Vintage:Curated treasures from decades past.
Vintage isn't a period — it's a way of buying. Curated pieces from decades past, mixed intentionally to look layered rather than themed.
Vintage isn't a period — it's a way of buying. Curated pieces from decades past, mixed intentionally to look layered rather than themed. Every room in this style has at least one piece with real history behind it.
The trick to Vintage is discipline. Two or three genuine pieces per room, chosen for silhouette and quality, mixed with contemporary pieces that don't fight them. The wrong ratio tips into thrift-store.
This guide walks through what defines the look, the palette we work from when a client asks for it, the pieces and materials that make a room feel like Vintage instead of "generic contemporary," and where in a home it lands best.
Key characteristics.
Vintage is the confidence to buy what you love and trust it will fit.
Colours we build the room around.
Primary Palette
Accent Colours
Colours to Avoid
Colours specified from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams — the two catalogues carried by every serious paint store, with codes any designer can quote and any store can mix.
Materials & textures.
Materials
- Solid wood (teak, walnut, oak)
- Genuine leather (aged)
- Brass and copper
- Velvet upholstery
- Terrazzo flooring
- Formica (period-appropriate)
- Rattan and cane
- Cut glass and crystal
Patterns
- Geometric prints (era-specific)
- Floral chintz
- Paisley
- Atomic and starburst patterns
- Damask and brocade
Textures
- Worn leather patina
- Nubby tweed upholstery
- Smooth lacquered wood
- Cut velvet
- Hammered metals
Furniture & decor.
Iconic Pieces
- Mid-century modern credenzas
- Vintage Chesterfield sofas
- Bentwood chairs
- Vanity tables with mirrors
- Bar carts from various eras
- Vintage secretary desks
- Cane-backed dining chairs
Decor Elements
- Vintage artwork and prints
- Antique mirrors
- Old books and record collections
- Vintage cameras and typewriters
- Retro clocks and radios
- Period glassware and ceramics
- Vintage textiles and linens
- Collected curiosities
Lighting style.
One vintage fixture per room — an Art Deco sconce, a mid-century pendant, a Tiffany lamp. Contemporary bulbs, warm-white, dimmable.
Best rooms.
Space & approach.
Small Spaces
Choose smaller-scale vintage pieces—many mid-century designs were created for modest post-war apartments. A vintage secretary desk serves as both storage and workspace. Use mirrors (vintage frames!) to expand the space. Be selective—one statement vintage piece often works better than many small items competing for attention.
Large Spaces
Large spaces can accommodate furniture groupings from different eras. Create vignettes—a mid-century seating area, a 1970s bar corner. Use large vintage pieces (armoires, credenzas, dining tables) as anchors. Display collections prominently. Vintage rugs can help define zones within an open floor plan.
Starting a Collection
Start with one substantial vintage anchor — a Danish credenza, a marble-topped bistro table, a leather Chesterfield. Everything modern in the room now has to earn its place next to it.
The Considered Room
Commissioned Vintage-inspired pieces should read as tradition rather than reproduction — a walnut credenza in the Danish idiom, a leather club chair with hand-tied springs, a floor lamp with a fabric shade. Made to age.
Pieces that live in this idiom.
Every piece above is designed and built in our workroom. Prices are our to-the-trade rates; no retail middleman.
Related styles.
Bring Vintage home.
Our workroom designs and builds bespoke furniture in the Vintage tradition — commissioned to your room, delivered white-glove. To-the-trade access; no retail middleman.
