Five Current Trends In Vintage

It’s October 2017 and there’s a change in the air - can you feel it?  And no, we’re not talking the weather - we’re talking style, we’re talking fashion, we’re talking luxury!

While it may be a little early to declare the death of Danish modern and classic mid century, our customers are voting with their wallets.  They want brass and bronze, not chrome, they want large print fabrics and elegant buttons instead of clean lines and minimalism.  When everybody can get that clean look from IKEA - why would you - someone with style - want the same?

The trend is clear - the people want beauty and color and softness and fortunately these are things that great Vintage pieces can deliver in style.  Here’s a few examples to highlight the trend.

Chairs

A few years ago these would have been languishing at the back of the store waiting for someone with a crystal ball to realize that their time was coming.  We even heard someone refer to them as Grandma chairs - but where they see Grandma we see timeless classic - we even see romance.

Beautifully made in the 1970s they’re a classic French provincial style and come upholstered in a rich chenille fabric.  They’re generous in size and super comfortable and come with matching ottomans.  The thing about pieces like these is because they’re so well made they will last a lifetime - the bones are so good that as the fashion changes all you need to do is swap out the fabric and print.  

Coffee Table

Coffee tables have been barely noticeable for the last decade or so - they have been functional pieces delivered in clean chrome or a classic understated piece of stone but things are changing.  Check this table out - it’s the exact opposite of big rectangular tables.  This is beautiful, it’s flowing, look at the softness of the wood - the complete rejection of the antiseptically clean chrome of the recent past.

Look at the legs - the smooth curves and the detail at the feet - this is a very Italian style and of course has that classic elegance about it.  Where table legs have been heavy teak or walnut wood on sturdy dowels - this is metal, worked to perfection.  The tray table itself plays with convention - typically you’d see a metal trim but here the designer opts for wood which softens the look of the table and gives it a more contemporary feel.  And of course, the glass top allows you to see what’s underneath.

This kind of style is what we call transitional - is it Italian, is it American, is it Modern?  In reality - it is all those things, it’s the kind of table that can grow with you and allow you to chnage your style with the times.

Mohair Sofa

So we all know the classic sofa of the last fifteen years or so - it would have a low back, square arms, square feet, simple cushions, not too much detail and certainly no tufting or fancy fabric.  Well goodbye function over form and welcome to comfort!

This 1940s / 1950s French inspired sofa knows that function, when it comes to a sofa, is all about making you feel luxurious when you sit down.   It’s whimsical - it’s slightly exaggerated in its proportions - the seat is low but the back is so high, with its rolled arms it just wraps around and hugs you as you sit in it.  Beautifully constructed down cushions and this marvelous mohair fabric in a “go with anything” steel color.  Mohair is a very traditional fabric, as a natural fiber it’s cool in the summertime and warm in the winter, it’s expensive and super luxurious.

This is a prime example of a piece that can be placed in a modern design palette and yet it is super comfortable.  You could be going for classic or mid century European and yet something so classic so - transitional - can work in any of those settings and still offer the comfort and luxury that you’ve been looking for.

Crystal Lamp

Welcome to the 1980’s - a time where The Safran and Glucksman company were producing beautifully crafted cut crystal lamps.  The attention to detail and the ornate decoration was incredibly desirable and yet by the time the turn of the century came people considered this to be too fussy, too old, too reminiscent of Grandma.

But have a second look at the quality of this lamp, how beautiful the crystal is, look at the classic shape, look at the mix of materials with the brass base.  And of course the beauty of lamps is that a simple change of shade can alter everything.  This was one of the most liked articles on our Instagram feed - a sure way of knowing that beauty and style are making a comeback.

Mirrors

Straight away you can tell this mirror has more going for it than the soulless functionality of the last decade or so.  Where mirrors have been all right angles, hard corners and in many cases, no frame or decoration at all, this 1960s, probably Italian or French, hand crafted frame takes us back to the future.

It’s the craftsmanship that defines a lot of these transitional pieces - the roses are all hand welded and hand applied giving the mirror that beautiful sweetness and again, whimsy.  There’s a soulfulness, a tenderness to the piece that plays into what our customers are looking for.

Whether you place it outside or inside, in a living room or a boudoir - the piece can hold its own in many different design styles, an another example of the transitional nature of classic vintage pieces.

Casa Victoria Vintage Furniture

When you’ve been in the business as long as we have at Casa Victoria, you see trends come and go, so it makes sense to put your money into pieces that can move with you.  When you shop with us you know that the pieces will have quality, that they’ll have staying power - that they can be transitional as you transition your taste.

As Coco Channel said - Fashion changes but Style endures - it’s pieces like these that will always retain their style and regardless the trend, they’ll always be classy - just like you.

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