By Kiley Morrow

Attention Stuck-At-Home New Yorkers: Are You Bored with Your Space? - Here are Fashionable Home Trends Making a Comeback

Home trends in 2021 are throwing it way back. Back to when flappers reined and glitz and glamour lined the streets of NYC. Fortunately for bored homeowners and retro lovers, vintage inspired decor is making a major comeback. This time around, nobody cares if your decor perfectly matches the decade; instead, the real concern is if you're able to make these looks suit modern furniture and sensibilities.

Here are the top fashionable home trends to bring NYC’s old school character and glamour into your home in 2021.

What Is Retro? What is Vintage?

We're going to be focusing on these two terms, so it's essential to know the difference between them.  Retro is a stylistic choice.  This idea could mean the product was made this year, or it could tell it was made twenty years ago.  Retro things mostly care about appearance, and it didn't matter when they were made, just that they give off the look of a specific older era.

Vintage, on the other hand, focuses on furniture and items that are from bygone eras.  These were constructed when they were still popular and modern styles, and larger or more detailed products rarely last long enough to become vintage.

Both of these are making a massive comeback in 2020, and not in just one way!  The main eras that are in focus right now are the 1920s and 1970s!

Retro vintage decoration.

Retro vintage is a combination of the two and is a popular look to combine for the 1970s aesthetic.  When combined, most looks for this look purposefully faded with time.  Its pale ochres, muted tones in wallpapers, and furniture keep the same styles of the era in fabric.  This effect can be harder for the vivid colors of the 70s, but using the familiar shapes and hues that were popular then can pull it through.

Chic vintage decoration.

This look works better for the 1920s, although it can still work for the 1970s as long as you’re willing to put some work into maintaining it.  Chic is an elegant and stylish fashion term that’s often applied to clothing before anything else.  For the 1920s, that means leaning into the theatrical beautiful sleek lines of the era: tall, slender furniture, slick dark wood or tile flooring, and gold and other metals accents.

Industrial vintage decoration.

This style works for either era- and shows a side of them we aren't often presented in the media.  The great depression was at the tail end of the 20s and forced a lot of design and fashion to move to strict minimalism and industrial styles for many Americans.  In the 70s, there was also an economic crisis that changed style and set up the world for bright colors when money became more comfortable in the 80s.  These decor styles would be essential, minimal, and may encourage less rather than more.

Eclectic vintage decoration.

Eclectic vintage in modern times leans towards the farmhouse look.  In 2020, many people turned to lifestyles like cottagecore that helped them be at peace with the world being out of control.  This style meant baking more bread, enjoying more time outside in their yards, and growing foods from home to avoid going to stores as often.  In 2021 this style is going to evolve some into the interior design of some houses.  Expect a slight farmhouse look to come into play, lots of gingham and cute cluttered rooms of things that make the owners smile.

Shabby vintage decoration.

This style can be fun!  It looks its best when you have retro and vintage pieces mixed, and can allow your home to feel a little bit of the industrial vintage style without having to go so far on the minimalism side.  Shop around for furniture that matches what you like; you can compare Lovesac to different couch brands and find a style that suits your tastes or stop by one of NYC’s many weekly flea markets.  Shabby doesn't mean wrong or ruffed up furniture, just that you have some vintage looks mixed with modern.

Vintage dining room.

A vintage dining room is probably both the easiest and most expensive type of space to achieve.  This style is easy to buy, offering you the chance to layout gorgeous placemats, dishes, silverware, glasses, and furniture to catch the eye.  These vintage pieces are the easiest to find because they never really go out of style, and families took care of them the longest.  Look for details that have design features you enjoy, along with the ability to be used if that's your aim.  You can find gorgeous older tables, but if you want to save money, go for one with a little wear and tear and refinish it.

Vintage decoration.

Vintage decoration isn't for year-round use.  This idea will help highlight the look of your home in 2021.  It would help if you aimed to make the holidays special, using the decor to make your home stand out more and seem festive.  Classic Christmas ornaments, Hanukkah decor, and Halloween fun can be found on sites like Etsy and eBay.  If you aren't sure you want to invest in these or are scared you'll break them, you can buy inexpensive remakes, so if they get shattered, they're only a couple years old instead of fifty or a hundred.

2021 is going to be a year of trying to bounce back and giving ourselves everything we deserve.  It's been a rough year, and the world is hoping that the next one will be easier.  If the retro and vintage looks aren't what you want for your home, don't worry!  It's never a wrong choice to decorate your house in a way that makes you happy.  Find your style, and don't let go!  Just make sure to stick to one theme to avoid clutter, and have fun with it.

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