In the design world you hear a lot about something called “vintage character”. Defining vintage character is a bit hard to pin down. It is one of those things in life where you know it when you see it. What is vintage character and how can you use it in your decorating?
Vintage character has a well-worn appearance that adds charm and age to a piece of furniture or room. Vintage furniture often shows its age through design and surface finish. Depending on the type of vintage furniture, the surface may be worn, nicked and even chipped. These apparent flaws are what give vintage style its charm. The sofa in this picture has tons of vintage charm. Not only do the shape and design define it as vintage, the fabric is worn and the wood patinaed.
Other vintage charm can be found in the antique or vintage area rug. Older rugs used vegetable dyes for color. These vegetable dyes have a natural variation that gives these rugs vintage character that new rugs just don’t have.
Vintage character can be found on wood floors that are from reclaimed wood or have hand hewn and scraped details. In other words, vintage character celebrates the idiosyncrasies that come with age and use. Kind of like celebrating growing old gracefully, vintage character is about embracing the wear and tear of a life well lived. Vintage inspired designs can have the lines and designs of true vintage pieces, but rarely do they completely capture the character of authentic vintage design.
