Our favourite vintage homes

Our favourite vintage looks throughout the home that create an elegant look

From the aristocratic 18th century to the roaring 1920s, looking to the past for interior inspiration plucks up a heap of serious vintage treasures.

In this dual, fashion age where technology is as hot as shabby chic, we show you our top vintage looks throughout the home. Celebrating the exchange of modernity and classicalism, these effects experiment with era specific materials and styles before completing the room with modern appliances and colours.

Be a roll top royal

bathroom with bath tub

(Image credit: TBC)

A favourite amongst the Victorian elite, the roll top bathtub still brings adds a regal air to bathing, doesn’t it? From its claw feet to buffed chrome taps, a roll top instantly adds a feel of vintage. Complete with spring rose wallpaper, yes wallpaper in your bathroom people, delicately draped lace curtains and some tarnished mirrors to achieve an unfaltered look.

Lust after lovely whites

bedroom with bed and pillow

(Image credit: TBC)

This ‘bedknobs and broomsticks' style bed dates back to the 1850s when wrought iron became fashionable. By making this the centre of the room, a vintage look is prominent, however the whitewashed, exposed floorboards and elegant rug also create a romantic, French feel. The distinctly modern skylight makes this room fresh and airy and combines the ages of interior design.

Banquet over a period pedestal

dining room with round dining table

(Image credit: TBC)

Dining rooms were often the centre of the household in past decades - where family affairs would be discussed and often the only time of day the family would be together. This Georgian pedestal table, complete with mahogany cabriole legs adds a rich tone to this stately dining room. To complete the period feel, a chandelier hangs before grated radiator covers.

Cook in clever fashion combinations

kitchen with blue drawers

(Image credit: TBC)

Complete with Aga, vintage tiled backsplash and accents of pastel blue to match the basic cupboards, this kitchen is equipped for a housemaid or two. The sparse colours add simplicity to the room, which is concurrent with a vintage kitchen as the owner wouldn't have seen it, but the modern granite tops and aluminium appliances create a modern, dynamic look.

Get green-fingered with antique furnishings

dining area with phonograph and beaded curtain

(Image credit: TBC)

Luncheon in the orangery accompanied by Sinatra on the phonograph and more flowers than a florist and you have a vintage feel. This conservatory drapes a lace-rimmed cloth over a wrought iron table and completes the look by teaming it with miss-matched wicker and leather chairs to create an eclectic feel. Add a 1960s beaded curtain to add a touch of sparkle.

Destress amongst distressed furniture

living room with sofa

(Image credit: TBC)

This bohemian lounge embraces vintage by exposing distressed furniture alongside faded floral curtains to create an organic space filled with a shabby-chic French vibe. The furniture, including plush sofas and worn corner writing table, are concurrent with a vintage room and by keeping the colour palette neutral, bar precise accents of colour, the room is relaxing and calming.

Study your local antique store

chair and table with desktop computer

(Image credit: TBC)

This home office balances the combination of vintage and modern by incorporating technology and fashionable colours with props found in antique stores. The ancient sewing table's legs are lacquered in a rich red to make them pop and promote the vintage furniture. The curling wrought iron is a million miles away from the basic, clean lines of modern architecture.

Rock on a shaded hammock

garden with tree and chair

(Image credit: TBC)

Channelling the roaring 1920s with an edge of plantation glamour, this garden look is effortlessly vintage. We can just imagine Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan sneaking off to this remote corner of the garden and swinging gently on the strung hammock beneath the delicate sounds of the umbrella beads. By creating a neutral palette, this garden area is faultlessly elegant and timeless.

Contributor

Tamara was Ideal Home's Digital Editor before joining the Woman & Home team in 2022. She has spent the last 15 years working with the style teams at Country Homes & Interiors and Ideal Home, both now at Future PLC. It’s with these award wining interiors teams that she's honed her skills and passion for shopping, styling and writing. Tamara is always ahead of the curve when it comes to interiors trends – and is great at seeking out designer dupes on the high street.