There are many kinds of home décor that have vintage style at the heart of the decorative elements.  Today, we are going to chat about some of my favorite vintage decor pieces, all of which I have thrifted for our home.  We will also look at ways to incorporate unique vintage home decor ideas with more modern styles and where you can find beautiful vintage items to mix into your own home decor!  Lastly, we will look at ways to use unique vintage home decor ideas and vintage treasures to help make your home feel unique and special with your own personal touch!

If you’ve been a reader here on the blog or followed me on Instagram for long at all, you know all I love all things vintage!  Since I was a little girl, I’ve been fascinated with old things and loved going to estate sales, auctions, and garage sales.  Now, as an adult, I enjoy hunting for really unique vintage home decor ideas and antique decor that I can use to make our 70’s ranch-style house feel like our home.

I can’t wait to share some of my favorite vintage finds with you, so please keep reading!

Thrifting with the Gals: Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas

​Before we enter my home via pictures to look at my favorite vintage pieces, let me introduce you to Thrifting with the Gals!  If you’re not familiar with this monthly series and you love vintage home decor ideas, you’re going to want to tune into Thrifting with the Gals each month.  

I love joining some of my vintage decor loving friends from around the country each month to share our thrifted finds, home decor tips and tricks, DIY ideas, and styling examples…all with vintage charm, of course!

​At the end of this post, you can get a sneak peek at each of the ladies’ vintage style for this month and click on over to get all of the details on their blog posts.

• Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse
• Ann from Dabbling and Decorating
• Lora from Create and Ponder
• and our guest host this month, Cindy from County Road 407

I know you’re going to love all of the vintage style they have to share with you today too!

How to make your home look vintage?

The best way to make your home look vintage is by bringing in real vintage decor pieces, as well as antique decor.  You can certainly mix these old pieces with new home decor too.  However, if you want to add vintage charm to your home, you will want to hunt and invest in some beautiful vintage items that become a great statement piece in your home.

Here are 10 things I recommend adding to your vintage home decor ideas:

• ​Architectural salvage, like windows, doors, and shutters
• Old corbels
• Baskets
• Chippy finishes
• Old signs
• Drawers and cubbies
• Wood with aged patina
• Small vintage accessories, such as vintage clocks, milk glass, ironstone, and old books (just to name a few!)
• Antique furniture
• Vintage textiles, such as pillow covers and throw pillows

How to give your home a vintage feel?

​As you add beautiful vintage items to your home over time, you will notice that your home slowly gets more and more of a vintage feel.  However, the best vintage feel for a home is one that has been curated very carefully over time.  Unlike a modern style where you can walk into a big box store and “purchase a room, complete with wall art”, curating a vintage feel takes time.

If you are just starting your vintage journey, my best advice is to hunt often and be really, really patient.  Not every amazing piece has the right spot in your home and not every vintage home decor accessory is the right fit for your personal style.

Over the years, I have definitely purchased pieces (usually because I was in a rush to style a room) that didn’t end up fitting the overall vintage look I wanted.  That is OKAY!  Developing a personal home decor style takes time and does evolve over the years too.

However, being patient as you curate your style will help you spend your budget wisely and end up with a home that feels unique to you!

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How can I make my house look unique?

​Curating a personal style is an exciting journey.  To give your home a unique look, you will want to work toward adding as much character as possible, while still keeping a clean look to your home.

You can add character to your home in more permanent ways, like trim, crown moulding, tile, and doors.  Other great ideas that are a little less permanent are lighting fixtures, hardware, and furniture.

Then, smaller vintage treasures can be a great addition and add the perfect finishing touch to your home.

One of the best things about using vintage home decor ideas in your home is that you won’t have the same decor as all of your neighbors.  Great vintage pieces aren’t usually laying around in bulk, after all!  Thrifting and vintage hunting is a great way to curate unique collections of things you love that make your house a home.

As you prioritize your budget to creating a vintage style home, understand that finding all of the perfect pieces will take time.  However, you can start by adding the bigger, more permanent elements, as your budget allows.  In the mean time, have fun curating vintage collections to start decorating your home with a look you love.

10 Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas for Your Home

There are SO many unique vintage home decor ideas out there for decorating your home.  Today, I’m just going to share just 10 of my favorites with you.  However, this is definitely not an all-inclusive list.  I’m pretty sure no one would read a blog post that long!  Haha!  

I hope you enjoy these vintage pieces as much as I do and that they spark some ideas or even inspiration that you can use as you work on creating your own unique vintage style home!

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Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #1: Old corbels

One of my favorite design elements on old homes has to be the old corbels that surround the roof line, porch, door frame, and other places.  Incorporating them into my home decor feels like I’m including pieces of history from these homes into our own home.  Old corbels are a great way to add a lot of character to your home and are definitely great for a lot of unique vintage home decor ideas.

Personally, I love the chippy look and so we have left the corbels we use with the chippy paint.  However, you could also sand them down to a smooth finish and enjoy the pretty wood underneath the paint or even repaint them to match the color scheme of your home.

One of the ways we used old corbels in a more permanent way in our home was to add them to the wide openings that go from our family room and dining room to the back living room and dining space.  It took some hunting to find four matching corbels in the right size and scale.  However, added these special pieces was totally worth the investment and patience to find them.

I also use old corbels around our home in non-permanent ways with unique vintage home decor ideas.  Corbels can be the perfect book ends or add weight and substance to  balance out the decor on a console table.  You can tuck small corbels into coffee table vignettes or turn large corbels into lamps for side tables (see THIS POST for a tutorial on making lamps out of old corbels!)

I enjoy our DIY corbel lamps in the master bedroom because they add a lot of interest and character to an ordinary bedroom space!

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #2: Vintage windows

​Old windows are definitely not a new idea for wall décor.  However, just because the use of vintage windows has been around awhile, don’t discount them as a great way to add interesting layers to your wall décor!

Last year, we found this amazing arched window at an antique show.  I just knew it would be the perfect fit for unique vintage home decor ideas in this back living room space while also adding a lot of visual interest to the long, narrow room.

Even though it was an investment piece, I enjoy decorating it for the seasons or just letting its natural vintage beauty shine through too!

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #3: Chippy barn vents

​One of my favorite vintage wall decor pieces to use for unique vintage home decor ideas is this chippy, white barn vent that I got at an antique market.  Since I enjoy moving it around to different places, I lean it against the wall, atop a cabinet, rather than actually hanging it up.  However, it would be easy to hang as long as you make sure it’s hung on studs.  These old barn vents are heavy!!!

Architectural salvage pieces, such as an old barn vent, are great pieces to layer a vintage print, cute signs, or even special event decor.  Definitely, a vintage barn vent makes the perfect backdrop for your favorite seasonal wreath and unique vintage home decor ideas.  Here are a few ways I’ve enjoyed using mine:

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #4: Harvesting baskets/grape hods

​Some of my other very favorite vintage home decor pieces to use year round for unique vintage home decor ideas are my vintage French grape hods or harvesting baskets.  Long ago, these uniquely shaped baskets would have worked hard to gather grapes.

Now, I enjoy resting these pretty pieces atop a console table, filled with dried branches, winter trees, or pretty greenery.  Sometimes, I hang my vintage harvesting baskets on the wall too.  They are so fun to fill with pretty seasonal accents.

Below are a few examples of how I’ve styled these large baskets in our home.  These kinds of vintage baskets are harder to come by and even though they usually aren’t inexpensive, they are really special pieces full of unique vintage home decor ideas you can use to style your home!

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #5: Chippy mantel

​A vintage mantel is not as unique of a piece to decorate with.  However, this large chippy mantel in our family room is one of my favorite things to add character and visual interest in our living space.  It is the perfect display space for unique vintage home decor ideas!

We do not have a fireplace, which is totally fine since we live in hot and humid South Florida.  Our old house actually had one but we never used it at all!  The only negative about not having a fireplace is the lack of a pretty mantel to decorate.

So, I added this large vintage mantel behind our sectional.  Even though it is unique place to put a mantel, it works great for decorating our living room space and I love that we can still hang pretty stockings here at Christmas time and create a cozy living room space with candles on the mantel in the fall and winter!

If you are looking for a shallow piece of furniture for any space in your home, a vintage mantel with a lot of character could be just the thing!  A vintage mantel is a perfect way to fill some wall space and add a spot to enjoy decorating with unique vintage home decor ideas while not taking up a lot of floor space in a room.

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #6: Shutters

​Old, chippy shutters are another “farmhouse” design element that has kind of been overdone in the past.  However, there are a lot of different kinds of shutters and many unique vintage home decor ideas to style them in your home.

I picked up this pair of white arched shutters at @fromthecottage.  They flank my chippy mantel in the living room perfectly and provide a great opportunity to switch seasonal decor.  Sometimes I leave them blank but often, I enjoy layering some kind of decorative items on them.

Candle sconces with my favorite flameless taper candles, battery-operated sconces that don’t require hardwiring, light sconces that ARE hardwired through the shutter (like in our office), seasonal wreaths, baskets, and vintage art are all favorite ways that I have styled as unique vintage home decor ideas with these shutters.

My current favorite way to decorate my arched shutters is with the vintage French harvesting baskets and seasonal flowers, plants, and/or greenery.  However, Christmas is coming and I may try something different here!  Stay tuned for that!

You can also get many different types of shutters.  Solid panels with unique cut out shapes or even chippy shutters that show layers of paint are fun ways to elevate the popular farmhouse style.  Depending on how you decorate and style the old shutters, you can really give them a cottage feel or even a European farmhouse look.

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #7: Old signs

​Vintage signs are a definite favorite of mine for unique vintage home decor ideas.  I love using vintage signs around our home to add interest and character.  They can be great conversation pieces and even set the tone for the room.  Vintage signs can also be a great play on words, like the 1940s “Help Wanted” enamel sign in my laundry room!  Haha!

One fun way to style vintage signs is to mix them with vintage art or vintage-style prints.  I love THESE vintage art style collections that are already curated and ready to hang with your favorite picture frame for unique vintage home decor ideas!

Pro Tip: Watch for picture frames at thrift stores!  You can get some great deals!

Here are a few vintage signs around our home during different seasons!

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #8: Drawers and cubbies

​If you’ve been around Robyn’s French Nest for long, you know I have a special love for drawers and cubbies.  I can’t even say exactly what it is about them; I’ve just always loved them!  Even though the overall look of apothecary drawers is so beautiful, these drawers are my favorite place to keep things organized and stored.

For example, the apothecary drawers in our dining room from @bakerandco house all of my cloth napkins, napkin rings, and small table decor in rows, by season.  It is so easy to find things with this great piece!

In our music room, a shallow set of apothecary drawers from @wirewoodmarket fills the wall by our grand piano.  The large cabinet size balances the size and scale of the piano while also looking pretty and being a fun place to decorate.

At the same time, these drawers are incredibly functional while being a display space for unique vintage home decor ideas!  I store all of my small home decor pieces in this cabinet, though some of the drawers are still empty!

Cubby units can be another really great way to display and/or store and organize items.  I love this vintage French postal sorter that I got from my friend Maria in Southern California at @dreamywhitelifestyle.

Each Christmas, we use it to display our Advent calendar with little gift boxes.  It is such a special tradition for our family and you can read more about that over on THIS post.  

Even if you don’t have an old postal sorter with cubbies, there are still lots of ways you can recreate this idea for the holiday season!

Unique Vintage Home Decor #9: Vintage French wash boards

​These beautiful old pieces speak of a simpler time in many ways, without all of the gadgets and technology we rely on today.  However, I am oh-so-glad that I do not have to spend hours every week scrubbing my family’s laundry on one of these antique French wash boards!

Instead, I love using these pretty pieces as narrow risers for table centerpieces or just leaned up against the backsplash in the kitchen, adding a beautiful touch of warm and weathered wood.

Old bread boards, wash boards, and similar flat surfaces are great for building a vignette for any coffee table, kitchen island, dining table, or even console table decor.  They are one of my favorite unique vintage home decor ideas to use as a base for a pretty vignette!

Another way that I often use flat wood pieces, like these antique wash boards, is to add layers to my wall decor or shelf decor.  In the picture below, you can see how the worn wood adds a warm tone for fall decorating and becomes a great backdrop for this thrifted art piece!

Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas #10: Chippy column bases

​As you can see, I have a lot of “favorites” when it comes to unique vintage home decor ideas.  However, I couldn’t leave my architectural salvage column bases off the list!  This is another kind of item that I always watch for and add to my collection when I find one I really love.

Architectural salvage column bases are the perfect way to turn a vignette into a statement piece with unique vintage home decor ideas.  I like to combine them with my thrifted glass cloches and turn smaller, simple decorative items into eye catching displays!

Architectural salvage column bases are also a really fun way to display plants and pots of greenery or flowers.  Used as a riser for home decor, column bases add a lot of character, height, and interest to your decorative styling!

I use these favorite column bases all over our home for year-round decorating!  Here are a few ways I have styled these special pieces for different seasons:

Where to find vintage home decor pieces?

​The question now is where to find pieces for different unique vintage home decor ideas.  While I wish I could give you a definite answer, it really all comes down to visiting local antique malls and shops, vintage markets, and antique shows often to find the best pieces.  You can also get lucky at any of the places listed below, especially when you shop often!

• ​Flea markets
• Local antique shops
• Etsy
• Facebook marketplace
• Thrift stores
• Garage sales
• Yard sale
• Online antique store
• Amazon handmade store
• Online stores (home decor)
• Local artisans
• Social media sales (like Instagram lives or Shop Our Set Up like @cottonshed)

FAQ’S about Unique Vintage Home Decor Ideas

​What is considered vintage decor?

Vintage decor is considered to be about 40 years old or more.    When my awesome hubby turned 40, I teased him that I loved him more now because he’s vintage!  Haha!  Vintage just means “of age”, so some collectors recognize items anywhere from 20-99 as being vintage.  Generally speaking, antique decor is considered to be over 100 years old.

Vintage and antique home decor is so fun to use because not only is it beautiful and well-made, it reminds us of the importance of history and is a great way to add to the interest and character of our homes!

What are the different styles of vintage interior design?

There are many different kinds of decorating styles that incorporate some element of vintage decor or interior design.  While my vintage decor definitely has a cottage style to it with some vintage French pieces included, vintage decorating is also found in shabby chic, mid-century modern, French-country, art deco, retro, and industrial design, just to name a few.

As I always say, the best decor style for your home is whatever you love.  You don’t have to put any particular label on it!  After all, part of the point of these kinds of decorating is to use unique vintage home decor ideas…which means it’s unique and special to YOU!

​How do you mix modern and vintage home decor?

​Mixing new decor with my vintage favorites is my favorite way to decorate our home.  While a lot of my big pieces are vintage treasures, I have fun mixing in decorative accents and accessories for different seasons or even from fun decor trends.

Over on THIS blog post, I share my favorite tips and tricks for how you can mix vintage and new home decor in your styling.  It definitely doesn’t have to be all or nothing and you can use a combination to help you create your own personal touch for your home.  Mixing vintage and new decor is also a great way to decorate your home on a budget!  Check out THIS post for more ideas to mix new and vintage home decor!

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Now you’re ready to decorate with unique vintage home decor ideas!

As you can see, I love using unique vintage home decor ideas to make our house a home.  One of my favorite things about decorating with vintage pieces is that home decor loses the cookie cutter look and takes on a more curated, personal style.  Even when new decor is mixed in with the vintage pieces, it still has its own look that is uniquely yours for your own home!

If you are looking for some smaller accessories that blend perfectly with vintage style and unique vintage home decor ideas, you can visit my curated collections over on my storefront, found HERE.  I love finding budget-friendly new accents to mix with my vintage decorations for our home!

Now, before you exit out of this blog post, make sure to gather more vintage and thrifting inspiration from these friends!

Thrifting with the Gals

​Don’t miss any of these creative and inspiring home decor ideas today from the Thrifting With the Gals friends!

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Rachel from The Pond’s Farmhouse

Ann from Dabbling and Decorating

Lora from Create and Ponder

And our guest host this month, Cindy from County Road 407

You may also enjoy a blog post from this list with more vintage home decor ideas:

• 9 Easy Tips to Mix New and Vintage Home Decor Pieces
• 27 Easy Ways Use Old Vintage Books in Home Decor
• Beautiful Ideas for Vintage Thanksgiving Decorations
• How to Use Antique Wall Decor for Vintage Charm
• How to Use Thrifted Art in Your Vintage Home Decor
• Ideas to Style an Antique Scale in Vintage Kitchen Decor
• How to Decorate with Vintage Architectural Salvage: 10 Easy Ways
• Best Fall Primitive Decor Ideas: Decorating Vintage Finds

I’d love for you to follow me on social media!  You can find my home decor inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!  

Blessings,

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