How to Decorate with Vintage Artwork
Step 1
1
Adorn the staircase with framed family photos. For this idea, you can use a variety of sizes. If you have a wide variety of small and large photos, hang the smaller ones at eye level and the larger ones higher up. This way, the viewer will be able to see each image equally well. Feel free to mix up eras, as well.
You can even alternate between sepia or black-and-white photographs and color photographs.
Step 2
2
Display an antique city map. A black-and-white aerial view of streets and parks will give your home a more vintage feel. Hang an engraving or lithograph in a black frame or opt for an unframed canvas. Display it in your foyer to greet guests or in your dining room as a conversation piece.
A framed antique map looks great in an office or den.
Step 3
3
Hang monochromatic engravings. Black-and-white depictions of everyday life are versatile. You can hang them in multiple rooms. If you desire a change of décor, you can switch them out to different rooms. For example, that country scene hanging in the bedroom might look equally nice in the living room.
Step 4
4
Display oil or acrylic reproductions. Don’t fret if you can’t afford that Impressionist masterpiece in the latest auction catalogue. There are plenty of websites and catalogues that sell framed oil and acrylic reproductions on canvas for reasonable prices. Hang them in the foyer, the living room, the bedroom or along the staircase.
You could even cut vintage art replication photos from a monthly calendar, then frame and hang them.
Step 5
5
Decorate with vintage posters. The subject matter of posters is often more modern than other forms of vintage art. Examples include old movies, propaganda form each World War, and psychedelic imagery from the 1960s and 70s. Hang them in the living room, bedroom, or dining room. If you have a room designated for entertainment, classic movie posters would add a great touch.
Frame vintage photos to protect them and make them look more expensive and polished.
Step 6
6
Place an antique vase on a fireplace mantle. Spice up a white or beige mantle with a brightly-colored vase. If your mantle has a bolder paint job, use a white vase for some contrast. Place a bouquet of real or artificial flowers in the vase or leave it empty. Set in the center to offset a rectangular work of wall art.
You could also use 2 similar-looking vases on either side of the mantle to create symmetry.
