Many people are drawn to the simplicity and the nostalgic feel of vintage HDB interior design. One of the easiest ways to bring the mood of a respective decade into your living space involves the selection of vintage furniture.
Is vintage furniture really the right choice for your residential HDB interior design? The answer to this question will depend on many factors including the size of the apartment, your lifestyle and functional preferences.
Reasons Why You Should Buy Vintage Furniture
Vintage furniture is a great choice. For a start, you can tell a pretty convincing story through the selection of pieces that belong to a certain time period. If you have inherited antiques, the emotional appeal and importance of these pieces increases even further.
Antique furniture is environmentally-friendly. People looking for sustainable interior designs are increasingly being drawn to such choices for their apartment. It’s a much better idea to reuse an old item or increase its lifespan than to buy something new and commercially manufactured.
Finally, your vintage furniture has timeless appeal. These are items that have managed to stand the test of time. They are classy, solid and well made. Even if you decide to move to another place or redesign the HDB apartment, vintage furniture would still be easy to incorporate in the new concept. You are making an investment in a very long-lived part of the décor. In fact, its appeal could increase further with the passage of time.
An Interior design company like Home Guide that has decades of experience working on residential projects have extensive experience with vintage furniture and antiques. If you’re not 100 per cent confident this choice is the right one for your HDB flat, you may want to have a consultation with professionals.
Vintage Furniture Is a Good Choice if You Pick the Right Items
To answer the question we posed initially, vintage furniture will be ideal if you dedicate enough time to finding the right pieces.
While vintage is a general interior design term, it can refer to a wide array of items. The styles and appearances differ from century to century, from decade to decade. The overall interior design concept will make it easier for you to identify the option that is just right for your Singapore flat.
When buying vintage furniture, you should look for the right materials and for items that are in a good condition. Some types of older furniture can be refurbished but it’s always a good idea to maintain pieces in their original condition.
Look for quality. Vintage furniture has to be well-made. An item that’s flimsy in construction or appearance could be a replica. Workmanship is evident in the details. If you don’t know what to examine, leave the task to your interior design service provider.
Before finalising the purchase, examine the shape and the size one final time. A hefty loveseat isn’t going to be the best choice for a tiny living room. Quality interior design is about proportion and letting the room breathe. Even if you fall in love with a certain item, it will probably look abysmal if its size isn’t considered in the context of the apartment’s dimensions.
A Mix Between Vintage and Modern Creates Points of Visual Interest
There are no strict design rules pertaining to the use of vintage pieces in your HDB apartment. You can opt for a unique concept that’s reflective of your personality. You can have a beautiful mix between modern and vintage. This way, you will benefit from the functional appeal of contemporary pieces and the character of antiques.
When opting for such projects, you should most definitely have the interior design project finalised by a professional.
Hybrid interior designs could lose their integrity or look cluttered if you don’t know what you’re doing. Overdoing the antiques, for example, will make the room lack focus. It’s a much better idea to have one stunning piece that stands out than a few mediocre items.
Vintage and modern could also work together to create contrast. The beauty of old wood, for example, will be much more prominent when a vintage item is placed next to the functional sterility of stainless steel.
You don’t have to limit yourself to one style or one decade. Still, the selection of eclectic items will have to be tasteful. Otherwise, you risk running into kitsch territory. It’s here that a professional opinion will save you some embarrassment.
Reusing and Modifying Vintage Furniture
If you’re not entirely sold on the vintage concept but you understand its appeal, it may be a good idea to repurpose some vintage pieces.
Such projects will appeal to the individuals who want to sprinkle a bit of personality in their HDB apartment. Classic pieces of furniture can be modified in a vast range of original ways–-the sky is the limit.
If you do a simple online search, you will come across dozens of old furniture repurposing projects you can carry out on your own.
A vintage table, for example, could become a bathroom vanity. Apply a coat of varnish to rejuvenate its appearance somewhat and protect it from moisture in the bathroom. A heavy, beautiful and solid antique kitchen table could double as a kitchen island. These are just two possibilities. Collaborate with your interior design team and let them help bring your ideas to life with style and grace.
Your designer could also suggest bespoke furniture creators who can carry out needed modifications instead of you. If you want to create a complex new piece, it would be best to let a professional handle the project.
Home Guide’s team loves working on vintage-inspired HDB interiors. Our residential portfolio features multiple such projects – please do not hesitate to explore and get a better idea about our style. We believe in getting to know our clients and their ideas. Though close communication and accountability, we will work towards the creation of your ideal home. Contact us today to learn more about our experience, ask us questions, or begin work on the creation of the perfect Singapore HDB flat.