Hey Everyone!

I was inspired by my recent upcycling post. So for this edition of Design Eye Candy, I'll be posting pictures of contemporary interiors that have vintage items in them. Enjoy! 

This industrial themed work office looks fantastic! I love the bare concrete walls paired with the brick walls. The vintage items like the old signs and the chairs go well with this kind of look. 

I love the look of renovated farmhouses. It has that old style charm without looking outdated. Here, the interior is matched with vintage items like old crates, vases, pitchers etc. But the white theme makes it feel new and refreshing. 

This is a great idea to repurpose salvaged wood. The old and distressed look adds to the charm of these place. And it works very well in this modern and minimalist interior.

I love this kitchen! I like the look of industrial themed rooms. The vintage drawers is a really cool and creative way of adding storage. The distressed LA sign metal and the old bar stools give this room a spunk. 

This is a very contemporary looking house with the black tones in the dining area. You would expect very sleek looking furniture to match it but the vintage chairs adds an unexpected and fun twist to this otherwise modern interior.

It shows that vintage items don't only belong to private homes but it can also look good in stores as well. Here, the smart use of vintage items give this store a unique and unforgettable look. 

Recently, recycling and upcycling have become hot buzzwords in design. It has particularly affected other industries such as housing, construction and retail, among others. The rising trend of consumer awareness and their impact on the environment has led to a shift in the paradigm of these industries. Recycling and upcycling have two different meanings. Recycling involves breaking down waste or a product and then turning it into a different component. An example of this is when plastic bottles are sent to a recycling facility to be melted down and formed into another product. Upcycling is taking a product or an item in its current form and repurposing it into something new or useful. A good example of this would be turning an old tire into a swing or taking an unused teapot and using it as a flower vase. Recycling involves several more processes to turn the waste into a reusable product. It is usually sent to a manufacturing or recycling facility that uses raw materials and in turn produces more waste and pollutants. Thus recycling is not always the most ideal choice. On the other hand, upcycling ends with the product. Instead, it involves human creativity, passion and ingenuity to turn the product or waste into something of more value than the original item. It is about looking at a product and determining its other uses before it is discarded.

  

Upcycling is a human, thoughtful process and that is probably why it appeals to designers. It offers many artistic opportunities for interior design. Whether using old books, typewriters, cameras etc. as accessories to repurposing an old barnyard door as a room divider, the possibilities are endless. The whole upcycling movement has given vintage items a resurgence in popularity in the last years. Flea markets, garage sales, estate sales and antique shops are the go to places for people to find that one item they can up-cycle. 

This idea of repurposing something is not just a way for designers to save on costs or as a form of backlash on consumerism. We rescue or reuse old items for different reasons. It is a sincere effort to save the environment and to keep them from our landfills. It is a way to preserve the longevity of an item. And in more ways, it is a way to honor our history and to pass on our memories. I don’t think the use of vintage items in interior decor will run out of steam anytime soon. The use of vintage items has something that mass-produced commercial items will never have; and that is history and character!