture you choose reflects your personal style and preferences. Antique, retro, vintage, minimalist, and other furniture types are available. People frequently mix up the terms “vintage furniture” with “antique furniture.” Furniture that has been around for more than 30 years is considered vintage. Vintage furniture is handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail and care to give it a fresh, one-of-a-kind look. The greatest approach to add individuality and increase the visual worth of your home is to use vintage furniture.
What Does the Term “Vintage Furniture” Mean?
Anything that is at least 20 years old is considered vintage furniture. It’s still deemed vintage if a piece of furniture is at least 20 years old but has been repaired.
Newer items, notably those dating from the 1950s to 1980, are typically labelled retro under the vintage category. Used furniture from the mid-1980s and after is simply referred to as “used furniture.” All furniture in the popular mid century furniture modern style during the first decade of the twenty-first century can be classified as both vintage and retro.
Even though most people use the terms old and vintage interchangeably, simply being old does not constitute furniture vintage in the technical sense. To be considered vintage, an object must also be an example of what characterised a specific period’s style. An Eames chair, for example, is a fine example of mid-century modern vintage (or retro) furniture. It doesn’t have to be from a well-known line or made by a well-known company; it only has to have the greatest features of the time period.
The following are some of the reasons for its popularity and the advantages of purchasing vintage furniture:
Creates a One-of-a-Kind Look
Even items that were once mass-produced and widespread are becoming less frequent as time passes. Vintage objects, as they become more uncommon, add personality and flair to your design, maybe even generating a “cool” quality that can’t be accomplished when outfitting fully with new pieces.
Because vintage furniture spans multiple decades, you have two options when it comes to decorating with it. You may either pick vintage/retro pieces from a single era, such as mid-century modern, and re-create that style down to the accessories, or you can meticulously curate a collection of vintage pieces from several decades in a mix that creates a harmonious and coherent appearance. Though you’re mixing items from different ages, use colour and formality to bring the space together so that, even if the pieces are from different periods, they all have the same aesthetic characteristics.
Cost-Effective
Purchasing modern-day vintage furniture is extremely cost-effective because you are paying a fraction of the original price. If you’re on a budget and don’t want to spend a lot of money on modern furniture, buying vintage furniture is the greatest alternative. You may purchase worn-out old furniture and have it repaired at a reasonable cost to give it a new and amazing life.
Furniture from the past conveys a tale.
Vintage furniture has personality, a feeling of history and gravitas, and is durable enough to be passed down to future generations. Vintage furniture is more than just furniture; it’s actual bits of history that will infuse your house with fantastic and intriguing stories from the past. Your 30-year-old dresser is more than just a storage unit for your clothing; it’s a record of your generation’s history as well as the evolution of furniture design.
Vintage Is Environmentally Friendly
You are being a friend to the planet when you buy vintage pieces. It is one of the environmentally conscious methods for furnishing your home because you are preventing old furniture from going to the landfill. And furnishing with vintage pieces is healthier for your home because the furniture has already finished off-gassing whatever formaldehyde or other toxic substances present in the finishes and glues. If these pieces need to be refinished, you can use non-toxic finishes.
Where to Find Vintage Pieces
Shopping for vintage furniture is an adventure since you never know what you are going to find or where you will find it. If you shop online auctions, be sure to add in the cost of shipping and do all the research you can before you buy. Some places to look for vintage furniture pieces:
- Bidsquare
- Olicore Studio
- Showroom220
- Estate sales
- Live auctions
- Auction websites
- Garage and yard sales
- Charity flea markets
- Secondhand stores
