Vintage Design

The Finishing Touch: Wainscoting Ideas and Designs

When you picture wainscoting, you’ll normally imagine white wainscoting going about halfway up the wall, and the wall is painted. But there are a few other wainscoting ideas and designs to consider.

Painting Over the Wainscoting

Have a look at picture (1). The wainscoting panels have been painted the same color as the wall. This adds depth and style to a normal flat wall. It is a subtle design element that creates a luxurious finish.

Another DIY option is to paint the wainscoting a different shade than the wall. The best way to do this is to paint the wainscoting a darker shade (say grey, red, or blue) than the wall.

And then there is always the timeless and classic option of keeping the walls and wainscoting both white, or off white – just like in the living room in picture (3).

Different Wainscoting Styles

There are 2 main styles when it comes to wainscoting. You have embossed wainscoting panels, where it sticks out like individual picture frames – just like the bathroom wainscoting in picture (6). And then there are debossed panels, where it is recessed, pushed in (5).

Usually wainscoting will be one big square or rectangle. Picture (3) shows two rectangles close together creating a thick frame. While the wainscoting in picture (6) has a double railing layer on top. And then you could always get more creative with the shape and designs, just like the wainscoting in picture (7).

Different Heights

You can see that the rooms in the mood board have gone with different wainscoting heights. The best look though would be wainscoting that is somewhere between half way up the way and a third up the wall. So a bit lower down.

Wainscoting is technically when you add wooden panels to the lower part of the wall. But there is always the option of adding full height, floor to ceiling, paneling to decorate the space. Just like the living room in picture (4).

Some Other Decorative Wall znd Ceiling Design Ideas

Here are a few other ideas to consider when remodeling your walls:

How about adding decorative crown molding. There is the simple standard crown molding, with the different grooves. Or there is the traditional, Victorian style crown molding with elaborate designs.
If you have a chandelier, mini chandelier, a large pendant light, or even a fan in the room, then why not frame it with a ceiling medallion.

3 Unique Vintage Ceiling Design Ideas

Here are some other posts to get more ideas from:

image credits: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

April 12, 2016 in Decor, Vintage Design

A Bedroom With Style: Ideas for a Vintage Kids Room

It doesn’t take much to transform your kids room into a vintage wonderland. Here are some easy ways and ideas to give your kids room a vintage makeover.

Sweet Dreams

The bed is the main focal point in the bedroom. For a vintage bed, look for a farmhouse style one, just like the bed in picture (4). You can get one of those beds here. And you can always paint over it to add a pop of color to the room. Or a wooden bed would also work.

And if you want to take it one step further, then you can look for vintage style material to use as linens and bed sheets.

Decor Ideas

Here a some simple decor ideas that can help transform your kids room:

Vintage map
Vintage style globe
A mirror with a vintage style frame
Hang up a vintage style clock – like the one in the Amazon window below
Or hang up art pieces in an assortment of frames to create a vintage gallery wall Design Tips on How To Create a Vintage Gallery Wall
Use vintage style clothing pegs to hang up photos on a piece of string. Get your pegs in the Amazon window below.
Use a bird cage to house books, a lamp, or to store items
Vintage style bunting can be found on Etsy and hung around the bedroom to decorate the space
How about hanging up some fairy lights
You could use a galvanized bucket, or a copper bucket as a trash can, like the one in the Amazon window below
Hang up some vintage style fabric as curtains, and use a vintage door knob as a tieback
Give the closets a makeover with a vintage color, and some vintage door handles

Creating a Wonderland: Kids Room Decor Ideas

Here are some posts to get more ideas from:

For more decor ideas have a look at my post here: What Vintage Home Decor Ideas Can You Buy For Under $12

Storage Ideas

By using vintage style storage containers, not only do you add storage to the room but you style it at the same time. Some ways to do this include using:

Wicker baskets and hampers
Galvanized buckets
Wire baskets
Glass jars
Wooden trunks and crates
Enamel containers and buckets

Vintage DIY Project Ideas

Here are some simple DIY ideas that will help transform a kids room:

If you have a lazerjet printer, or you can head down to your local printers, you can print out vintage designs and transfer them onto wood. You can decorate wooden crates, a wooden headboard, or just a piece of wood to hang up as a decor piece
You can print out vintage graphcis onto label paper, and used them to label glass jars
An old window can be used to create a vintage style photo frame

For more DIY ideas have a look at my post here: Handmade: Simple DIY Vintage Decor Projects

Paint colors

If you want to paint the walls in a vintage color scheme, then have a look at my vintage paint colors post for ideas and photos: Vintage Paint Colors and Palette Home Style Guide. Mint, pastel blue, and light pastel orange would be some great colors to paint a kids room.

And how about adding some decorative antique looking crown molding. Or how about hanging up a mini chandelier with a ceiling medallion.

Wallpaper ideas

I have a post that shows different vintage wallpaper styles, and ways you can style a room with wallpaper. Check it out for pictures and ideas: Vintage Style Wallpaper Patterns and Designs

Here are some other vintage posts to get more ideas from:

1/2/3/4/5/6

April 8, 2016 in Bedroom, Vintage Design

Style Guide: Vintage Bathroom Lighting Fixtures and Ideas

Safety Note: Keep in mind that whatever style or kind of vintage bathroom lighting you use, they need to be rated for the bathroom. Since bathroom lights can get in contact with moisture, or if they are close to the sink or shower, get wet.

Different Vintage Light Fixtures: In a bathroom, you have the option of combining ceiling lights, wall lights, and vanity lights. Here is a quick list of the kind of lighting fixtures that you’ll want to use one way or another in a vintage bathroom:

Gooseneck
Pancake
Nautical lights / industrial guard
School house

The collage below shows what each one looks like. You can get these lights from Barn Light Electric.

Adding Lux with a Chandelier: Other lighting ideas include using a French style chandelier. And you can add a ceiling medallion around the chandelier, or even around other pendant or recessed lights (Design Ideas for Decorative Ceiling Medallions).

Brass Fittings: You could also use more modern light fixtures, but ones with brass fittings to add some vintage luxury character to the bathroom.

Here are some other posts that could help you in designing your bathroom:

image credits: 1/2/3/4/5/6

March 26, 2016 in Bathroom, Vintage Design

Design Tips on How To Create a Vintage Gallery Wall

Here are some quick tips and ideas for creating your own vintage gallery wall:

Mix up different frames. You don’t need to have all of the frames the same designs. The more different they are the better – just like the living room gallery wall in picture (1)
Thrifting for your frames, or going on Etsy, would be the best way to build up your gallery wall. Vintage style picture frames are quite decorative. You have all of the growves, or curvy shapes (2).
Mix up rectangle frames with oval ones
And mix up small with large frames, just like the gallery wall in picture (3)
Why not include a vintage style clock (4), decor letters, vintage signs, or a mirror into the gallery wall layout
You can also create a more modern vintage look, with simple picture frames and black and white vintage style images inside – you can see this in picture (5) and (6)