Vintage (design)

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Vintage design refers to an item of another era that holds important and recognizable value. [1] This style can be applied to interior design, decor, clothing and other areas. Vintage design is popular [2] and vintage items have risen in price. Outlets of vintage design have shifted from thrift store to shabby chic stores. [3]

Contents

Terminology

There is debate over what determines if an item is vintage. Some rely on the definition of anything old and of value. The most widely accepted definition used by antique and vintage professionals is anything older than 40 (and less than 100) years old. [4]

The terms vintage, retro, and antique are often used interchangeably and have some overlap, but each has a distinct meaning. Retro refers to a style that is iconic of a previous era. Vintage typically describes an item made from high-quality materials or craftsmanship, representative of a specific time period or artist, and generally between 40 and 100 years old.

Antique, on the other hand, refers to items from earlier periods, specifically those that are at least 100 years old. [5] [1] [6] A related term, antiquity, refers to objects from ancient times or past eras. [7]

The word "vintage" originates from Late Middle English, derived from Old French and Latin.

Popularity

Vintage advertisement for beer on the side of a building in the Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District, Alabama, United States Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District Vintage Ad.jpg
Vintage advertisement for beer on the side of a building in the Downtown Tuscaloosa Historic District, Alabama, United States

Vintage items spark interest in many. The United States Department of Labor tells us that, "Design and fashion trends play an important part in the production of furniture. The integrated design of the article for both esthetic and functional qualities is also a major part of the process of manufacturing furniture." [8]

The popularity of vintage design and vintage inspired items can be seen through media. In 2004 designer Nicolas Ghesquière created a line for Balenciaga which called back to older collections. [9] Tom Ford's collection for her also uses references to the past. Vintage design can also be seen in ads which promote vintage inspired clothing. [9]

There are several reasons for vintage design's popularity. Some claim the phenomenon is due to the rarity and classic value of the items. [9] Others state the reason to be a mixture of peoples' nostalgia creating a positive emotional appeal toward a past era or their childhood, consumers' environmental concerns, an appreciation of past styles and craftsmanship, and other experience. [10] [11]

Subcategories

Vintage design contains various subcategories reflecting the vast diversity of aesthetics that make up traditional and 20th century design styles. [2] [12]

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is a style containing curved lines, flowers and other plants, contrasting colors, ornate colors, young women, and intricate details. It was created at the end of the 1800s and gained popularity at the start of the 1910s. [2]

Art Deco

Art Deco was created to intentionally embrace a clean, modern, and man-made look, developed and popular from the 1920s and reaching its peak in the 1930s. This style features mostly geometric shapes, symmetrical patterns, and idealized human figures. [2]

Mid-century modern

Mid-century modern style makes use of straight, clear lines, curved objects, wood tones, thin supporting, and oversized objects. It is meant to call back to the mid-20th century. [2]

Atomic Age

Referring to the period roughly corresponding to 1940–1963, the Atomic Age includes elements of space exploration, scientific discovery, and futurism, creating an idea of an "optimistic, modern world". [2] Atomic Age design became popular and instantly recognizable, with a use of atomic motifs and space age symbols.

International Style

International Style design contains broad block letters in fonts such as Helvetica (see Swiss Style for further information on the typographic style) and sleek, modern lines invoking Mies-ian simplicity and a cosmopolitan aire. [2]

Seventies

The styles of the 1970s are incredibly popular in vintage design, recalling the aesthetics of hippies and other counterculture groups of the era. Use of natural color combinations such as the well-known 'harvest gold, avocado green, and burnt orange' was widespread, as were psychedelic colors and designs such as paisley. [2]

Punk

The punk counterculture style of the late 1970s and 1980s is reused today. It contains harsh lines, clashing colors, juxtaposition, and 'edgy' imagery to create an anti-authoritarian aesthetic. [2]

Postmodernism

Postmodernism as a style incorporates bold colors and abstract geometric motifs with intentionally humorous references to past architectural and design traditions, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Whereas 'less is more' was a tenet of modernism, postmodern architect Robert Venturi quipped 'less is a bore'. [13] Postmodernism has heavily influenced the vaporwave aesthetic. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining items that are of interest to an individual collector. Collections differ in a wide variety of respects, most obviously in the nature and scope of the objects contained, but also in purpose, presentation, and so forth. The range of possible subjects for a collection is practically unlimited, and collectors have realised a vast number of these possibilities in practice, although some are much more popular than others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eponym</span> Person or thing after which something is named

An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word eponym include eponymous and eponymic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Americana (culture)</span> Materials characteristic of the United States of America

Americana artifacts are related to the history, geography, folklore, and cultural heritage of the United States of America. Americana is any collection of materials and things concerning or characteristic of the United States or of the American people, and is representative or even stereotypical of American culture as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retro style</span> Historically derivative styles

Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from the past, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retrofuturism</span> Creative arts movement inspired by historic depictions of the future

Retrofuturism is a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. If futurism is sometimes called a "science" bent on anticipating what will come, retrofuturism is the remembering of that anticipation. Characterized by a blend of old-fashioned "retro styles" with futuristic technology, retrofuturism explores the themes of tension between past and future, and between the alienating and empowering effects of technology. Primarily reflected in artistic creations and modified technologies that realize the imagined artifacts of its parallel reality, retrofuturism can be seen as "an animating perspective on the world".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antique</span> Item having value because of its age

An antique is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old, although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that is old. An antique is usually an item that is collected or desirable because of its age, beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human history. Vintage and collectible are used to describe items that are old, but do not meet the 100-year criterion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Couch</span> Furniture for seating two or more people

A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, chesterfield, or davenport, is a cushioned item of furniture that can seat multiple people. It is commonly found in the form of a bench with upholstered armrests and is often fitted with springs and tailored cushion and pillows. Although a couch is used primarily for seating, it may be used for sleeping. In homes, couches are normally put in the family room, living room, den, or lounge. They are sometimes also found in non-residential settings such as hotels, lobbies of commercial offices, waiting rooms, and bars. Couches can also vary in size, color, and design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiesta (dinnerware)</span> Line of ceramic glazed dinnerware

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Shabby chic is a style of interior design that chooses either furniture and furnishings for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or distresses new ones to achieve the same result. Unlike much genuine period décor, this style features a soft, pastel-colored, cottage look.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chest (furniture)</span> Type of furniture

A chest is a form of furniture typically of a rectangular structure with four walls and a removable or hinged lid, used for storage, usually of personal items. The interior space may be subdivided.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interior architecture</span> Design of a building or shelter from inside out

Interior architecture is the design of a building or shelter from inside out, or the design of a new interior for a type of home that can be fixed. It can refer to the initial design and plan used for a building's interior, to that interior's later redesign made to accommodate a changed purpose, or to the significant revision of an original design for the adaptive reuse of the shell of the building concerned. The latter is often part of sustainable architecture practices, whereby resources are conserved by "recycling" a structure through adaptive redesign.

Since the advent of the cyberpunk genre, a number of cyberpunk derivatives have become recognized in their own right as distinct subgenres in speculative fiction, especially in science fiction. Rather than necessarily sharing the digitally and mechanically focused setting of cyberpunk, these derivatives can display other futuristic, or even retrofuturistic, qualities that are drawn from or analogous to cyberpunk: a world built on one particular technology that is extrapolated to a highly sophisticated level, a gritty transreal urban style, or a particular approach to social themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girandole</span>

A girandole is an ornamental branched candle holder consisting of several lights that may be on a stand or mounted on the wall, either by itself or attached to a mirror. Girandole has been used to refer to a number of different objects and designs; the early girandoles were candelabras decorated with crystals looking like a chandelier on a stand, and at one time it was also used to describe all candelabras and chandeliers, with or without crystals. Girandole first appeared in France in the mid-17th century as a luxurious appliance for lighting. In the 18-century, a girandole may be attached to a mirror, and large wall-mounted girandoles with a mirror incorporated became fashionable in England in the second half of the 18th century. A form of girandole backed with a round convex mirror was also popular in the United States in the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoriana</span>

Victoriana is a term used to refer to material culture related to the Victorian period (1837–1901). It often refers to decorative objects, but can also describe a variety of artifacts from the era including graphic design, publications, photography, machinery, architecture, fashion, and Victorian collections of natural specimens. The term can also refer to Victorian-inspired designs, nostalgic representations, or references to Victorian-era aesthetics or culture appropriated for use in new contexts

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vintage clothing</span> Garments originating from a previous era

Vintage clothing is a generic term for garments originating from a previous era, as recent as the 1990s. The term can also be applied in reference to second-hand retail outlets, e.g. in vintage clothing store. While the concept originated during World War I as a response to textile shortages, vintage dressing encompasses choosing accessories, mixing vintage garments with new, as well as creating an ensemble of various styles and periods. Vintage clothes typically sell at low prices for high-end name brands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distressing</span> Treating objects such as furniture or clothing to make them look old, worn, weathered, or lived-in

Distressing in the decorative arts is the activity of making a piece of furniture or object appear aged and older, giving it a "weathered look". There are many methods to produce an appearance of age and wear. Distressing is viewed as a refinishing technique although it is the opposite of finishing in a traditional sense. In distressing, the object's finish is intentionally destroyed or manipulated to look less than perfect, such as with sandpaper or paint stripper. For example, the artisan often removes some but not all of the paint, leaving proof of several layers of paint speckled over wood grain underneath. This becomes the "finished" piece.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nostalgia consumption</span> Consumption of goods eliciting memories

Nostalgia consumption is a social and cultural trend that could be described as the act of consuming goods that elicit memories from the past, being associated with the feeling of nostalgia.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Paris Apartment</span> Interior design style

The Paris Apartment is a style of interior design where the focus is on the French boudoir and all things related to and inspired by French design and decor. The style incorporates all aspects of design, from the ceiling to the floor, walls and trims to the furniture, light fixtures, curtains, soft furnishings, books, and color palette. The boudoir furnishings used include chaise lounges, vanities, slipper chairs, beds, daybeds, nightstands, chandeliers, sconces, lamps, paintings, armoires, dressers, mirrors, and rugs. Each is hand crafted and all have worn, original painted patinas, traditional French details, and generally range in time period from 18th Century France through the Art Deco period. Treating these historic items as important heirlooms and caring for them as stewards is as important as the aesthetics themselves. The style includes other international items with character to complete the look so that it can be seen both as a collection and as a style of decoration reflecting one's individuality.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "A Guide to Vintage Design Styles". tutsplus. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  3. Kasprzak, Emma (17 April 2012). "Vintage style: The rise of retro" . Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  4. "What's the Difference Between "Antique" & "Vintage"?". Fargo Antiques & Repurposed Market. 18 April 2018.
  5. "Definition of Retro". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  6. "Definition of Antique". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  7. "Definition of Antiquity". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  8. "Reusing Furniture". Joy's Used Furniture & Decor. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 Larocca, Amy (4 July 2001). "Tomorrow's vintage today: with designers reissuing house hits and unveiling future classics, now is the time to snap up an item you can wear right away and sell in the future". Gale one file. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  10. Abdelrahman, Omar Khaled, Emma Banister, and Daniel Peter Hampson. "Curatorial consumption: Objects’ circulation and transference in the vintage marketplace." Journal of Business Research 114 (2020): 304-311.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.03.029
  11. "A Guide to Vintage Design Styles". Design & Illustration Envato Tuts+. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  12. "Vintage design: tips and inspiration to master the trend". 99designs. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  13. ""Less Is More" vs. "Less Is a Bore": Whose Camp Are You In?". Architizer. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2021.