<\/span><\/h2>\nThe next living room we had looked like this (at the end when we sold the house). A solid mix of vintage (chair, side table, blue lamp, indigo fabric on bench, black vase, huge art) and new (sectional, coffee table, pouf, rug, and pillows). This room still really really pleases my eye because it has a cohesive color palette, and a mix of styles (in this case organic California casual with a boho\/70s bent).<\/p>\nphoto by tessa neustadt | from: how to add style to a neutral living room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI have really leaned into different styles throughout the years based on current mood, trends, and mostly the architecture of the house (treading a midcentury home very different than our English Tudor, the mountain house, the OG Portland project, and our farmhouse). But no matter the style, you can always find vintage and it always feels like \u201cyou\u201d (whatever that means, but I think my spaces always feel happy and collected). It\u2019s probably easier to discuss over some visuals so here goes:<\/p>\n
<\/span>Two Different Philosophy\/Approaches (I\u2019m #2)<\/span><\/h2>\n1. Design\/Shop within your \u201cstyle\u201d<\/p>\n
I was reading Chris Loves Julia\u2019s newsletter where she said that once she defined her style \u201cModern Moody Traditional\u201d it has helped her as she designs, shops, and styles with pieces that only fit into that style. I thought about that for a while but because my style is really eclectic (literally loving every style) that doesn\u2019t really work for me so instead I do this:<\/p>\n
2. Design Within A Color Palette<\/p>\n
I find that as long as I stick within my palette (blues and greens, mauves\/rosey pinks, ochres\/mustards, wood, brass, black, white) I can make it all look good together, regardless of style. Every now and again I stray from that (Elliot\u2019s room is definitely full of reds and pinks which I LOVE). But for the most part, I can solidly buy vintage within all of these colors and feel confident I can make it work in my home somewhere. Let me show you\u2026<\/p>\n
<\/span>Vintage Art (In A Shared Color Palette)<\/span><\/h2>\n\nphotos by kaitlin green | from: farmhouse entry reveal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile this house can handle a lot of vintage (and this incredible Thos Moser bench could have been an antique Windsor bench) I think the mix of the vintage art with the new pieces is what makes this entry and photo totally pop. The blues in the painting talk to the blues in the rug. The antique stairwell gets a dose of modern with the white pot on top. The contemporary art by Mary Ann Puls and Kirill Bergart next to my vintage \u201960s abstract makes my eyes SO EXCITED. All against a more contemporary and neutral wallpaper works really really well. Of course, there could be more vintage or antiques in here (like the bench or even a more granny\/cottage style wallpaper) but I feel that this is really fresh and feels like now, with so many references to the past.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Antique Art Mixed Paired Together (Shared Color Palette)<\/span><\/h2>\nphoto by kaitlin green | from: a *first round* farmhouse reveal \u2013 readying our guest room for family to visit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThese two gold antique paintings look so good (IMHO) over this vintage chair (that is very midcentury in lines), next to a very contemporary drink table (Target, actually). The reason it all works is because of the shared color palette of gold\/mustard and soft pinks\/mauve.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Antique Art Collected Together<\/span><\/h2>\nphoto by kaitlin green | from: farmhouse living room reveal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe collection of antique paintings with the more contemporary lamps and sectional is so powerful. If this were just a gallery of contemporary prints this room would not be nearly as soulful. <\/p>\n\nphotos by kaitlin green | left from: farmhouse dining nook reveal | right from: farmhouse dining nook restyled<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile I would have bought this table vintage had the proportions existed out there (with a pedestal or trestle base) I am happy that at least the sconce, painting, and hand chair are vintage to keep it going too suburban\/basic. The quirk of that chair is offset with its neutral wood tone (versus painted a bright color). I also think the retro 70s vibe of the tulip stools plays so nicely off the horizontal paneling and the more traditional lines of the table. Curves + Straight lines = YES.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Vintage Chairs Made Modern With New Upholstery<\/span><\/h2>\nphoto by mike kelley | from: the fig house lounge | before & after<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nI will forever pat myself on the back for the bravery of the color palette of the Fig House, on quite the shoestring budget (I lost so much money on that project, whoops). We bought so many of these chairs for $15 \u2013 $100 (I\u2019m not joking, they were basically throwing them away at the Pasadena Goodwill). We obviously invested in the fabric and the labor to reupholster them, and I really went for it color-wise. Would I want all of this to be my living room? Probably not, it\u2019s too much for me on a daily basis. But within this super fresh paint color and lighting scheme, this room (which is an event space so more experiential) totally still sings. And then check out all of those rugs from the Bette Midler\u2019s estate sale!! I think one of the reasons all of these pieces work together is of course the shared bright color palette, but also we have more straight-lined pieces (the sofa and coffee table) with the more tufted\/curved pieces. You don\u2019t have to do it like that, but I personally think it\u2019s the combination that keeps it from looking too thrift store.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Vintage In The Kitchen<\/span><\/h2>\n\nphotos by\u00a0kaitlin green\u00a0| from:\u00a0farmhouse kitchen reveal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile I love the idea of vintage tile, vintage lighting, and even vintage windows \u2013 none of those were happening here (mostly because of how I run my business). But desperate to bring in vintage I shopped for and bought the PERFECT vintage island (shout out to Aurora Mills) and then was gifted somehow the most amazing vintage rug. And don\u2019t forget the vintage painting flanking the range \u2013 while you want your kitchen to be hyper-functional, you can still totally bring in antique and vintage pieces through accessories, rugs, lighting, and in my case this island.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Put Modern On Top Of \u201cVintage-y\u201d Or Vice Versa<\/span><\/h2>\nphoto by\u00a0sara ligorria-tramp\u00a0| from:\u00a0living room update \u2013 again<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile I have bought a billion vintage chairs I find that due to my incessant need for extreme comfort, I feel far more confident buying vintage \u201chard pieces\u201d \u2013 i.e. tables, credenzas, pedestals, and layering on more contemporary pieces. Wood pieces you can refinish on your own if you don\u2019t like the patina (versus upholstery which is such an investment), and once topped with something modern or contemporary it gives it such new reference and life. But you can always do the reverse! Modern base with vintage accessories. <\/p>\n
<\/span>Triple Check Vintage Sofas, Dressers, And Beds<\/span><\/h2>\n\nleft photo by zeke ruelas, from: introducing my living room | right photo by\u00a0sara ligorria-tramp, from: mountain house reveal: our light-filled neutral & textural living room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis is only because I\u2019ve been burned a lot in these two areas. Vintage sofas might not be as comfortable as you want. Take these two vintage sofas, both of which I loved and neither were even cheap. The blue one had springs that you could feel intimately, and our original sectional the mountain house fell apart every single time someone leaned back (we tried a million solutions). They both looked awesome, and I would buy again (despite regretting selling the blue one). I shopped for a year for the right vintage sofas for our living room and they were either $8k on 1stDibs, $3k and needed new upholstery, or uncomfortable\/not the function we wanted. I\u2019m not saying they aren\u2019t out there, but for me, I\u2019m willing to look for a while and then I\u2019m ok giving up on a vintage sofa because I\u2019d rather have one that I like sitting on than vintage for vintage sake. Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2013 many, many, many of them might be GREAT but you might have to invest so much in them to make them as comfortable as you want. So just make sure you like the function\/comfort and how they sit, not just the idea of a vintage sofa.<\/p>\n
Every now and again you find one like this one we used in the Atlanta living room project:<\/p>\nart direction by emily henderson, design and styling assistance by\u00a0emily bowser\u00a0and\u00a0julie rose\u00a0| from:\u00a0reveal: a budget and rental-friendly living and dining room (with 80% thrifted finds)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBut that sofa (I hate to tell you) was extremely uncomfortable. The foam was too bouncy and the proportions weren\u2019t right for sitting or lounging.<\/p>\nphoto by veronica crawford | from: our bedroom update (also how i feel about having a tv in the bedroom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor dressers, I find that many vintage dresser drawers don\u2019t slide well \u2013 either they stick or are super rickety. I might still buy them for guest rooms, but for heavy daily use make sure that these really work. I find that mid-century works better than a more antique dresser. Sure, the wood and craftmanship are high quality, but these days the interior slides just make for a better daily experience. This dresser is actually a recreation of the English style but made new so it functioned perfectly. You can see here that I topped it with more modern-style lamps to help it feel more \u201cme\u201d and less \u201cgrandma\u201d.<\/p>\nphoto by\u00a0jessica isaac\u00a0| from:\u00a0the master bedroom \u2013 where we are now<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFor beds, I hate a rickety crickety bed. And there are very few vintage king-size beds anyway. So for a guest room, fine. And a vintage upholstered headboard? Of course (remember my old royal blue tufted one?), but we are currently thinking about switching out Elliot\u2019s vintage bed because it\u2019s just so rickety and noisy and it drives us all nuts. The construction of a new bed just feels more solid to me.<\/p>\nphoto by\u00a0kaitlin green\u00a0| from: birdie\u2019s bedroom reveal!! designing with (not for) your kids, and how we exploded this room with colorAs I\u2019m writing this I have a million more ideas \u2013 vintage rugs, vintage lamps, vintage textiles \u2013 I use them ALL. But I think you get the point, that I really try to keep them within a color palette and for the most part have them be in good condition to avoid the room looking junky. xx<\/p>\n
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Mike Kelley | From: The Fig House Lounge | Before & After<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n