Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Guest Post from Queen Dealer Heidi Milton: Six Ways to 'Go Vintage'

Hello, Queen readers! My name is Heidi and I am dealer/consignor at the Marietta Queen of Hearts - ReMade Home Designs, dealer code HMM MAK on E Bay St. I also blog at Decor & More, where I share my various home projects, room makeovers, DIYs and whatever inspires me. Today I'm sharing six ways to "Go Vintage" with your home decor.

When I embarked on a guest room makeover a few weeks ago, I had a tight budget and a vision. I wanted to take a dark, previously teenage boy "cave" space to a bright fresh room that would welcome my guests. But it had to have character, too. And the best way to inject character is to incorporate vintage touches. And where else to find vintage touches but the Queen of Hearts Antiques & Interiors?

I started with this...


Dark taupe walls, a combination of pine and painted furniture, and mis-matched bedding. Ugh.

The first thing I wanted to do was to brighten up the space with lighter, fresher paint color. I also knew I wanted to stick to my budget by using things I already had -- whether it was refreshing existing pieces, or "shopping" other rooms in my home for artwork, bedding or accessories. And I knew the Queen could come to my rescue for reasonable vintage touches, too.

After several weeks of work, I'm now enjoying this light and bright guest space...


Can you believe it's the same space? And loaded with vintages touches like these... 


1. Find interesting vintage quilts and linens: Front and center there is one of my favorite vintage touches: a quilt from the 1950's. It had the fresh color palette I was looking for, is in excellent condition and I knew would be a great punch of color against a sea of white and creamy neutrals.

2. Odd pieces of china take on new life: These are easy to find at the Queen! Lots of dealers have interesting odd pieces and I've used them here in two ways...


I used some little dessert plates as wall decor above some beloved watercolors I pulled from another room. Plates are a great way to add three-dimensionality to your walls and the vintage pieces have beautiful colors and patterns.


I also love to have little dishes at the bedside, for jewelry or eye glasses. These little gold-edged pieces (I found two matching) will be perfect for my guests earrings and watches at bedtime!

3. Wooden boxes add texture and additional storage: I scored this sweet box a couple of years ago from a fellow Queen vendor. I love the tarnished metal and warm wood tones in contrast with the light and bright.

4. Vintage prints look fresh in modern frames: While I love vintage framed botanicals, I knew that I wanted a slightly different look in this room. These lilies and rose prints with the creams, greens, and pops of pink were perfect for this space, but because I collected them over time, the frames were uninspiring and mismatched. I needed to unify them with fresh frames. Learn to look beyond the frames you may see on some vintage prints -- you can give them a fresh look for very little!


5. Mixed vintage metals add character, too: I love mixing my metals, and now that brass is back and tarnished silver is in, I'm in hog heaven. Prowl the aisles of the Queen for interesting pieces -- there are loads of great pieces available, including in my space ReMade Home Designs on E Bay St.


I pulled the tarnished silver tray out of my booth (and happy I did!) and I've been hoarding those brass candlesticks for a few months. Going vintage means you can mix and match to your heart's content! I added a couple of family photos in mixed vintage finishes as well. Lots of places for my guests to corral their belongings on this dresser, too.

6. Re-envision vintage furniture with a new look: This is one of my favorite ways to go vintage! The Queen is host to many dealers (including me) that rescue and refurbish vintage and antique furniture. I am always amazed by the furniture rehabbing talents of the Queen dealers! I scored this desk at a thrift store ten years ago, loving it's shape and size. Now she has new life in my guest room, with a fresh coat of blue paint.


Many dealers will also do custom finishes if you have a beloved piece of furniture into which you'd like to breathe new life. In my case, this fresh hue was just the ticket.

I hope I've inspired you to inject some vintage into your spaces -- you might be surprised how fresh vintage can feel! Get more details of my guest room makeover and my other projects at Decor & More, follow my blog page Decor & More on Facebook and like my business page for my Queen of Hearts booth ReMade Home Designs, to see new arrivals and be the first to know about markdowns.

And now, it's your turn! What's your favorite vintage piece in your home? Inquiring minds want to know!

4 comments:

  1. such a lovely post. i love how you incorporated vintage hip into a modern design! great job!

    sarah @ http://www.homeologymodernvintage.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sarah! We're loving the space and it's being enjoyed by our guests!

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