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Vintage Farmhouse Decor
- all you need to know

What is vintage farmhouse decor?

A vintage farmhouse decor interior with a vintage couch with vintage shabby-chic pillows, a cream-colored shiplap wall with oval gold-tone frames with old photos, a vintage turquoise cupboard, and a vintage chandelier.

Source: @bryartonfarm

To start with, let’s break down the term vintage farmhouse decor. 

 

There is no unambiguous answer as to what makes an item vintage. As far as we all know, to be vintage an item must be old. But how old? According to Wikipedia:

“There is debate over what
determines if an item is vintage.
Some rely on the definition
of anything old and of value.
The most widely accepted definition
used by antique and vintage professionals
is anything older than 40,
(and less than 100) years old.”

Now, the term farmhouse doesn’t really require further explanation: it’s a house that’s attached to a farm. In vintage farmhouse decor, rustic elements (think solid wood beams, stone or tile floors, wooden doors, wooden tables, fireplaces) play the main role, but any added accents should be vintage or vintage-inspired.

A coastal vintage farmhouse entryway with stone floor, a white door, a wicker storage trunk, a vintage suitcase, and a wicker basket with some dried flowers. A vintage dark wood hoop-back farmhouse chair stands on a wooden floor.

Source: @littlesquaresofjoy (Instagram)

In this blog post, I will explore key elements of the vintage farmhouse decorating style. I will also provide tips on how to incorporate the vintage farmhouse aesthetic into your own home and go over the most popular vintage farmhouse styles used today. 

Key Elements of Vintage Farmhouse Decor

When considering the key elements of the vintage farmhouse style, we must distinguish the use of natural materials.

1. Wood, Stone, Brick

Distressed wood pieces are a staple of vintage farmhouse design – the natural and worn look of this type of furniture adds to the overall nostalgic vibe. Wood is also welcome in the form of shiplap walls, wainscoting, flooring, or furniture. Stone is another key component when creating a vintage farmhouse interior. In my opinion, it’s not absolutely essential and it can easily be replaced with the ever-so charming brick. The Hinton Lodge is a lovely testament to brick being an indispensable element of vintage farmhouse decor:

A cast-iron antique wood stove inside an old brick fireplace, with an old iron kettle and a plant on top. A vintage wooden cabinet stands on a vintage wood desk, decorated with a vintage table lamp and a vessel with dried flowers.

Source: @hintonlodge_ (Instagram)

2. Galvanized Metal...

Galvanized metal accents, such as tin or metal baskets, are another common element in achieving the vintage farmhouse look. These materials add a touch of raw industrial charm and provide a great contrast to the warm and natural feel of the wood elements.

A rustic white vintage farmhouse kitchen with a farmhouse sink, two old portraits, and a reclaimed wood and galvanized metal table used as a kitchen island.

Source: Photo by Debbie Dusenberry, aka curioussofa.com

3. Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Another key element in furnishing or decorating farmhouse-style homes is reclaimed wood furniture, and in this case, it should be in the vintage style. This can include anything from old doors (think also antique barn doors) and windows to vintage hutches. Simple and functional decor items, such as a vintage washboard or old school clock, are also a great way to decorate rustic farmhouse interiors.

A repurposed wooden apothecary in sage green with a white watering can on top stands against a white shiplap wall. Farm implements hang on the wall in the background.

Source: Liz Marie Blog

4. Neutral Color Palette

A low-key, neutral color palette is yet another defining feature of old farmhouse interior design. This style is all about creating a warm and inviting feeling, so colors like white, beige, brown, and gray are often used to create a sense of calm and tranquility. These colors are often contrasted by a single bold color like navy or olive green.

A vintage farmhouse interior with an ornate wooden mantelpiece decorated with old clocks, oil lamps, spruce tree branch decorations, and a drawing encased in a brown ornate frame. A gilded cornice hangs above it and in front of it a couch with rustic pillows of different textures.

Source: Kevrose Home

5. Antique/Vintage Pieces

Lastly (and most importantly, too) come antique and vintage home decor pieces such as furniture and accessories. A home in the vintage farmhouse style should showcase a good amount of nostalgic items, such as an antique couch, some old paintings, vintage armchairs, a vintage grandfather clock and more. Smaller items such as dishes, utensils, light fixtures, and such should also be antique or at least look antique.

A decorative cane-back wooden bench with floral upholstery stands on a dark wood floor in a breakfast nook, with vintage frames hanging above it.

Source: The Honeycomb Home

Can You Decorate Any Home In The Vintage Farmhouse Style?

Well, of course, a vintage farmhouse interior will look best in an old home – anything built pre-1950s/1960s. However, not everyone is lucky enough to own a classic farmhouse or a Victorian. A home’s architecture and the time period it comes from shouldn’t come as an obstacle to implementing design elements characteristic of the antique farmhouse style. With some interior design tweaks here and there, a modern home can also slowly transition into a vintage farmhouse, well, at least on the inside.

A vintage farmhouse interior with a stone tile floor, stone fireplace, vertical rustic reclaimed wood beam, shiplap wall, white floating shelf with vintage frames, brass candlesticks, and other vintage items. A wooden hoop-back farmhouse chair and a wicker basket stand on a stone tile floor.

Source: @littlesquaresofjoy (Instagram)

How To Incorporate Vintage Farmhouse Decor Into Your Home

To incorporate the vintage farmhouse style into their home, homeowners should start by thinking about the key elements of this style. The previously mentioned distressed wood furniture, galvanized metal accents, reclaimed materials, and antique-style paintings and artwork featuring farmhouse animals are all great places to start.

Ten horizontal and vertical vintage frames featuring antique farmhouse drawings of farmhouse animals such as cows, pigs, bulls, horses, and goats arranged into a wall gallery.

Source: Etsy

Additionally, you can amass items that weren’t necessarily intended for use as decor in the first place. Look for: 

  • old sewing machines
  • vintage scales
  • glass bottles (amber, blue, green)
  • wooden signs
  • typewriters
  • family heirlooms.
An old kitchen scale decorated with vintage French kitchen ceramics and a potted plant.

Source: @vintage_square_

A white rustic wooden table displaying a vignette made up of an old wooden tray with amber bottles, wicker bottle containers, and vintage books.

Source: @vintage_square_ (Instagram)

All these will make a perfect addition to a vintage farmhouse interior. Also, always be on the lookout for salvaged architectural materials and architectural details like:

  • corbels
  • plaster ceiling medallions
  • crown molding
  • antique newel posts.  

 

You may utilize such precious details in your upcoming refurbishment or as decor. Add trim to the floors and ceiling, casing around the windows, and wall paneling like shiplap, beadboard (on the ceiling too, if possible), or board and batten.

Vintage wooden stairs made of white shiplap and oak boards with a vintage oak newel post, next to a white shiplap wall with a wall gallery made up of vintage frames with antique paintings and illustrations of pastoral scenes.

Source: Midcounty Journal

Bathroom

To achieve a vintage farmhouse style in the bathroom, it would be a good idea to go for: 

  • a pedestal sink
  • penny tiles
  • a vintage bathroom hutch
  • a clawfoot bathtub
  • round or oval shower curtain rail
  • wainscoting, board and batten, or shiplap walls
  • a vintage or antique mirror
  • vintage light fixtures.
The interior of a vintage farmhouse bathroom featuring an antique-style white clawfoot bathtub, a brown wooden stool, vintage area rug, penny tiles, cream-colored wainscoting walls, a rustic bathroom hutch, and a window with cafe curtains.

Source: Vintage Tub

As for the smaller accents, opt for rustic, vintage-style: 

  • toilet paper holders or stands
  • soap dispenser
  • faucet
  • towel racks
  • cotton ball jars (for this, you can utilize old glass candle jars)
  • toothbrush holder
  • wicker laundry hampers and storage baskets
  • a reclaimed wooden ladder as a towel rack
  • repurposed wooden crates as shelves/storage. 
White horizontal paneled wall with two wooden crates used as shelves displaying white hand towels on a vintage pewter tray and glass containers with bath and body products. Part of a black oval frame with a black and white photo is seen below the bottom crate.

Source: @lizlovegrowswild (Instagram)

Try to keep as much as possible out of sight – keep your beauty and skincare products stored away in nice vintage-style containers, baskets, or a nice weathered hutch. 

If you’re lucky enough to own a bathroom with windows, then plants will be a wonderful choice to add coziness and warmth to the space. Melanie Bendavid’s vintage-style cottage in the Catskills is a great example:

The interior of a vintage cottage bathroom with a white clawfoot bathtub, vintage rugs, a reclaimed turquoise-painted wooden bench with plants, two windows with cream-colored curtains, white paneled walls, a pedestal sink, and artwork on the walls.

Source: Town And Country Living

Though not always very practical, I personally also love the idea of adding artwork to a bathroom. I don’t mean the usual cheesy sea or water-related images, but something like classical drawings or even portraits or pastoral scenes. 

An interior of a vintage farmhouse bathroom featuring a dark wooden bathroom cabinet, a distressed white and turquoise wall, wall art, plants, a vintage sconce, and old-style mirrors.

There is plenty of vintage bathroom art to be found on Etsy and other online marketplaces. You can also look around your home to see if there’s any artwork (old photos, posters, postcards) that could find a new life adorning the bathroom walls.

Kitchen

Part of a country cottage kitchen with a vintage farmhouse sink with two gold-tone faucets and a window above it. Dried flowers hang above the sink and copper pans to the left.

Source: French Country Cottage

As far as the kitchen, explore online marketplaces or flea markets for: 

  • wooden crates
  • wooden and wire baskets
  • natural textiles
  • Mason jars (of course) and other vintage glass storage containers 
  • vintage-style dinnerware
  • vintage paper towel holders
  • vintage light fixtures 
  • reclaimed wood table to turn into a kitchen island 
  • a farmhouse sink. 
Blue vintage Mason jars are displayed on a bathroom countertop as part of vintage farmhouse-style decor.

Go for open shelving, weathered finishes, wood and wicker accents and, if possible, copper pans.

A dark brown antique kitchen cabinet shelf with spices in glass containers and more vintage kitchen shelves seen in the background, with copper mugs and other vintage accessories.

Source: Inspired by Charm

Two vintage shabby shelves hanging one above the other, with rustic white corbels and dark wood planks. Vintage white and cream milk jugs and other dishes stand on the shelves; a vintage white oval plate hangs between the two shelves.

Source: Shabby Love Blog

Exposed wood beams would look wonderful in the kitchen and beyond, but of course, that requires further remodeling. However, if time and resources allow it, then it’s one of the essentials of the vintage rustic farmhouse style.

A dark wood table with mismatched vintage farmhouse chairs stands on a stone floor of a vintage farmhouse kitchen with dark wood beams and wicker baskets on the ceiling.

Source: @alexandratolstoy

Dining room

For the dining room or dining area, it would be ideal to invest in a wooden, early 20th-century dining set with hoop-back chairs.

A view of a vintage farmhouse dining room with a wooden oak table and four vintage farmhouse chairs visible. A vintage dining room shelf cabinet with vintage dishes hangs on the wall in the background.

Source: @brittany.morian (Instagram)

Even if it’s impossible to find a matching set, mix-and-match seating is the way to go in vintage farmhouse interiors. As long as all the pieces are vintage-style, made from natural materials (preferably various types of wood), and blend well together.  

A partial view of a long farmhouse table with a tablecloth, mismatched wooden chairs, a pewter tray with some vintage knickknacks and a vintage blue and white flower vase with flowers. A vintage chandelier hangs above the table and an antique turquoise painted dining room hutch is seen in the background.

Source: The Elliott Homestead

You can scour online marketplaces, like the Facebook marketplace for vintage furniture finds and other amazing vintage items!

Old-style linen kitchen tablecloths with vegetable and floral designs.

Other rustic farmhouse items to be used in the dining area include:

  • vintage candlestick holders
  • linen tablecloths and runners 
  • vintage-style light fixtures made of wood or metal
  • artwork (pastoral scenes, old photographs, or oil paintings)
  • vintage or antique hutch.
A vintage wooden hutch displaying antique and vintage dishes made of porcelain and pewter stands on a wooden floor and against a white wall. An old painting of a pastoral scene sits on top of the hutch.

Source: Moore House Interiors 

My absolute favorite idea for a vintage farmhouse dining room, however, is setting up a gallery wall made up of antique-style blue and white plates. A vintage blue willow plate wall will add so much vintage charm to the overall feel of the dining nook. 

A display of blue and white china, and porcelain and pewter dishes in a vintage farmhouse open-shelved cabinet.

Living room

Now, moving on to the living room area! Here, you should still stick to a neutral palette, but with a little pop of color. Whether this is sea blue, olive green, or brown will depend on the type of vintage farmhouse decor you’re going for (more on that below). 


An antique fireplace in a color that complements neutral shades is a foolproof way to transform your space into a vintage farmhouse haven. Speaking of which, I am so enchanted by the Bryarton Farm, which, to me, is a perfect embodiment of vintage farmhouse decor:

Vintage farmhouse living room with an antique wooden fireplace painted sage green and decorated with antique items such as an old clock, frame, and books. A vintage round coffee table stands in front of the fireplace, surrounded by an antique cream-colored couch, armchair, and a wooden rocking chair.

Source: Brayrton Farm

But don’t worry if you don’t have a fireplace – look for an old mantel that can be utilized as a decorative piece for seasonal vignettes. Use it to showcase your plants, brass candlestick holders, books, and vintage items like a mirror.

A vintage wooden mantel with white bricks in place of the fireplace, showcasing a wooden white window frame, old mirror, a brass candlestick holder with a white candlestick, small clay flowerpots, and other vintage items.

Source: @littlemamawandering (Instagram)

And if there’s a fireplace or a mantel, there should also be paintings above it – at least one prominent painting or poster. When decorating in the antique farmhouse style, look for paintings depicting pastoral scenes or old-style portraits. They will look great encased in gilded ornate frames or just hung on their own for a rustic charm vibe. 

An old square-shaped painting of a pastoral scene featuring trees, a village road, a couple of cottage homes, and three distant figures, encased in an ornate gilded frame.

Source: relic_interiors (Instagram)

Some other elements and items to consider when decorating your living room in the vintage farmhouse style are:

  • a grandfather clock
  • wall sconces (especially in a vintage American farmhouse)
  • a vintage/antique chandelier or hanging lamp 
  • neutral-colored vintage or rustic throw pillows made of natural fabrics
  • an antique statement piece couch and/or antique armchairs
  • a vintage rocking chair in dark wood.

Bedroom

The fundamental thing to consider when incorporating vintage farmhouse decor into your bedroom is the use of natural fabrics and materials and lots of (natural) textures. Some decor elements that will work great in a vintage farmhouse bedroom are:

  • wooden or metal/iron bed frame
  • wooden or stone floor
  • jute and other natural rugs (look for vintage)
  • heavy cotton or linen bedding
  • distressed furniture
  • shiplap walls (reclaimed wood, not store-bought) or white, gray, or light green walls
  • floral/toile wallpaper (especially in a French-inspired vintage farmhouse bedroom)
  • vintage or antique dresser
  • natural cotton lace curtains
  • vintage cheval mirror in dark wood
  • burlap throw pillows
  • neutral-colored quilts
  • other vintage decor and storage items made from natural materials.
A partially visible bed with a black iron bed frame and vintage bedding made up of a cream-colored quilt and neutral textured pillows. Next to the bed a vintage wooden night stand, a wooden oval cheval mirror, and a jute rug on a wooden floor.

Source: @michaela_lorren (Instagram)

When putting together bedding, avoid being matchy-matchy and just make sure that all the items are made of natural materials and go well together. 

Use from four to eight throw pillows of different neutral tones and textures. Or six matching throw pillows + one or two in a bold color like brown, green, or blue, depending on the vintage farmhouse style you’re going for.

If possible, get rid of the carpet if you have one, and expose wooden panels or stone instead. Get a natural rug made of jute, linen, sisal, or seagrass (again, look for vintage items).

A gallery wall made up of old flower illustrations in antique square, rectangular, and oval frames hangs above an iron-frame bed with white pillows and a vintage sage green quilt.

Source: Rain and Pine

Create a vintage farmhouse gallery wall above your bed for a lovely decorating idea. Look for paintings or posters of pastoral scenes, farmhouse animals, flowers, landscapes, and old portraits. And definitely encase them in vintage gold-tone ornamental frames. Go for a mix of square, rectangular, and oval. 

Examples of Vintage Farmhouse
Decorating Styles

A view of a vintage wooden dining set with two candlesticks, a jug with a dried flower bouquet, and a plate of mini pumpkins. Two round vintage mirrors on a wainscoting wall

There are several different styles of vintage farmhouse decor, each with its unique distinctive elements. However, what each of these vintage farmhouse styles has in common is the implementation of natural materials and vintage accents. Below I will go over some of the most common styles and their characteristics.

French Vintage Farmhouse

A rustic kitchen with an antique chandelier, a round kitchen table with a white and light green floral motif tablecloth, three brown vintage farmhouse chairs, a vase with spring flowers, a cake tray with cherries, silverware, and a vintage teapot.

Source: Homes and Gardens

When we hear the word “French”, we usually think of luxury and elegance. Though not all things French are chic, it’s a common belief that does apply to French vintage farmhouse decor.

Two rose pink and white striped pillows with ruffled edges stacked one on top of the other, sitting on white bed sheets.

Source: @_petitpanier (Instagram)

The vintage French farmhouse style is all about elegance and charm and its main features involve: 

 

  • a natural color palette
  • natural materials 
  • rustic woods (hardwood floors, exposed wood beams, often painted white)
  • floral and botanical motifs (toile pillowcases and wallpapers)
  • off-white, cream, and ecru fabrics and cotton ticking stripe fabrics
  • vintage-style backsplashes and marble countertops
  • metal-frame beds
  • romantic chandeliers 
  • galvanized metals 
  • distressed/shabby furniture (usually light-colored)
  • antique and vintage elements.

American Vintage Farmhouse

A room with a white and dark green harlequin floor, wooden vintage table with a wicker basket with dried flowers, dark wood hoop-back farmhouse chairs, a sage green vintage cabinet, an antique portrait, a vintage chandelier, and a dark wooden bench with a copper watering can on top.

Source: The Cottage Journal

“The first farmhouse homes in America were built by European settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, some of the earliest settlements, such as the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, had farmhouses that were built in the early 1600s.”

The American vintage farmhouse style focuses on rustic charm and country elements and is characterized by the use of:

 

  • a natural color palette with one accent color such as dark green,
  • natural raw materials (wood, stone)
  • wood-planked walls and exposed wood beams (rough-hewn)
  • wrought iron latches and hinges
  • decorative millwork 
  • brick fireplaces
  • vintage/antique chandeliers 
  • wicker baskets 
  • wall sconces
  • distressed furniture
  • wood-paneled walls
  • open shelving in the kitchen with kitchen items such as pans out in the open
  • hoop-back farmhouse chairs (dark wood)
  • vintage accents (for example, a brass paper towel holder). 

Industrial Vintage Farmhouse

The term industrial is often associated with loft-style decor and the use of metals and wires. The industrial vintage farmhouse combines vintage and industrial elements to create a look that is both stylish and functional.

A simple wooden white table with six white metal chairs stands on a light brown wooden paneled floor. White shiplap walls are seen in the background with antique tapestry, an industrial hanging lamp hangs from the ceiling, and a vintage wooden wardrobe is seen to the right.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens / Photo: John Granen

Some of the main features of  industrial vintage farmhouse decor include:

 

    • Edison bulb pendant lights
    • exposed brick walls
    • the use of wires and metals
    • wooden elements (wooden tables and floors, exposed wood beams)
    • steel beams and blackened iron structures
    • vintage cast iron casters
    • barn doors
    • repurposed steel or copper pipes (for example as paper towel holders)
    • reclaimed furniture
    • vintage accents (for example, an old sewing machine or iron)
    • straight lines and rough finishes. 

 

Coastal Vintage Farmhouse

The view of an old brick fireplace inside a white shiplap wall; a white shelf with vintage white and blue plates and brass candlestick holders hangs above the fireplace, and a wooden vintage farmhouse chair stands to the left.

Source: @littlesquaresofjoy (Instagram)

Despite its overall cool aesthetic, I think that coastal interior design elements have a certain type of coziness and tranquility to them. It’s no different when it comes to the vintage coastal farmhouse, which is a charming and relaxed interior design aesthetic that draws inspiration from traditional farm houses located near the coast. 

 

I am so captivated by Melody’s beautiful home in Cape Cod — it’s a wonderful mixture of vintage farmhouse decor and coastal charm:

Nine round vintage plates displaying old images of ships hang on a white wall, next to them a window, and an antique dark wood cabinet with vintage white and blue dinnerware inside. Wicker baskets hang from a wooden ceiling.

Source: @littlesquaresofjoy (Instagram)

Vintage coastal farmhouse decor is characterized by a mix of antique and rustic elements, such as:

 

  • distressed wood furniture
  • woven baskets
  • vintage coastal artwork
  • soft and neutral color palette with shades of white, blue, and sand
  • natural materials (jute, sisal, cotton, linen) 
  • nautical accents such as ship wheels and vintage plates with nautical scenes
  • blue and white decor elements
  • layered natural texture rugs (a small blue rug over a large jute/sisal rug)
  • white shiplap walls
  • vintage accents.

Scandinavian Vintage Farmhouse

The interior of a vintage farmhouse in the Scandinavian style featuring a vintage oval wooden table with vintage wooden farmhouse chairs, a white wood paneled floor, a window with white curtains, flowerpots of red geraniums, an antique hurricane lamp hanging from the ceiling, and a small old red and white tapestry on a white rustic wooden wall.

Source: @helenastorp

Most of us associate Scandinavian home decor with hygge – the Danish and Norwegian concept of creating a cozy and comfortable home environment, especially in colder climates. Scandi decor also brings to mind minimalistic and functional spaces with the use of neutral colors. But Scandinavian vintage farmhouse decor is a thing. A thing that’s pretty close to the American vintage farmhouse style with some tweaks. 


Helena’s absolutely gorgeous Sweden home is a wonderful reflection of the vintage Scandi farmhouse style:

Afternoon light in a vintage Scandi farmhouse featuring a partial view of an oval table with a red and white patterned tablecloth, two vintage wooden farmhouse chairs, a floral decoration on the table, vintage blue and white patterned wallpaper, and a worn-out shabby rustic white door.

Source: @helenastorp (Instagram)

Scandinavian vintage farmhouse decor often features:

  • vintage embroidered Scandinavian textiles 
  • shiplap everything and everywhere
  • dark wood hoop-back chairs (usually more ornate than in American vintage farmhouse decor)
  • a neutral palette with a soft accent color such as a light blue or sage green
  • white wooden floors (reclaimed wood)
  • antique hurricane lamps 
  • antique furniture.

Colorful vintage farmhouse

A vintage reclaimed furniture yellow floor cabinet with white and dark blue finishes with vintage vessels, flowerpots, and books on top. An antique painting of a pastoral scene and some vintage decorations hang on the white wall.

Source: @masonandpainter (Instagram)

I know I’ve been mentioning the use of neutral colors throughout this post. That’s because a neutral color palette is part of vintage farmhouse or cottage decor. But if you, like myself, are a fan of some color, then maybe the colorful vintage farmhouse style is for you.

An antique decorative flower pot with hyacinth bulbs, a candlestick, an open book. And a vintage blue and white teacup sit on a vintage wooden table with a vintage colorful farmhouse kitchen seen in the background.

Source: @malthousecottage (Instagram)

In this version, all the rules remain the same but the color palette. Here, you can use any colors you like, and because this style is eclectic and full of whimsy, a lot is forgiven. For example, in the colorful vintage farmhouse style you can easily go for:

  • different-colored kitchen cabinets
  • reclaimed wood furniture painted different colors 
  • colorful vintage dinnerware 
  • colorful kitchen utensils and appliances
  • colorful vintage tiles
  • colorful textiles 
  • a variety of natural fabrics, materials, and textures 
  • mismatched furniture
  • lots of charming vintage knickknacks 
  • walls painted green, purple, red, or any color you like!

 

Jane Dowthwaite’s charming Malthouse Cottage is a wonderful example of colorful vintage farmhouse decor:

A colorful vintage farmhouse kitchen with light green walls, a wooden table with a vintage wooden chair, an antique gold-frames oval mirror on the wall, a copper dish, small pumpkins, candle and other items on the table, an antique glass hanging lamp, and dried hops as decoration on the top of the wall.

Source: @malthousecottage (Instagram)

FAQ

To further expand on decorating in the vintage farmhouse aesthetic,
 let’s go over some of the most
commonly asked questions on this topic.

What is vintage farmhouse style?

Vintage farmhouse style refers to an interior design aesthetic that combines elements of rustic, country, and traditional decor with a nostalgic, worn-in feel. It draws inspiration from old farmhouses and rural homes, evoking a sense of warmth, simplicity, and nostalgia. This style often emphasizes natural materials, distressed finishes, and a mix of antique and vintage pieces.

What are some popular vintage farmhouse decor items?

Some popular decor items include distressed wooden signs, old-fashioned tin buckets, vintage birdcages, wooden crates, Mason jars, vintage mirrors, upcycled stools, antique vases, vintage crocks, barn doors, wire baskets, linen fabrics, or a brass paper towel holder.

What is the difference between vintage and antique farmhouse decor?

Though very often used interchangeably, we can differentiate between antique farmhouse and vintage farmhouse decor in a way that antique items are generally considered to be at least 100 years old, while vintage items are 40-100 years old. Antique farmhouse decor is typically more valuable and is made from higher-quality materials, while vintage farmhouse decor is still highly sought after but may be more accessible and affordable. We can also come across vintage items with a distressed finish, stylized to look antique.

How can I decorate a room in the vintage farmhouse style on a budget?

To decorate a room in the vintage farmhouse style on a budget, start by shopping for items at thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales. You can also consider upcycling or repurposing items you already have in your home to give them a vintage farmhouse look. Additionally, consider adding vintage accents like vintage textiles, distressed wooden signs, and vintage-style light fixtures to complete the look without breaking the bank.

Do I need to live in a farmhouse to decorate my home in the vintage farmhouse style?

No. While an old house—anything constructed before the 1960s—will look best with a classic farmhouse interior, not everyone is fortunate enough to own a Victorian or a traditional farmhouse. It’s possible to incorporate design features reminiscent of the old farmhouse style regardless of the architecture or time period of a residence. A modern house can gradually transform into an antique farmhouse with a few small interior design changes, at least from the inside.

How to decorate vintage farmhouse style?

To decorate in vintage farmhouse style, start with a soft and muted color palette using shades of white, cream, and pastels. Incorporate natural wood elements like distressed furniture and exposed beams. Look for vintage furniture and accessories from flea markets or antique shops, such as a weathered rocking chair or an old farmhouse sink. Layer your space with cozy textiles in natural materials and patterns like gingham or ticking stripes. Choose farmhouse-inspired lighting fixtures and add natural elements like fresh flowers and potted plants. Incorporate distressed finishes, hang vintage artwork, and display old signs for a charming and cozy vintage farmhouse look.

Where to find vintage farmhouse items?

You can find vintage farmhouse items at various places. Start by exploring local flea markets, thrift stores, and antique shops in your area. Online platforms like Etsy, 1st Dibs, and Facebook Marketplace also offer a wide range of vintage farmhouse items. Additionally, consider attending estate sales or garage sales in your community, as they often have unique pieces with a farmhouse aesthetic.

Conclusion

Vintage farmhouse is a popular style in interior design that is characterized by its warm and charming atmosphere. This home decorating style combines rustic elements, such as distressed wood and galvanized metal, with vintage accents, such as vintage textiles and lighting fixtures, to create a cozy and inviting home. 

 

Use this post to guide you in implementing vintage and antique-style farmhouse elements in your space, regardless of whether it’s a historic gem or a modern home!

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