How to create a stunning vintage kids room

I’m not a fan of the vintage vibe for the whole home, but kids rooms with vintage touches can be so charming.   The best part is that creating a vintage bedroom usually costs very little and you don’t need to update too often as vintage never goes out of style.  Often, you can repurpose what you already have or else you can find fabulous bargains in junk shops and flea markets.  Here are some things to look for when decorating a vintage kids room:

1. Shop around for the furniture
The whole vintage trend is still very much in fashion so finding old pieces isn’t hard.  Visit your local antique or junk shops and scout around at flea markets – they are often a treasure trove of vintage goodies that don’t cost much.  Alternatively, ebay is also a great place to shop for vintage furniture and other vintage bits.  This beautiful vintage kids room picture above is filled with flea market finds. 

2. Think outside the box
When shopping around for vintage furniture, think creatively.  Perhaps you will stumble upon a old dressing table which can instead be used as a child’s desk.  Or maybe you come across a vintage coffee table that can be re-purposed as a bedside table.

3. Do it yourself
Get your DIY hat on and make stuff.  This is the best way to get a unique and personal feel to the room. You can shop around for vintage fabrics and make a duvet cover or some cushion covers or a bed canopy. You can even give your modern furniture a vintage twist by painting and decorating – think vintage wallpaper to cover it or antique/distressed paint colours.

4. Walls and floors
Don’t forget about the walls and floors.  A quick way to add an instant vintage feel is by creating a feature wall with vintage wallpaper.  Or you could go for a distressed wall paint finish instead.  Another way add a vintage touch is going for old style floors like a classic checkered pattern which can be painted on to existing wooden floorboards.  Combine this with a simple vintage wallpaper and the result is a charming space like the beautiful vintage room above.  

5. Create a gallery wall
If all that DIY-ing sounds a bit too much for you, take the easier way out that will still give you the look. Get a load of vintage frames and pictures and create a gallery wall – things like vintage alphabet posters, old maps, vintage comics and book covers, and even vintage kids clothes all make interesting wall hangings.   I love how they’ve taken old dolls and toys and framed it in the room above.  To make it personal, add some old family photos too.

6. Decorations and storage
Another great way to quickly add to a vintage look is by having vintage inspired storage and old rugs like in this sweet little boys vintage room above. For storage, old suitcases, wicker baskets, metal baskets and wooden crates all fit the bill.  If they’re actually old even better, but even if they’re not they will still give you the look.

7. Look under your nose
Look around your home, your parents home and your grandparents home.  Chances are you will be amazed at what you find that is useable.  Old tables, wardrobes, pieces of fabric, old picture frames – the list goes on.  

8. Mix it up
Every single piece doesn’t have to be vintage – so don’t be afraid of mixing new with old.  Picking a few key vintage pieces that are mixed up with a few new pieces that you already still give you the look.  Just like in the charming vintage room above where you’ve got an old chest of drawers (how gorgeous is that chest?) with modern shelves.

So those are my top tips for easily creating vintage kids rooms with lots of unique character.  Whether you add vintage touches to an existing room or re-decorate from scratch,  a vintage kids room can be such a charming space.  

Image credits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |