The timeless elegance of vintage home style. Photo Source: Freepik
- Rediscovering vintage home trends for your 2024 home inspo.
Hey there, remember when we chatted about those fantastic interior designers in the Klang Valley? They left us dreaming of our perfect homes. Now, let’s switch gears and talk about something equally exciting – home decor!
Home decor is another crucial part of making our home a safe sanctuary. Throughout the centuries, there have been many home decor styles that people incorporated into their home. And no matter how long I spend exploring Pinterest, I always seem to find a slew of fresh ideas and home styles!
But my favourite is always going to be all vintage. Even though I’m part of Gen Z and grew up in this tech-filled world, there’s something about the old-fashioned style that I can’t resist. It all began when I saw old photos of my parents and grandparents. Their fashion, music, and vibe from the past just feel so cool to me, like a stylish, classic treasure that will never go out of style. And some of you may agree with me!
It’s not just me; many people are totally into the whole vintage and retro home style vibe. They’re doing a fantastic job bringing back some old-school decor into the modern world, and 2024 will be no exception. Let’s take a peek at some cool vintage home decor that’s making a comeback!
1/ The Stylish & Sustainable Rattan
Sitting pretty in rattan style. Photo Source: Rattan Fabric
Rattan-made furniture is one of the vintage styles of my favourite. It brings a nostalgic memory to me. When I was a kid, my grandmother always had this one rocking rattan chair that she loved to sit in and watch television. It was also one chair that my cousins and I fought over every time we visited her house. Who can blame us? The chair was one of the comfiest in the house. And it rocks!
It is also familiar and significant in Asian households, particularly in Southeast Asia. It’s been one of people’s home decor preferences for years due to its durability. My grandmother’s rocking chair? It has existed since she was a teenager! With proper care from excessive moisture and dryness, rattan furniture is a timeless and stylish piece that turns the house beautiful.
Apart from being durable, rattan furniture is known for being lightweight and comfortable. Rattan is a material that is much lighter and airy than any wood, hence, it’s easy to move around, making it a breeze to set up your space just the way you like it! Plus, its airy design makes it the perfect spot to chill on those hot, sunny days.
2/ Daring Décor With Bold Wallpaper
Because your walls deserve to make a statement too! Photo Source: Architectural Digest
It takes guts to put up wallpaper with a striking pattern or colour scheme in one’s home. Although I have mixed feelings about this home décor style, I will admit that unconventional wallpapers like these really provide a special touch to any room.
Patterned wallpapers were all the rage back in the late ’60s and ’70s and probably even earlier. If you’ve ever binged shows like “That ‘70s Show,” “Full House,” or watched “A Clockwork Orange,” you’ve seen how people used to deck out their homes with those wild and crazy wallpapers. Although you may not see them a lot in our local movies of the same era, Malaysians nowadays are taking up the challenge to make their houses as unique as they can be, with all different patterned walls.
Using wallpapers with particularly eye-catching patterns is a little like giving your home its own personality; it also serves as a reflection of the owner. For example, in 2019, a Malay woman named Hamidah spent RM10,000 to transform a century-old home into a pink Hello Kitty wonderland because of her obsessive adoration of all things pink and cute.
Strange as it may seem, everyone has their own unique way of expressing themselves. While others may choose to customise cars or amass collections, for others like Hamidah, it’s all about making their house a place they can be proud of and where they can be themselves.
3/ Exquisite Flooring Patterns
These tiles are en-causin’ quite a stir in interior design! Photo Source: MSI Surfaces
Striking wallpapers are not the only bold vintage choices that are making a comeback in 2024. If not walls, people from older times also have a knack for making their floors full of colours and patterns.
Patterned tiles, or their fancy name, encaustic tiles, is one kind of vintage home decor always seen in old houses, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom areas. And some love to blend the combination of bold-coloured walls and patterned tile floors!
In some Malaysian homes, particularly in kampung areas, our elders tend to use colourful and intricate PVC carpets in place of tiles. Even my grandmother is still using PVC carpet for her house! She changes them according to her preference, too. Well, that’s for the old kampung house. For concrete houses, it’s the patterned tiles! It brings the nostalgic feeling of living in kampung houses.
The PVC carpet that has been my grandma’s choice since I was but a baby.
From cool hexagonal flowers to colourful mandalas, every house has its own funky tile style, but they all bring that same unique vibe. These tiles don’t just make your home feel personal, like wallpaper; they also turn cooking in the kitchen into a colourful party. Imagine whipping up meals surrounded by those fun patterns. Doesn’t that sound amazing? And the same goes for the bathroom. Patterned tiles are a lot more fun than plain old white tiles. They’re also perfect for kids who love a splash of colour!
4/ Cabinet’s Splash of Colours
From bland to grand! Photo Source: Decorilla
Now, what do we pair our colour-striking walls and patterned tiles with? Yes, colour-coordinated kitchen cabinets! Painting your otherwise boring white kitchen cabinets to match the walls and tiles is the icing on the cake. It finishes off the style of your home and makes it look even better.
But colour choices are important here. If your walls and tiles are already utilising dark tones, you might want to paint your cabinet into a softer and lighter tone to give a contrast to the already dark room, and vice versa. You can also do colour-blocking! Like me, I’d love to incorporate red and yellow in my house. However, it is your home, so you can paint it whatever colour you like. Whatever works for you!
Painting your old cabinets also gives you other side benefits. One of them is it raises the value of the house. Renewing your kitchen’s aesthetic with new paint can boost its visual appeal and resale value. This is because a fresh and stylish kitchen is an essential feature for most property hunters. Therefore, painting your cabinets is a wise expenditure for when you try to sell your house in the future!
5/ Glimpse of Grandeur
Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose house is the prettiest of them all? Photo Source: Freepik
After spending the first 13 years of my life in a room that I shared with my sister, the first thing I wanted when I got my own big girl bedroom was a full-length mirror with a fancy French frame. I’ve always loved looking at myself through a beautiful mirror; it boosts my confidence and makes me feel like a princess!
On a side note, not only an antique French mirror can boost one’s confidence, but it is also an addition to beautiful vintage home decor. Besides the vintage retro look, the classic French design is another popular style people are rocking in their homes these days.
It’s a 180-degree turn from the bold, colourful retro style; it showcases a lavish concept in a more subdued and sophisticated colour scheme. Designing in the classic French style is a perfect fit for a large, open house like a bungalow.
Putting aside the home decor, people these days love to have a beautiful big mirror for only one reason: mirror selfie! Who doesn’t take mirror selfie these days? Everyone does. The celebrities, influencers, me and all of you! So what are you waiting for? Get yourself a French mirror and flaunt your selfies on Instagram now!
The Timeless Appeal of Vintage Design
Aren’t vintage home decor designs fascinating? People in the past loved to experiment with colours and bold patterns, whether in their fashion or home decoration. It’s an exciting way to express oneself, embracing various colours and styles without sticking to plain, neutral shades. Which of these home decor styles would you choose for your home in 2024?
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