How to Create a Vintage Guest Bedroom

Jonathan Warren

Author: Jonathan Warren

28.03.2024

Interior Design and Lifestyle

When it comes to style, some looks are timeless, and if you find yourself swooning over aesthetics that are as old or even older than you then you’re certainly not alone. In the savvy world of style however, there’s no such thing as ‘old’ and ‘new’, so if you have a taste for bygone looks, it’s worth knowing where your tastes fall on the spectrum of nostalgia. Liberty Rattan What is ‘vintage’? First things first, let’s nail down what style we’re going for when we talk about vintage, which is often confused with retro and antique design. In general, retro is used to describe bold, newly made items that have been modelled on looks from the past, and those that borrow design cues from pop culture. According to online vintage and antique marketplace Ruby Lane, antiques are much older, being at least 100 years old and obviously old fashioned. Vintage style falls within the two, but isn’t so focused on age. Ruby Lane notes that an item is vintage if it is obviously of a certain era, displays a quality of that era, and is in good nick. When you think 50s and 60s, you get images of square, blocky TV stands and sideboards; for the 40s, round-backed, upholstered chairs; and for the 70s, funky, spherical chairs more than a little reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey! If your home already has a vintage style, or you want to create a nostalgic nook in your otherwise-modern home, creating a vintage guest bedroom is a great idea – here’s how you make one. Finding vintage furnishings Rather than simply heading off to your local furniture retailer, getting hold of perfect vintage furnishings requires a little more effort. Start by researching furniture from your chosen era, using sites like Instagram and Pinterest to get a better idea of the furnishings you’d like to feature in your room. Then it’s time to start hunting! Head to second-hand furniture shops, auction houses, and car boot sales, and scour sites like eBay. Don’t jump on the first thing you see, but equally bear in mind that if a piece of vintage furniture is beautiful and in good condition, there’s a good chance someone else might snap it up. Vintage doesn’t have to be old though. You can get plenty of furnishings in the style from contemporary retailers, whether you’re after a beautiful French design for a chic Parisian look, a splendid metallic bed to go with your 1920s-themed room, or a classic design that helps ground an otherwise busy guest bedroom. Provence Rattan Getting the right designs Start with the biggest, boldest pieces like the bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers, then use these to inform the smaller pieces – side tables, lampshades, mirrors and so forth. Bear in mind how ‘busy’ your room will look when picking out furnishings, and whether patterns and colours will go with one another. While you might love patterned upholstery, it’s important that you balance patterns out with blocks of colour – think of the blocks as a canvas for any pattern. It’s also worth considering whether you want to emulate a single era of style, or combine a range of eras, with a central design theme running through each piece. The latter is certainly more difficult to pull off, but by utilising shared themes including formality, colour and pattern, your guest room can look simply stunning. Upcycling or painting vintage furniture can be a great idea too, particularly if the piece is showing its age – but do think twice so you don’t needlessly ruin a beautiful furnishing! What about colour? There’s no single colour scheme for vintage rooms, but pursuing a vintage look does give you the chance to use and mix plenty of colour and patterns that don’t usually gel with modern looks. Floral fabrics are a good choice, particularly when used on accessories, as they’ll give a burst of colour without making your space look too busy. For the walls, consider creamier pastel tones and whites - they’ll help draw the eye to your carefully curated patterned fabrics. Always consider mood and light when choosing your colour scheme. Lighter, brighter colours will naturally boost your mood, while darker, more oppressive colours can do the opposite. That’s not to say dark colours are a bad idea for your vintage guest bedroom though, as when pulled off correctly and given a great finish, moody shades can give a real feel of luxury – important if you want your room to be pulled from the pages of The Great Gatsby. Creating a vintage guest bedroom requires a little effort, but the feeling you get after you’ve hunted for and combined a selection of old fashioned furnishings, fabrics and designs is nothing short of brilliant! Looking to create a cleaner, more minimal style? Click here to read our guide on creating a minimalist guest bedroom.