Vintage Decorating Ideas

E. Spencer Toy

Surprises inside: how to make a house a home

Fresh ideas for every room: Step inside our Menlo Park Idea House for creative ways to mix secondhand finds and vintage treasures with new furnishings and eco-friendly materials.

It's how we decorate now: A flea market file cabinet sits next to a new European sofa. Inexpensive modular furniture transforms a loft. Unusual groupings of art bring pictures to life.

E. Spencer Toy

Living to dining: gallery wall

Inspiration: A varied collection of art has more impact when grouped together.

Set against a light-colored niche wall in the dining room, this salon-style installation by Lost Art Salon is a focal point and an irresistible conversation starter.

Steal this idea: Instead of painting an accent wall, create a quilt of artwork and hang the pieces from the ceiling to the baseboard.

E. Spencer Toy

Living room: add drama with color

Inspiration: Benjamin Moore's steel blue Flint (AF-560) creates a distinctly elegant mood in the living room. Affordable curtains from Ikea add a light, soft touch.

Steal this idea: In a room with lots of light, try experimenting with a dark paint. Paint the ceiling a lighter color to bring the eye up and heighten the space.

E. Spencer Toy

Family room: create with paint

Inspiration: The back of this media shelving wall is painted a dark pumpkin to draw the eye and create the look of a niche. The fireplace facade is clad in a stone veneer from Eldorado Stone. A dark-colored concrete tile from Smith-Laredo defines the fireplace hearth.

Steal this idea: Add textural interest to cabinetry with inserts. Here, we used metal mesh inserts from SoReal to contrast with the warm bamboo and complement the gray floors.

E. Spencer Toy

Kitchen: get a layered look

Inspiration: The crisp clean design of this blue and white kitchen is layered with pops of energetic color. The red drum pendant from Croft & Little illuminates the bamboo island top from Teragren. Glass-front cabinets provide a showcase for a collection of colorful pottery.

Steal this idea: The bamboo-topped table on casters tucks under the island and can roll away for use throughout the house or outside. Mixing up the chair styles adds casual appeal.

E. Spencer Toy

Top of the stairs: a family zone

Inspiration: Wall-to-wall modular desks from Ikea make best use of space in a narrow loft. The playful family spot is accented with colorful throw pillows from Reclaim and bench seat fabric from Sunbrella.

Steal this idea: Create a family message center using a montage of cork tiles and magnetic white boards

E. Spencer Toy

Boy's room: a personalized place

Inspiration: For kids' changing tastes, inexpensive style is the way to go. The album headboard is made of plywood, plexiglass, and vintage album covers found at a recycled books store. The window shade is from Ikea, dressed up with vinyl decals from BLIK Surface Graphics.

Steal this idea: The plexiglass face on the album headboard can easily be removed to change the album art or insert photos or fabric.

E. Spencer Toy

Girl's room: Let there be light

Inspiration: A sunny yellow paint, Benjamin Moore’s Soleil (AF-330), paired with white furnishings creates youthful cheer in this girl’s room. Collage art from Petit Collage and curtain fabric from Sunbrella add bold pops of color.

Steal this idea: Add instant, affordable art to kids wall with vinyl graphics. White floral decals from BLIK Surface Graphics are easy to apply and remove.

E. Spencer Toy

Multi-purpose: guest room

Inspiration: This guest room is styled for use as a home library or chill-out space once the overnight visitors go home. The sofa bed offers a quiet spot for cozying up with a book and a cup of tea.

Steal this idea: The colorful Moroccan coffee table from Rooms&Gardens picks up the colors used throughout the room. It’s a functional piece of both art and furniture.

E. Spencer Toy

Master suite: touches of luxury

Inspiration: Pale sage-colored walls contrast with a tangerine floral wallpaper in this quiet master suite. The green and purple pattern in the felted wool rug from Peace Industry highlights the room's accent colors.

Steal this idea: The mantle headboard was made with foam architectural trim from Fypon. It’s an affordable and lightweight alternative to wood.

E. Spencer Toy

Master bath: the spa escape

Inspiration: Rich walnut cabinetry adds a warm touch to the relaxing spa bath. Deep, open shelves provide visual interest and plenty of space for towels and bath accessories.

Steal this idea: Instead of covering a window with drapery, apply a vinyl window film. Here, we used frosted adhesives from Vinyl Designyl to cover the lower portions of the windows.

A distinct interior in Menlo Park, Calif.

Surprises inside: how to make a house a home

Living to dining: gallery wall

Living room: add drama with color

Family room: create with paint

Kitchen: get a layered look

Top of the stairs: a family zone

Boy's room: a personalized place

Girl's room: Let there be light

Multi-purpose: guest room

Master suite: touches of luxury

Master bath: the spa escape