Pinterest Vintage Furniture
Vintage decor, in lieu of recognizable pieces from popular catalogs, adds the kind of wow factor to a yard that is completely unique to the person or people who live there.
The husband and wife team created the Loveseat App, an online marketplace of vintage and stylish used furniture, after finding out how difficult it was to buy and sell furniture in conjunction with their move to San Diego.
What Does Vintage Mean?
First, there’s no hard and fast rule about the exact definition of vintage. Experts suggest the term refers to furniture between 30 – 100 years old, as older than 100 years is considered antique. Furniture younger than 30 years is typically marketed as used though some fans shrink the vintage age requirement to 10 years. Truthfully, most furniture that is 10 years old probably looks similar to new retail store offerings unless it was manufactured with a vintage look.
Calling a piece vintage typically means that it represents the style of a period. A vintage piece from the 1950s, for example, probably has a mid-century modern vibe. However, just because a piece of furniture is 30 years old, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily vintage. Sometimes, furniture is just old.
What Is Trending in Vintage Outdoor Furniture?
An outdoor trend that has stood out to the Stanchacks involves incorporating pieces with a retro flair into the backyard. “Mid-century modern pieces with stark lines and surprising patterns are being used as indoor/outdoor sets, ” notes Jenny Stanchack.
Jenny has also seen a lot of new outdoor furniture being made out of recycled materials like bar or pallet wood. Bulky rustic pieces that are well made from solid wood are being brought back to stand the test of time.
It also isn’t unheard of to find an awesome piece of vintage furniture or decor and reconfigure them to have another use. Carts turn into planters, chests are transformed into sink vanities, etc.
Get Started With Vintage
Taking the first step toward incorporating vintage in the yard can be daunting, but multiple pieces work well, too. The Stanchaks suggest narrowing down the possibilities by selecting one color or theme.
Spreading out two or three pieces that are loosely related in the backyard brings a cohesiveness and depth to your outdoor space. Although your vintage pieces may not all be from the same manufacturer, maybe they share the same type and color of wood frame, or are all super curvy.
“You can feel like king of your own backyard with just two pieces of furniture, ” advises Jenny. “Creating an inviting place to sit either on your own chair or a glider chair with friends and family is super important in making your outdoor space livable.”
Vintage Fits With Eco-Friendly Design
The beauty of vintage furniture is that it’s one of the most eco-friendly ways to shop as giving furniture a new life keeps it out of the landfills. The Stanchacks believe that going green outdoors is also about living cooperatively with your environment and they, like many San Diegans, face the challenges of harsh salt air. They also use native plants and succulents in their yard to stay water-wise.
How to Select Vintage Furniture
Be mindful that a full set of vintage furniture–a dining table and chairs, for example–will set you back a pretty penny because they are typically hard to find. However, mixing and matching is both financially rewarding and can evoke a more personalized look.
