Vintage Décor Inspiration: Top 20 Treasures & Stunning Styling Tips

Looking for ideas to decorate with vintage finds? Styling vintage decor in a modern farmhouse, cozy cottage, or traditional home creates a curated and cozy aesthetic. Today, I’m sharing my top 20 treasures of the year with tips for decorating vintage decor. When mixed with new decor and antiques, vintage styling will help you create visual displays that are unique and eye-catching.

We will begin with my favorite 20 thrifted vintage treasures from this past year. And I’ll share the ways I incorporated these unique finds into my home decor. Learn multiple styling tips to create a relaxed elegance with a time-worn appeal. You can adapt these timeless and affordable ideas to create the home aesthetic of your dreams.

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Decorating with Vintage and Thrift Store Finds

Y’all know that I love budget-friendly vintage styling. Shopping thrift stores, flea markets, and antique stores are my favorite pastimes. I love the thrill of the hunt and finding a bargain.

This year, I’ve been fortunate to find several of the items on my thrifting must-have shopping list.

I thought I’d share my favorite finds and styling vintage decor tips today for Thrifting with the Gals.

Thrifting with the Gals

Today’s post is part of our monthly series, Thrifting with the Gals.

If you are new to our series, we are friends who share a love for vintage and thrifted decorating.

We all live in different parts of the country, but we come together once a month to share thrift store shopping ideas and how to decorate with your treasures.

Here are the Gals:

• Ann from Dabbling and Decorating finds her treasures as she travels between Vermont and Maine. She decorates both homes with so many vintage treasures.
• Kristin from White Arrows Home loves thrifting in Minnesota and adds some of her finds to her vintage store.
• Robyn from Robyn’s French Nest loves to travel and bring her vintage treasure to her lovely Florida Home.
• I am from North Carolina, and love filling my farmhouse and beach cottage with thrift store finds. I focus on budget-friendly decorating and DIY projects.

What is Vintage Home Decorating?

Decorating vintage doesn’t mean all your decor has to be antique or vintage. Vintage home decorating can work with any design aesthetic, from modern to rustic country. In fact, decorating with vintage is very on-trend.

What is Vintage Decor?

Antique dealers consider vintage decor to be at least 40 years old. Whereas an antique is at least 100 years old. However, I find that you will see many items that are considered vintage, although they are much newer.

This applies to furniture, tableware, kitchenware, bric-a-brac, clothing, art, books, etc.

Why is Styling Vintage Popular?

There are several reasons why styling vintage has become so popular. Many people collect vintage items for nostalgia as well as for value. Most vintage items are better quality than newly produced decor. You’ll find that wooden items are usually solid wood in lieu of particle board.

In a time of throw-away furniture construction, you will find that vintage was made to last.

In addition, decorating vintage is a sustainable and eco-friendly decor option. Saving items from landfills and slowing the need for new production is front and center in the eco-conscious consumers’ minds.

One of my favorite vintage finds this past year is this solid wood Shop Desk. When I saw it for 50% off at a Habitat ReStore, it was quickly loaded into the back of my vehicle. The quality craftsmanship and cute little drawers were hard to resist.

I’ve styled it with a few simple thrifted mirrors stacked on top and a flicker candle and candle ring.

Copper Finds for Vintage Styling

If you have followed me for a hot minute, you know that vintage copper is always on my shopping list. I love styling vintage with old copper.

I have three special pieces that we found, and I’ll show you how we styled them.

First is the double-boiler copper pan.

We found it while thrifting in Wilmington, NC, this past summer. It is displayed on our cooktop along with the vintage spice jars and DIY Copper Spice Rack.

The square copper container with blue and white porcelain handles was found at the French Farmer’s Wife’s final barn sale.

It was fun to add a small tree for Christmas, but now it holds kitchen dish towels. I’m sure I’ll be adding herbs and other plants to the container as we move into Spring.

And probably my favorite copper find was this huge vintage cauldron.

This was also found while shopping in Wilmington, NC. I knew immediately it would hold my Christmas tree; however, what to do with it when Christmas was over?

The solution was to add a few of my vintage quilts. It adds a cozy feel beside the deconstructed chair.

Antique Ideas For Decorating

I know we are talking about styling vintage finds; however, I did find a true antique that I have to share.

I have been looking for an authentic antique farm table since we built the farmhouse. Everything I found was either too short or small, too rickety, or too large.

However, we went to a picker’s festival in September and came home with the beauty. It’s solid walnut and perfect for the space.

I’ve only had the piece for a short time, but here are some antique ideas for decorating the farm table.

After getting inspired on the NC Pottery Hwy., the antique farm table was filled with vintage and new pottery for a rustic table centerpiece last fall.

I couldn’t resist a couple of tablescape ideas for Christmas. Our supper club table was decorated in a cabin theme. For a red and white tablescape, I used vintage milk glass mixed with silver and vintage red tableware. Once winter arrived, an antique quilt was added for a warm winter tablescape.

Vintage Milk Glass for Styling Vintage Tables

Vintage Milk Glass has had a resurgence in popularity, and I was fortunate to find several new to me pieces.

I found a large collection at our CUOC thrift store and used those pieces to style vintage tablescapes with a red-and-white Christmas theme.

Milk glass compotes hold vintage shiny brite ornaments on each place setting, and cake stands serve as risers for vintage vases.

A vintage milk glass lamp sporting an original paper shade captured my attention in Wilmington and looks lovely on the vintage entry dresser.

Silver for Vintage Home Decorating

I’ve been searching for more silver pieces to add to my vintage home decorating. This year, several pieces were added to my meager collection. Styling vintage silver pieces adds elegance to your tables and countertops.

This silver trophy vase was my first find of the year, and I was ecstatic. I’ve used it ever since for table decorations, kitchen countertops, and mantel decor.

In addition, these silver goblets were another nice addition to my tableware obsession. They have been used on the dining table and as an addition to the winter mantel, holding a frosted pinecone.

A fun silver candelabra adds a lovely and elegant touch to our Christmas table. However, it looks lovely when styled alone, except for the brass bird salt and pepper shakers.

Tips For Decorating Vintage Baskets

Tips for decorating vintage baskets are so easy. I believe the beauty of handcrafted and vintage baskets speaks for themselves. You don’t have to add much to create a stunning display when styling with handcrafted baskets.

Here are a few I added this year.

First, the gathering basket was another purchase at the Picker’s Festival, where I found my Antique Farm Table. It looks stunning, filled with just a few stems on the front porch.

Another French basket from The French Farmer’s Wife needs no adornment to add texture and character to a home.

And, this $5.00 thrift store find has shown up all over the farmhouse since Spring. It leans a little to one side but has so much charm.

And finally, these great oversized baskets are perfect for gathering and then displaying foraged decor.

Styling Vintage Wooden Shifters

Styling vintage wooden shifters is another great way to add texture to your spaces. Whether you hang them on the wall, from a peg board, or set them on a table, they are sure to add vintage charm to your decor.

This year, I added three more to my collection. One is large like my previous finds; however, these two small ones had me doing a happy dance.

The sifters are stylish for holding seasonal decor such as flicker candles, Christmas trees, and pinecones. I’ve used them as containers for many seasonal displays.

They also make a statement when grouped together for styling vintage wall art. If the price is right, I’ll always find a spot for another sifter.

More Vintage and Thrifting Tips

You can see more tips and ideas on these posts.

• Thrift Tips – Where To Shop
• 10 Must-Know Thrifting Tips for the Savvy Shopper
• Discover Thrifting Secrets- Design Tips and More
• A Day Trip Thrifting In Southport, NC
• Thrifting with the Gals in Wilmington, NC
• Vintage Thrift Stores in Downtown Asheboro, NC
• 17 Reasons For Shopping Second Hand Charity Shops

Don’t leave yet because my Thrifting with the Gals buddies are sharing more thrifting tips with you next.

Kristin at White Arrows Home / Robyn at Robyn’s French Nest

Ann at Dabbling and Decorating / Rachel at The Ponds Farmhouse

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