1 week Ago
You've probably heard the sayings, "Everything old is new again," and "One man's junk is another man's treasure." When it comes to decorating your home, keep these in mind because you may not need to buy new decor at a big box store. Instead, finding the perfect vintage piece might be exactly the finishing touch you need to decorate your home.
Ronnie Rittle, owner of Auction Charleston, is an antique mall where you can purchase both vintage and antique home decor. "Vintage is anything in the past that was popular," he explained. "Even video games that are more than 10 years old are considered vintage just because you can't buy them anymore, and they used to be popular.
" Rittle explains that mid-century home decor is very popular right now. "That's decor from the 50s, 60s and 70s," he says. "For example, bamboo furniture is popular, as is lighting fixtures from those time periods.
Consumers also love the glassware of the 70s because they are colorful and because they are hand-blown." According to House Beautiful , bamboo became popular during the late 19th century as trim or supports on furniture inspired by Asian design. Bamboo was used to make small tables, chairs, beds, headboards, nightstands, wallpaper and flatware.
"It's one of the hottest things that people are looking for today," says Rittle. Mollie Bean, principal of MB Within Interior Design, sees clients use more than one style of decor in their homes. "Right now, we are seeing an eclectic mix of vintage and new pieces juxtaposed," says Bean.
"If you don't understand quality and the difference in purchasing a timeless piece versus just filling a space, all of our furniture will end up in a landfill at some point. We try to educate clients on the use of quality pieces, and many times, that is a vintage piece, and we try to place at least two vintage or antiques in each space we work on. " Although you can find some vintage items at places like Auction Charleston, Bean also travels out of the area to find vintage items.
"Our team just went to the antique market in Paris last month and the Round Top Antique markets in Texas," she says. When purchasing a vintage decor item, Bean says to make sure you're paying what the item is worth and not being taken advantage of. "You must look for signs of quality craftsmanship or obvious signs of recent restoration if it is costly," says Bean.
"Sometimes we bring in an appraiser." When it comes to how much you'll pay for vintage prices, Ritter says to remember that you're getting better quality for lower prices. "You're buying something that was made with pride when it was made," he says.
"Everything today is made cheaply, but with vintage items, you get good wood, real woods. You're getting quality that people had pride in when they made it. Compared to today, you'll pay twice the price for something that will be worth nothing down the road.
It's a better value because it increases in value over the years." Another popular decorating trend that Rittle has witnessed is Lady Head Vases from the 1950s. "For some reason, people want these because they were made in the 1950s, and that era is popular right now," he explains.
Also, Vaseline glass has become popular, too." Vaseline glass containers are clear, yellow, or yellowish-green glass pieces made with some uranium dioxide. Vaseline glass was made around 1830 but was most popular from the 1880s to the 1920s.
"It glows under black light, so people are installing black lights on their shelves and then putting the glass there so it glows," says Rittle. Finally, Rittle has seen a boost in interest in vintage advertising signs. "They're hard to find and keep in stock, especially oil and soda signs," he says.
A lot of them go in mancaves." If you're interested, scour Charleston antique shops and yard sales for vintage home decor. You just might find the perfect piece to add some vintage flourish to your decorating.
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