Vintage aesthetics have a certain charm to them. Vintage is whatever you make it; to some, vintage may mean Mid-Century Modern, 1970s Bohemian, or Victorian elegance. To others, it may mean 1990s grunge, Art Deco, or Y2K. Whatever your style may be, vintage pieces will make your space pop!
Part of the fun of having a flair for vintage pieces is the hunt! Although plenty of furniture and interior decorating stores carry pieces with a vintage touch, they aren’t necessarily authentic. If you prefer to buy new, some great shopping options are:
World Market carries a range of styles, so you are sure to find something for your home regardless of your aesthetic. Their pieces are also adaptable. Blending aesthetics to find your own is part of the fun!
World Market tends to categorize their furniture by aesthetic, rather than by decade. However, in sections like Custom & Cozy, Retro Simplicity, and Neutral Elegance, you’ll see elements of Mid-Century Modern (in reference to styles from the 1950s and 1960s).
Wayfair is a great online option for furniture shopping. With good prices and thousands of pieces to choose from, there’s bound to be something for your vintage home. Their website provides sorting filters you can apply while you scroll through products. These filters allow you to narrow down your aesthetic as well. If you know which vintage look you’re aiming for, Wayfair’s online tools can guard you from option overwhelm and decision fatigue.
West Elm is a higher-end option for new furniture. The price is worth the product; this furniture is very good quality. West Elm also provides design advice and solutions for smaller spaces. While most of West Elm’s vintage aesthetic falls under Mid-Century Modern, these pieces are good building blocks to decorate around. For example, a sturdy, high-quality couch can be decorated with vintage pillows, surrounded by vintage artwork, and accented by statement lamps.
Scandinavian Designs contains mostly Mid-Century Modern and Contemporary pieces, narrowing the vintage niche a bit to these approaches. The furniture at Scandinavian Designs is of high quality, made of gorgeous wood, and can be used in a number of spaces. Just like West Elm, these pieces can be adapted to round out your vintage home.
If you’re someone who finds the thrill in the hunt, Minnesota is chock-full of thrift, vintage, and secondhand stores. Stores like Retro Wanderlust, Empty the Nest, and Flamingo’s Divine Vintage feature a boutique setup for those gently loved pieces you can’t find anywhere else.
If you enjoy supporting small businesses, look for antique shops in your town. They often reside in the historical part of town with two or three storefronts in a row. There’s nothing like walking in an antique store and taking in that first breath of dusty air! In the process, you may find out some interesting history about your town or the pieces you find along the way.
Technology seems to have touched every corner of our world, including how we shop and purchase vintage pieces. There are now online forums to find specific, hard-to-find pieces, pages dedicated to showcasing finds, and online storefronts.
Facebook Marketplace has made a name for itself within the past two years. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, online shopping skyrocketed. Many small businesses resorted to social media to make ends meet, and it all stuck. You can find just about anything on Facebook Marketplace: clothing, cars, furniture, homes, garage sales, and even services for hire. Facebook curated an easy way to bring the garage sale hunt to the comfort of your own virtual home!
eBay is another online resource for finding rare or vintage items. Founded in the early Internet days of the 90s, eBay allows you to view pieces from all over the world, not just in your region. This platform allows price bartering, bidding, and conversations with sellers. If you have something specific you’re looking for, or if you want to find similar items to those you already have, eBay is a fantastic resource.
You spend every day in your home. Make it feel like you by curating beautiful, timeliness vintage pieces! And who knows; maybe you’ve just found your new favorite hobby along the way.
