How to Decorate with Vintage Art
One of the biggest trends in home decor right now is vintage art. It is showing up on book cases, walls and even kitchen counters in homes everywhere. These pieces give off a moody vibe and can provide a lot of depth to a space. My style tends to be light and airy but I recently caught the vintage art bug. I’ve learned that you can incorporate vintage art into your decor no matter what your style. The best news is there are many affordable options to help you get some vintage art in your home, and I’m going to show you where I like to shop.
Online print shops
Oh the things we can do with the advancements of modern technology. One that amazes me is how great art pieces for your home are now readily available to download almost instantly thanks to the world wide web. Literally, you can shop from your couch in your PJs for beautiful art. You can purchase vintage art fairly inexpensively, and have it in your inbox in a matter of minutes. Most of the downloadable art is available in the $15-$20 price range, or sometimes even cheaper. My favorite part of online print shops is that you hold the keys to choose your art, what size you want and then later have the option to frame it however you would like. And it doesn’t cost a fortune.
New print shops are popping up everyday. I have used a couple of these now and I can’t say enough about their great selection, ease of use and overall affordability. All of these have some vintage art available. I am sure there are many more than this but here are some of my favorite online print retailers.
Printing downloadable art
Once you have purchased your art, you need to get it out of your inbox and onto paper. Some of the print shops listed above have the ability to actually send you a physical copy of the art. So, that is always an option. You can also take your digital file to a local printer such as FedEx, Staples, Walgreens, etc. This isn’t a bad option, but if you don’t want to leave your house, there are also a ton of options to have your digital file printed mailed directly to your home. Below are some of my favorites. From my experience, I received the best quality from MPIX. I can’t say enough about how good their service is at a great price point. No they didn’t sponsor this post but they’re so good I have to say so!
How to Choose your Pieces
The variety and selection of vintage art available online is so vast that for some people, it may be overwhelming. Most of the websites show their pieces styled in different homes. This is extremely helpful to better visualize how a piece of art can look in your home. Also, these websites offer some sets with pieces that go together and getting 2 pieces can be great for covering a larger area.
I love the look of pieces that don’t necessarily come in a set hung together, rather they are complementary. This can be tricky to pull off, but here are some tips. Think about pairing muted pieces of the same tone. Or, you can always use a piece with a more black and white scheme paired with color. An abstract black and white graphic piece always looks good with a landscape or floral print with more color.
There are also many great standalone pieces in larger sizes. So, if you need to cover a larger area, find a piece you love and you can literally decorate an entire room around it. I am a sucker for landscapes in the home, but there are always a lot of good abstract pieces if this is more of your style.
Ideas for Framing
It used to be that you would head to a craft store and spend hundreds of dollars on getting art matted and framed. Well, thankfully that isn’t the case anymore. Like the online selection of art, there are also many framing options online. The way these work are you use your digital image to “shop” different frame options online. These are very easy and affordable. Some of my favorites are Frame It Easy and Framebridge.
A couple of other options are to just shop the frames at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby for the size/colors that you want. They also sell mats for cheap. This DIY approach can save you a ton. I recently purchased 2 prints, had them printed and bought frames and mats from Michaels and I did it all for less than $100!! Also, I have used the IKEA framing option, too for a large print for our dining room . This was super easy and turned out great! I know that BFF Printshop and Juniper Printshop each have IKEA sized prints available and there may be others. This is an awesome way to get large scale art on the cheap!
Below, I have included some of my favorite coastal style pieces right now. I love how this vintage style art just adds more dimension to airy coastal style. I love pairing a more graphic darker piece or a sketch with a light and airy, maybe even pastel water piece. These fit right into our coastal decor scheme and I think this trend will live in our home for a while!
Good luck finding pieces you love!!
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