I am often asked for my top tips when styling your home with vintage. One of the things I always suggest is that you should keep your fixtures and fittings in keeping with your home especially if you are going to sell it some time soon.
By that I mean your kitchen, bathroom, doors, fireplace, flooring…basically the items you will be leaving when you move.
My hallway by Simon Whitmore for FW Media for Style Your Modern Vintage Home
For example, we live in a 1920s home which is filled with 1960s items. But our doors are original and all the door furniture is bakelite. Our kitchen is a white shaker with Belfast sinks – very classic. Our stair posts and bannisters are all traditional. The fire place has a 1930s wood buring stove in it. We could have course chosen modern versions and there is nothing wrong with that, but what we havent done is put a 1960s kitchen in or 1960s doors.
My Kitchen
I am a real believer that these items should fit in with your style but ultimately fit in with the house itself. With this in mind we have chosen a worktop in a similar wood to our Ercol furniture also in the same room, so it all co-ordinates beautifully. Take the Ercol away, the kitchen would still look great to a new home owner.
Now I know this can be hard especially if you want an English Rose kitchen, but imagine leaving it behind when you go. If you put in one maybe consider taking it when you go…as most other people wouldnt want it! (Fools huh!)
by Simon Whitmore for FW Media for Style Your Modern Vintage Home
So if you are about to renovate your home to a more vintage look, stop for a second and think what it will look like when you pack away your bits and bobs. Stand in your home as a prospective new owner and think about what they would expect. Remember that wallpaper can be stripped off but replacing a whole bathroom suite will mean hassle and more importantly, money. And that could be a deal breaker.
totally agree with you. We’ve just bought a house and I’m planning on decorating vintage. I’ve been referencing your book constantly. We’re trying to decide on carpets and I think we will initially stick with neutral carpets ie a taupe in the living room and stick with mostly plain walls with hopefully 1 feature wall in Sanderson atomic paper! I’d love an English Rose kitchen but until we get in, we don’t know if it is our forever home yet so fixtures and fittings will stay in keeping with the house. 🙂
Good luck! Id love an English Rose too, maybe when I retire ha ha!
Yeah when you know you have your forever home, I think that’s when. I’m looking forward to a new challenge of kitting out my new home in a vintage style. I think we’re going for darkish grey carpets throughout and accent it with rugs and furniture. Still armed with your book! Lol xx