While many of us would love to be able to afford to have our homes designed and decorated by professional interior decorators, the truth is, that for most of us, that is just not possible. I would argue that a home that is decorated by YOU with the things that YOU love, and in a style that is YOURS is best!
Be Yourself!
It’s YOUR home! Do what makes YOU happy! It is my personal belief that it is important to live a life that makes YOU happy! Our choices shouldn’t be dictated by the preferences of others. Of all of the things that I most admired about my own mother, it was her ability to live her life on her own terms that I loved the most. I recently came across this quote from Caroline Kennedy that I think is a perfect example of this,
I think my mother… made it clear that you have to live life by your own terms, and you have to not worry about what other people think, and you have to have the courage to do the unexpected. Caroline Kennedy
Go For It!
Now for the hard part…where to begin… Taking the first step in anything we do is always the hardest part. Now, if you are a rule follower like me, you might tend to want to overanalyze your choices and just try too hard! NO! Just get in there and start playing around until you create something that appeals to you and makes you happy. I love to decorate, and I have been known to change around a particular room and/or display hundreds of times. I just enjoy the create end of it all, but I learned a long time ago, just to keep moving things around until you like it! You can always move it again!
Helpful Tips:
While I don’t propose that you follow any particular rules in decorating your home with vintage items, I can share with you some things that I tend to do. Remember, this is the amateur’s guide… I am far from a professional, but here goes…
- Create groupings of collections of similar items
- Create vignettes
- Create seasonal displays
- Combine vintage and new items
- Use what you LOVE!
Create Groupings of Collections or Similar Items:
This is my personal favorite! If you love cats, then display a collection of cat related items! If you love a particular color, then display a collection of items that you love in that color! There are limitless possibilities! The following photos are from our own personal homes. I have also included photos from my niece’s home, as well!
Create Vignettes:
Creating vignettes is simply grouping several objects together to form a picture or tell a story. I think that this is best explained through more photos…
Create Seasonal Displays:
This is especially fun if you’re a big holiday nut like me! I am particularly fond of vintage Christmas decor, but you can do something like the following photos for any holiday and/or season!
Combine Vintage and New:
When decorating with vintage items, it is worth noting, that there is nothing wrong with combining items that we love that are both old and new! I happen to be in love with Ree Drummond’s (of The Pioneer Woman fame) line of home decor items, and I often decorate with combinations of both!
Don’t Forget the Garden!
As much as I love decorating the interior of my home, we mustn’t forget the exterior. Garden decor is just as much fun. There are numerous ideas for using vintage items to spruce up our yards, as well!
Do and Use What you Love!
My true purpose in writing this, is to help you to understand that your home is YOURS, and you are the author of your life. YOU get to choose the items and styles that appeal to YOU! Life is too short to spend it worrying about the opinions of others at the expense of our own authenticity and happiness. Make up your own rules, and happy decorating!
This post was originally published on our Two Ladybugs Vintage website.
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Jill’s Journal 
