One of the questions I am asked the most when it comes to styling vintage pieces is: How do you make it not look so …. old?
Styling vintage so that it doesn’t look quite so vintage is my niche, I think. Of course I urge people to shop vintage because it’s more sustainable — and often more affordable — that purchasing everything new. It also adds so much character to a home (or to yourself, if you’re shopping vintage fashion).
But what I live for is finding a piece and styling it so that you can’t tell if it cost a thousand dollars or a single dollar. Did that ratty old t-shirt come from Barney’s (RIP) circa 2018, or did it come from a Goodwill bin circa yesterday? Is the baby blue coffee table the result of a quick jaunt to the Re:Store or was it a lucky find at Coming Soon?
I love vintage, but I never want my outfits to feel costumey or my home to feel like the set of Mad Men. And one way to ensure old stuff doesn’t veer too far into retro territory is to repurpose it: display a piece of art sideways, re-frame an old painting, add a new lampshade to an old lamp.
Over the years I’ve amassed some tools that I keep in my arsenal—pieces I turn to often to style vintage pieces in my own home so that they don’t look so, well, vintage. Here are some of my faves.
Every time I post a photo of this tabletop easel, I get at least a dozen DMs asking me where it’s from. It’s amazing (and comes in a full size, as well). It’s the easiest way to display art (no nails or hanging required) and it looks so damn chic. I have the small bronze one.
This conical rattan lampshade is another piece I am asked about constantly. It has lived on so many lamps in my home and I have had it for five years now. It instantly upgrades a thrift-store lamp and takes everything into Athena Calderone territory (it looks a lot like the shade from her insanely popular lamp for Crate and Barrel, which is based off of a vintage piece.)
The number one easiest way to create a new piece of art in your home is to rip a page out of a vintage book and throw it in a really great frame. This colorful lucite frame and this burl wood frame are meant for photos, but they can be hung on the wall, too. Cut out an old photograph, or a portion of a colorful page in a book, and re-frame them in either of these. It will look like a million dollars and cost far less than getting something professionally framed.
I love finding decorative plates at the thrift store. They are generally passed over because they’re pretty impractical (you generally can’t eat off of them) and no one cares about having a pile of weird plates in their home. Except for me. I live for that kinda thing. These little plate-hangers are easy to use and come in multiple sizes. Just affix them to the back of the plate and hang them on the wall with a nail and a hook.
An oversized jute rug can really tie everything together. Jute is often equated with boho style but designers of all aesthetics use them beautifully. This one is perfect—it’s at a good price point (quality rugs are expensive), it’s made by one of the top designers working today, and it comes in multiple sizes. (Also: this collection just came out, is now available for pre-order for delivery in March, and I guarantee you will sell out.)
There is no easier way to upgrade your old lamp (and bring it into the 21st century) than with a smart bulb. We use them in just about every light source in our home. They work on a timer, from your phone, and are voice activated. But even better is the glow they give off. The “Ambiance” variety can transform into everything from a cool white to a purple cast that mimics a sunset. Worth the investment, IMO.
Adding a pillow or two to an old piece of furniture can offer a different look. This checkered bolster is very fun.
Recommended reading/listening:
The hold that the Netflix Murdaugh documentary had on me is rivaled only by the hold the Murdaugh family had on the entire town of Hampton, South Carolina for more than a century, until it all came crashing down in 2021.
My friend Alyssa recently reminded me of this—possibly one of the best and weirdest longform stories in recent history. It’s about a couple who criticized eBay in a newsletter and were then absolutely harassed via email, snail mail, attacks on their home…. if you don’t know the story, you will be surprised by who was behind the attacks. But if you are familiar with how prideful some men can be, you might not be surprised at all! Why isn’t there a Netflix documentary about this? Why isn’t there a feature film about this? Why didn’t this completely capture the public’s attention when it was published in 2021? These are all mysteries I cannot answer. I just know I read it when it first came out and haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
The best summation of the Vanderpump scandal and a true deep cut:
And I’ll leave you with this…