The vintage style is a difficult home decor theme to define. On the one hand, the word “vintage” can be a disparaging remark, as in outdated. True vintage decor style, in all actuality, is the polar opposite. With just a glance, vintage pieces should electrify the viewer with a nostalgic montage of crackling phonographs and twirling rotary dials, trilling trumpets of Jazz Age bands, and the slow doo-wop of the ’50s. The vintage style, for all its elaborate beauty, is also surprisingly thrifty, allowing you to make use of forgotten family heirlooms or scour flea markets for that perfect bargain. Above all, the vintage style is very hands-on, an adventurous undertaking in interior design. You can even mix and match pieces from different time periods to present an eclectic mosaic of human history.

How do you know when you’ve happened upon the perfect item for your vintage decor? The piece should be exemplary of the time period it emerged from. The Fashionable Repose Figurine, for example, embodies the decadence of the Roaring Twenties. The archetypal flapper girl lolls in an antique chair with studded upholstery, her elegant, floral gown kissing the floor below. Contemplating a string of pearls with an indulgent smirk, she lifts her chin loftily, secure in her eternal beauty and infinite riches.

The Paige Hobnail Table Lamp might be found on the bureau of a 1920s Hollywood starlet, but it’s by no means black-and-white. Jeweled hues like amber, cranberry, or pink imbue this dainty glass lamp. Standing on antique brass acanthus leaves, this lamp exhibits globular studs that will catch the light and dazzle onlookers.

Baubles and trinkets arranged just so on table tops and other surfaces connote an antiquated collection, as though the items were gradually collected over a great passage of time. But you’ll still want to pay attention to other areas, like windows. The Jessica Ninon Ruffled Priscilla Curtains are versatile, complementing anything from a stately ballroom setting to an old farmhouse. The sheer fabric channels ample sunlight through ivory or white fabric, spotlighting your various heirlooms and finds. Ruffled edges bring a feminine touch to your timeworn living space.

Finally, you can sprinkle your old bedspread with the West Palm Crochet Decorative Pillows if you really want to up the ante on the old-fashioned atmosphere. The crochet texture is antiquated and homey, and the myriad of pigments will coordinate seamlessly with the color scheme of any room. Items such as these will transport guests and family alike to a different period, even if they were not present for it. That’s the beauty of the vintage decorating style.