Is vintage design making a comeback?

Trends - think music, fashion, and beauty - are transitory. For home design, that same rule applies. Yet despite this transitory nature, most trends make a comeback, essentially making them cyclical. As a result, an aesthetic that may have seemed outdated for some time is suddenly embraced and taken over everything from social media feeds to store inventory.

But home design trends differ from fashion, where a cycle lasts for a season, and home design lasts for a decade or two. The home design trends that have dominated for some time began in the early 2000s, when chrome, sleek lines, and white became signals of the new era. It's been about two decades since this trend emerged, meaning the clock is ticking on the next trend to take place. 

All signs point to vintage design.

Why Has Vintage Home Design Made a Comeback?

For years we've seen the rise of sleek lines, chrome, and white; these - along with a dozen other elements - were indicative of the modern home. Many homes built or remodeled in the last two decades switched from dark wood cabinets to white cabinetry, chose tile and laminate flooring over wood and carpet, and embraced angles.

Chrome was selected instead of brass, and so on. But with this newfound aesthetic and that clean and bright feeling came a homogenous sense. Homes felt identical and - mostly - devoid of character and homeliness.

For many, vintage design was a way to rectify that and add warmth, soul, and distinction to a home.
It's also that feeling of warmth that has expedited the adoption of vintage home and interior design.

The "Anything But" Era

While home design incorporates a few design trends from the 50s, 70s, and 90s - the primary characteristic of the "vintage" trend homeowners and tenants gravitate toward can be described as an "anything but" era.

The era is established on the premise that homeowners, buyers, investors, and tenants want anything but a particular trend from the last two decades.

This could be explained by the prevalence of the modern aesthetic or the general "sameness" that the trend produced, but vintage design isn't hearkening back to any particular era.

Chrome is Out - Creative Finishes are In

The finish of tapware is the best way to ascertain when a home was designed or remodeled. Chrome was the overwhelming finish of choice over the last two decades, usually in the form of a mixer rather than individual taps.

Chrome is the first casualty of the vintage trend's resurgence, being replaced by copper, gold, and matte black.

Traditional individual taps have also replaced the typical mixer, sometimes with an even more vintage pillar tap handle.

Angles Are Out - Rounded, Softer Edges are In

Although angles have been making an interior design comeback, they're also incorporated into structural design. An excellent example of this is The Flamingo by Signatura in Sea Point. The building does not have an angular edge, but it also has round windows alongside the typical rectangle windows.

For the typical homeowner, this means arched windows, indicative of the 19th century.

White is (Partially) Out - Retro Colours are in

White and its colour offshoots will always exist in the modern home to some extent because it reflects light.

But with the vintage trend emerging, that bright colour is being offset or accented by deep, richer tones - think the blues, burgundies, maroons, and greens of the 70s.

Laminate is Out - Bamboo and Wood are In

Laminate was an essential part of cost-effective home builds and redesigns, often being the backbone of cabinetry and flooring. But, with a vintage design comeback, these are being switched to cost-effective woods like pine and wood alternatives like bamboo.

Rattan is also making a comeback, but often as an accent design option, used to enhance the face of kitchen cupboards or to spruce up a living space - indicative of the 70s.

Lawns and Turf are out - Desert landscaping is in 

Remember when brick dominated the outdoor landscape? Well, that is making a comeback, but with greener elements.

Rather than artificial grass and sprawling lawns, homeowners opt for desert landscaping - think stone, ferns, and succulents.

Like a small patch of lawn surrounded by brick, desert landscaping has gained popularity for being cost-effective, saving homeowners thousands a year in landscaping and garden services.

But unlike brick and turf, desert landscaping is far more aesthetic.

As we enter the second and third decades of the 21st century, vintage design will become far more prominent in new builds and remodels that prefer the artistic freedom that comes with drawing inspiration from a bygone era.