Written By Connie
CPD Sleep Consultant
The aesthetic might have an old-style feel but that doesn't mean vintage bedroom ideas are out of style. Vintage bedrooms have an elegance to them with French-style bed frames and the feel of country homes with fresh flowers and faded florals. Our list of products can help you create a vintage look.
Vintage bedroom ideas have a shabby chic style but it's simple to bring it into a contemporary home. Of course, a vintage look isn't to everyone's taste, however, it can be adapted to suit you or you can pick a couple of vintage pieces to have in your room. The best way to achieve a vintage feel is by visiting the local thrift store or charity shop. You can find high-quality products without the high-end price tag. Sometimes this isn't possible or you can't find any antiques, so the other option is to look online. This is where we come in to help.
We'll find ways for you to add a vintage touch to your bedroom.
What are the characteristics of a vintage bedroom?
A vintage bedroom can have a mix-and-match aesthetic with elegant furniture, delicate patterns and a rustic charm. Many bedrooms with a vintage look will have weathered oak featured through – particularly with the bigger furniture – but you may also notice weathered floorboards. All of these things add character to the room. Visual interest is created in a vintage room by textured fabrics and patterns (including subtle stripes, polka dots and florals). As for the walls and decor, they tend to be in soft colours so they're unobtrusive as you want the focal point to be on the most vintage piece.
How does a vintage bedroom help you sleep?
A vintage-style room is a cosy room, and a cosy room means better sleep. Using softer colours in a space makes it feel like a relaxing retreat so you can be calm before going to bed. These types of colours aren't harsh on the eyes so they won't distract you while you're winding down. The floral aspects of a vintage bedroom are uplifting to keep you in a good mood before sleeping.
Products to help you create your vintage-style bedroom
Now, we have got the products for you to have in your pretty vintage bedroom. Using just some of our suggestions will give your room an instant vintage style. With vintage bedrooms, it's about repurposing various pieces so we will be sharing extra tips along with the items.
Bed frame
The bed frame tends to be the focal point of the bedroom, and that's usually true for a vintage-style bed too. You need to be on the lookout for one that's extravagant with curves in the framing that has been handcrafted. Any other fancy details are a bonus.
This bed brings everything you need for a vintage feel. It has a gorgeous buttoned upholstered headboard that is double-sided – this means you can place it anywhere in the room to be a centrepiece. The same fabric is used on the foot end of the bed too. The bed frame is delicately carved for an elegant and sophisticated appearance. If that hasn't convinced you enough that this is a vintage bed, it has a weathered oak wood finish. What's more, it's in a neutral colourway so it can work with pretty much any colour scheme you choose.
Bedding
Your choice of bedding for a vintage room is quite broad as there's no specific design. You can go for a plain and neutral duvet cover or one that has a subtle pattern and vintage textures. All we can say is don't pick out a bedsheet set that is brightly coloured or has a crazy design.
With an antique bedroom you need to have some luxury bedsheets. Having a fancy bed means you need bedding that is going to keep the quality high. We picked this striped bedding set that's part of Dunelm's conscious choice range. It has such a timeless design with light stripes that add texture to the product. This duvet cover and pillowcases can be featured in a number of interior designs so you're not limited to a vintage bedroom. The pillowcases have an Oxford border that is sumptuous and completes the look.
Soft furnishings
The soft furnishings in a vintage bedroom are not essential to complete the aesthetic, but they can be nice additional accessories. You can add a cushion or two to your bed with a throw draped over the end. Aside from that you could have a canopy above the bed for a sense of elegance.
Even though the bed is fancy on its own, there's no reason why you can't add a little something else to it. We couldn't resist including this canopy in our vintage bedroom ideas. This just needs to be attached above your bed and you can lightly drape over the edges of your headboard. Everything about this accessory is airy and calming. It reminds us of historic homes you see in period dramas so it should definitely be a part of your vintage bedroom. As a bonus, it doesn't just look pretty, it's practical too. It keeps the mosquitos out at night, so no more worries of bugs getting in.
As there is already a beautiful headboard and footboard, we have opted for just one cushion. Any more cushions will take the focus from the bed frame and it seems unnecessary for these vintage bedroom ideas. This cushion has delicate piping around the seam of the cushion that contrasts with the cream fabric. On the front, there's a selection of dainty embroidered flowers that add a pop of purple, blue and orange to the room. It can become a statement piece against the white bedsheets, but the neutral colours don't distract you from the whole bedroom.
Vintage furniture
Obviously, you're going to want some antique furniture in your vintage bedroom. Nothing compares to actual vintage pieces, but you can get good replicas online that give the same feel. If you find something in a vintage style that doesn't look the part you could DIY a weathered finish by sanding the wood down and coating it in milk paint.
We obviously had to choose this table as it matches the bed frame from the same range. It's got a weathered oak finish with intricately carved legs. The table is in a semicircle shape which makes the overall design soft and calming. Below the tabletop, there's a little drawer for some extra storage space and nearer to the floor there's a half-moon shelf. Now, you might not have thought about getting a console table or side table but you can turn it into a dressing table for your bedroom. Simply rest a mirror on top or hang a mirror above and voila – you've got a vintage dressing table. It creates the perfect place to get ready.
Home decor
Vintage decor is important for this aesthetic as the smaller details can change the whole room. This could be several picture frames to make up a gallery wall, vintage suitcases, or a vintage chest at the foot of the bed. There are a lot of choices for the decor.
This light has a gold cable and an amber-tinted glass pendant. The lighting it creates has a vintage tinge to it which is the exact vibe you want to have. You could have this as a centre light of the room, or you can have them as accent lights on either side of the bed. With an amber and gold design, it brings warm tones and adds a warming feel to your vintage bedroom. The glass curved dome is gorgeous and will remain discreet amongst the rest of the decor, but it's a small touch that can make a difference.
The best places to find a vintage frame are thrift stores because you can get ones that are actually antique. However, if that's not so easy for you then we have the next best thing. This frame is sort of style you want to keep an eye out for. Keep finding frames like this one and you'll have a gallery wall in no. The Brompton Frame comes in different variations of frame colour and sizes so you could even mix and match several of these for a quirky wall display.
Candle holders are a must-have. It can be the tall and thin golden ones that you see in the movies or you can pick something a little different. We found these lovely candle holders and decided to choose the subtle blue/clear colour. They come in smaller sizes and other colours, so you could get a selection. There's something about the ribbed details and the colouring that makes it feel old-fashioned, yet it's so chic. They're the perfect addition to your side table.
Wall decor
It's always good to spruce up the wall, especially if you're keeping traditional white walls. So, a couple of botanical prints could be exactly what you need. However, if you decide you want to paint the walls, we suggest using soft paint colours – and if it's chalk paint that you've used then you can also use it to touch up some of the furniture.
You've got to have a hint of floral wallpaper in your vintage bedroom. The floral wallpaper brings Cottagecore bedroom ideas into the room. Obviously, flowers are associated with the countryside, nature and the outdoors which make sense for Cottagecore but it is very popular for a vintage style too. You probably imagine the kind of wallpaper that will be revealed if you ever took off your current design.
This one uses soft colours – grey, beige, green – to create branches with flowers and leaves with butterflies in between. It's absolutely stunning and don't worry, it won't remind you of your Great Grandma's living room. We would suggest having the floral wallpaper used as an accent wall rather than all four walls.
When it comes to wall art, you just need botanical prints. They can be hung in your antique frames or you can go for another look. Although, we think this art print would go incredibly with the frames we recommended above. The design of this one reminds us of Alice in Wonderland so there's a lot of nostalgia that comes with the artwork.
Having this picture hanging on a separate wall to the wallpaper will tie them both together beautifully. Alongside this, it pairs with the embroidered cushion too because of the pops of colour, the contrast and the flowers. Amazing.
Conclusion
To achieve that grown-up vintage bedroom, you need to get in the zone with your vintage flair and go on the hunt for your old-style decor. Start small by adding in a mason jar or two, maybe change the light fixtures and add in some different textures – you're on your way to a vintage room. Perhaps you like the furniture you already have and you want to turn them into vintage furniture. Use the little tips and tricks that we mentioned, and you can save yourself some money. Slowly build on your vintage products and you'll be finished in no time.
Have fun deciding all your vintage bedroom ideas, because we've definitely enjoyed coming up with ours.
Spread the word
Is Vinted good for vintage stuff?
I use Vinted and Etsy quite a lot