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How Vintage Decor Contributes to a Simple Life

By Rachel

published 02/13/2025

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Simplicity and minimalism go hand in hand with vintage. Learn how vintage decor contributes to a simple life!

Do you, many times, feel overwhelmed by clutter and material possessions? Are you searching for a way to simplify your life? Look no further than vintage decor! In a world of fast-paced consumerism, incorporating vintage elements into your home can provide a sense of comfort and nostalgia that is often missing in modern society. Join me today for my take on how vintage decor contributes to a simple life!

Table of Contents

Vintage Finds for a Simple Life: Less Is More

As author and interior designer Linda Boronkay once said, “Vintage decor is not just about style, it’s about a simpler way of living.” Boy ain’t that the truth. She is so right!

From its timeless aesthetic to its practical benefits, we will explore the ways in which vintage decor can contribute to a more simplified and fulfilling life. We’ll touch on the sustainable aspects of sourcing vintage secondhand decor, mindful consumption habits, and so much more. This is a jam-packed post, full of such good stuff!

So sit back, grab a coffee or tea, and prepare to be inspired by the beauty and simplicity of vintage decor.

Decorating with Vintage Finds for a Fulfilling and Sustainable Life

Hello, guys! I’m SO happy you are here today.

The post that you are about read is something that I’ve been wanting to write about for awhile…I just haven’t had quite the right words or things to say about it until now.

As you know, vintage decor is my life. I live and breathe vintage each and every day and, truly, don’t know where I would be without it. It may sound silly, but vintage decor has changed my life.

Yes, vintage items are pretty to look at and style but there is so much more to it than that. Let’s take a deep dive into vintage decor and the many ways it contributes to minimalism, slow living, and a simpler lifestyle.

Shop Favorite Vintage Decor

How Vintage Decor Contributes to a Simple Life

It’s no secret that vintage pieces contain such lovely history, character, and overall timeless style that can’t be found in modern, mass-produced items.

But, why is it that so many of us are drawn to vintage decor?

Maybe it’s the story that each piece tells or the beautiful way an old ironstone tureen looks sitting on a shelf. Or, maybe it’s how shopping secondhand contributes to a healthy Earth in a way that no other shopping can.

Whatever it is for you, I applaud you and am so grateful that vintage pieces speak to you just as they speak to me. But, what if the love of vintage goes much deeper than what we actually see on the surface?

Let’s chat about that.

Some Amazing Benefits of Vintage Decor

Truly, I could list hundreds of reasons on why decorating with vintage pieces is so amazing or the many benefits vintage decor has. But, let’s just stick to a handful here today.

Through my eyes, here are some benefits of vintage decor:

each piece holds a story and sense of history
unique character with timeless style
durable and made to last
sustainable due to re-using existing items
affordable and budget-friendly
gives the ability to decorate your home with pieces that no one else has

Decluttering with Vintage Finds

This may sound counterintuitive, right? However, when purchasing decor for your home, you want it to last while also being something that you aren’t going to grow tired of in a year’s time.

So, by sourcing vintage pieces for your home instead of low-quality items from big box stores, you are actually saving money!

How?! Glad you asked!

You see, it’s from my experience that modern, mass-produced things don’t last, aren’t made with quality in mind, and are expensive. It’s a constant cycle of buy a brand new thing, use it for a year, grow tired of it, get rid of it, buy a new thing…and over and over. That is SO wasteful, not to mention the prices of everything really start to add up.

However, by purchasing vintage finds from secondhand stores or antique shops, you are buying quality pieces, with TONS of character, that can be used all year round.

In my home, vintage decor items such as milk glass, ironstone, or restaurant ware are timeless decor pieces that I turn to constantly. And, the beauty about these decorative objects is that I’ve thrifted them all, only spending a few dollars on each one.

With vintage decor, you are truly decluttering because you are not constantly buying new wares. This is the epitome of simple and minimal living; buying quality things that will last for years. This eliminates the need for always buying, enabling us to live happily with minimal items.

Wanna know my advice? Buy the vintage thing for just a few dollars, whatever it is that speaks to you, and observe the long-lasting beauty that it brings to your space.

Sustainability and Vintage

I think, by far, this is the biggest and most important aspect of vintage decor. With the current state of the Earth, shopping secondhand and purchasing pre-used goods is of utmost importance.

Reducing Waste with Vintage Finds

Due to the high-quality nature of vintage goods, they last for years and years. Many of the vintage items I have in my home are at least 50+ years old because they just don’t break or grow weary!

This is so helpful for reducing waste and eliminates things from being thrown in landfills. In my opinion, there is truly nothing that can’t be purchased secondhand or from thrift stores. You guys…there is just SO MUCH STUFF out there. I urge you to do a small part in taking care of the environment by reducing un-necessary waste!

The Environmental Impact of Vintage Decor

This section goes hand-in-hand with what I stated above.

In purchasing vintage decor, you are not only giving old things a new purpose but also having such a positive impact on the environment. Buying secondhand helps reduce the carbon footprint and decreases water and air pollution, just to name a few.

When you buy something vintage or thrifted, you are eliminating the amount of chemicals polluted into the air and water from factories, which is much healthier for the environment.

Creating a Unique Space with Minimal Vintage Decor

Truly, there is nothing better than vintage to help one express their own personality.

I mean, think about it! There are endless vintage styles to choose from…mid-century, cottage, farmhouse, tropical, etc…There is something for everyone when it comes to vintage decorating.

Because of that, it doesn’t take much to style a space that is all your own and special to you. When decorating with vintage, you don’t need to pack every inch full of decor or vintage wares.

Vintage items contain such personality and character, so much so that they speak for themselves. Which, really, is super great because you can stick to a minimal aesthetic!

Building a Curated Collection of Vintage Finds

I want to briefly touch on the notion of vintage collections. Because, one might think that, to have vintage collections, you need to have tons and tons of pieces from said collection. You totally can and if that brings you joy, go for it!

However, a large premise of my life is minimal and simple living. So, when it comes to sourcing things for my vintage collections, I am very picky. This is why I call it ‘curating’ a collection because, truly, no one can have all the things.

Building collections of things you love is a heartwarming and rewarding pastime. But, to truly keep collections special, and so that they don’t take over the entire house, it’s really all about curating these pieces over time.

When it comes to collecting things, especially with simple living in mind, my advice would be to be very mindful of what you are choosing to bring into your home.

In this way, you are still partaking in a hobby that you love while, at the same time, not collecting things just for the sake of it, which helps to eliminate clutter and overwhelm.

Vintage Decor and Minimalism

Finally, this last category is a method of living that is near and dear to my heart.

You see, a few years ago, when my husband and I both made the decision to start our own businesses at the same time, we had to dramatically shift our budget. For obvious reasons, when starting two, brand new work-from-home companies, money was tight.

Enter minimalism. Budget-friendly and frugal living became my two best friends. This is also when I started thrifting, mainly for clothing and household goods, because it’s all we could afford.

Fast forward to now when we are a lot more financially sound…I still thrift and absolutely love it, I still am obsessed with frugal living and getting all the best deals, and I still adore budget-friendly anything. So, you could say that minimalism changed my life.

But, how does minimalism co-exist with vintage decor? Let’s talk about that!

Finding Joy in Less with Vintage Decor

With vintage finds, styling a minimal home aesthetic is effortless. The beauty about vintage is that less is truly more!

Vintage wares are, by nature, inherently pretty. You really don’t need to do much, if anything at all, to make them look any prettier. In my opinion, and some will disagree with this, but I think it’s better to have less ‘stuff’, especially when it comes to decorating a home.

With vintage, do less! Don’t try so hard to decorate with it because it’s already enough.

Slow Living with Vintage Decor

Another amazing benefit of vintage decor pieces is that it allows for slow living.

What’s slow living, you ask? Well, in simple terms, it’s a lifestyle that takes a slower approach to daily life. It’s a way of living more intentionally, being more present, and being grateful for the things you have.

To me, that’s vintage in a nutshell. Vintage items are just things after all but they appreciate what they are, regardless of how they look or what they’ve been through.

Vintage has taught me to slow down and embrace everything as it is right now.

The Beauty of Imperfection in Vintage Decor

Is minimal and simple living the perfect solution for living? No. Every way of life has its flaws and downsides. But, to truly appreciate your path and however you’ve chosen to live, it’s important to embrace the imperfect nature of it all.

Truly, nothing in life is perfect. But, isn’t that just the most beautiful thing?! Realizing that I’m not perfect and that no thing, place, situation, etc…has to be perfect is wonderfully life-changing.

Vintage pieces have been through stuff. Oh the places that they’ve been and the stories they could tell! But, I think that’s what I love most about vintage…the fact that I can see just how lovely each piece is despite the wear, the chips, the stains, and the cracks. Those imperfections make them all the more beautiful!

You see, when you can invite these imperfect decor items into your home, it’s beckoning a simpler way of life. Being okay with slowing down and living with flaws, both literally and figuratively, is an amazing lesson in grace.

So, to sum it all up, vintage has taught me grace. What has it taught you?

Closing Tidbits on How Vintage Decor Contributes to a Simple Life

In a world that often feels chaotic and fast-paced, incorporating vintage decor into our lives can bring an immense sense of tranquility. Through the use of classic and timeless pieces, we can create a space that not only reflects our unique personalities but also promotes a slower and more intentional way of living.

As we’ve explored, vintage decor is more than just a design trend – it’s a lifestyle choice. By embracing the simple character that these pieces bring, we can declutter our homes and minds, focusing on what truly matters.

But our journey does not end here. Let’s continue to have discussions, share our experiences, and inspire others to join us in this movement towards simplicity!

Be encouraged to move towards a simple way of living, finding a slow and steady rhythm along the way.

If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

Here on the blog, you will find loads of inspiration for decorating with vintage and antique decor, simple DIY crafts and many thrifting adventures. If that interests you, I invite you to sign up for my e-mail. You will receive a free digital download as a thank you!

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