Welcome to another installment of Spruce Home Decor – Kim’s unique take on real estate as she weaves her experience in design and home decor with her daily adventures in real estate. Take it away, Kim!

I love vintage.  I share this obsession with urbaneer’s Steve Fudge, who recently revamped the kitchen in his Tennis Crescent property using mid-century pieces as the base and inspiration for the redesign. You can follow his journey as he takes a 1960s duplex from demo to dazzling, in Tales of Tennis Crescent.

The kitchen at Tennis Crescent makes a fun and well-styled example of mixing vintage and modern.

Whether you are inspired to begin mixing large vintage finds into your décor, or start small, we’ve gathered a few tips to help get you started! These are the ‘Vintage Basics’. When hunting for the perfect piece to complement your space, keep a few key characteristics in mind:

• Construction:  Quality materials and construction are key. Was the piece constructed using quality methods and materials?  This can affect not only the life of the piece itself, but how long it will last in your collection.  Be sure to look at what it is made of – is it solid wood?  This term can be used loosely, so be sure to determine whether you are looking at solid-wood construction versus particle board or plywood with a veneer.  Check the inside and back of the piece to help determine its quality and materials.  For example, if the joints of a dresser are dovetailed, you’ve found a higher quality piece than one with nailed or stapled drawers. If the piece uses veneer instead of solid wood, keep a few things in mind: veneer gets a bad rap because of the cheap Formica-covered furniture from the mid-twentieth century. Don’t be too quick to write it off; for centuries wood veneer was a perfectly acceptable way to finish a piece. However, when inspecting a veneer piece, look for chips or peeling as this is a sure sign of age/mistreatment that could end up looking worse for wear over time.

• Style/Silhouette:  Shape and size matters. Will the overall shape fit in with the space in mind? For example, an industrial cabinet’s sharp lines and steel construction will fit very differently than the rounded teak edges of a mid-century piece.  Pay attention to other aspects of design like hardware – is it original?  Does it fit with the timeline of the piece or was it added/changed?  Real vintage hardware usually has some weight to it, so be sure to open and close drawers to get a feel for the hardware. One key for mixing styles is: contrast.  Be clear about the overall look you want to achieve in the space; are you looking for a large impact vintage piece or subtle vintage touches via accessories?  Pair a large vintage dresser with modern vases. Place pillows with modern fabrics on a vintage sofa, or use an antique lamp on a lacquer side table. Tip: pick the focal piece and identify its style; use contrast for accessory items.

The clean lines of this mid-century sideboard fit with other pieces and angular arrangement of this living room from Domain Home

Eclectic is key in this mix-and-matched dining room from Houzz

• Finish & Fabric: When refinishing, reupholstering, rethinking, an important thing to remember is these elements can be changed. Once you have chosen a piece that is well constructed, and fits your space, a coat of paint or new fabric can transform the piece in order to blend in with your room or act as a focal-point.  (Tip:  take a photo of it in its place in the room before making changes as this can help you step back and see exactly what needs to be done.)  Always sample paint and fabric; small paint testers and fabric swatches are available for a reason – use them!  Bring them home, try them out, invite opinions and look at them in the space where the piece will ultimately live to get a real sense of the colour and tone of the paint and/or fabric. Your upholsterer can be an invaluable resource here.

Cabbagetown’s Ghislaine Beckers kept things light and clean using neutral fabrics and paint colours when re-doing this room. Photo courtesy of Covet Garden Magazine

•  Quirk Factor: A key question to ask is: do you want a conversation piece or a functional element that blends in with the room. I generally choose to go in the direction of a conversation piece by choosing something with an interesting story behind it!  This can work for both small and large pieces, so depending on your comfort level go with your gut and try something different – even if it’s a small set of vintage trophies on the sideboard versus an ornate floor-to-ceiling gilded mirror.  Have fun! And if you feel you’ve gone a little too far on the side of quirk, pull back by mixing in some modern/contemporary pieces to help re-gain balance in the room.

• Size Doesn’t Matter: Afraid to use a large piece?  Dip your toes in the water by starting a vintage collection!  A grouping of vintage tins on the sideboard, used as herb planters lined up on the window ledge, or even as kitchen utensil holders add a fun twist that can easily be changed.  How about a stack of vintage board games in the living room console or a collection of felt pennants mixed in with your art collection?

 
Get collection-inspired at local antique and flea markets

Show off your newly curated collection like this herb garden arrangement by Apartment Therapy

Using vintage in your space is fun, so enjoy the process!  Mix hard with soft, square with round, blocky with leggy. Contrasting modern and vintage can create fun and interesting stories in each room.  Want to read a few interesting stories and see vintage touches that have been curated in a fun and fantastic way?  Check out The Black House, a vacation rental in Charlottetown renovated and operated by urbaneer’s own Steven & James! The best part: you can stay there and enjoy it yourself!

Happy Antiquing!!

Kim designs savvy solutions that are as unique as her clients! Be sure to visit Kim at her shop at Spruce on Parliament, enjoy more posts in her unique blog series, or contact her at kim@urbaneer.com with any and all real estate and home decor questions.

~ Kim Alke, and the urbaneer team

Consider signing up below for our FREE monthly newsletter on housing, culture and design, including our love for Toronto real estate and other unique urban homes!

*Cover photo courtesy of Frank Roop

City Living
House And Home
Kim’s Spruce Home Decor