Finding the perfect color scheme for a vintage home is so tricky! You don’t want your pad to look like a time capsule (Or do you? I don’t. But I can see the appeal, I suppose.), but you definitely want to honor the style of the house. I’ve been rounding up color inspiration from vintage magazines and ads to get some ideas for our home, because we have quite a bit of tacky color to cover up! This time I’m thinking about some earthy color schemes. I think any of these would work well in our modern age, don’t you? Which one’s your favorite? I think I like the sunny one best (two images down), but just don’t know if I have the guts to go that bright in our house. Ah, decisions, decisions!

For some extra color scheme inspiration, check out past featured vintage homes here. Thes images from this post were found via Flickr and are linked back to their Flickr source.

As someone who does a lot (or perhaps far too much) thrifting, I’m always looking for new ways to put together outfits with my finds from the ’60s and ’70s. It’s pretty easily to just figure out what works, and go back to that same sort of look time and again. But lately, I’ve been considering new ways to stretch my wardrobe- especially since I’m getting ready to downgrade my closet space.

Well, imagine my surprise when I stumbled on these images from 1971’s Petticoat magazine, full of primary(ish) colors… and actually thought, Woah! What fun! I’d love to try some of these combinations! Primary colors! Who knew.  This ’70s editorial features some punk does prep styles, with a little class, and a touch of tacky. It’s rare to see that combination expertly executed, and definitely inspiring!

What are your favorite looks here? I’m loving the athletic socks over tights (image 2) and the jumper dress over wide-leg trousers (image 4).

images: 1 2 3 4 5 all from emmapeelpants on Flickr

Staying inspired can be pretty tricky for designers these days. Too often you see the same styles popping up from completely different artists and creative types. I get it, I really do. Trends in the design world are more permeable than you might think, and ya know… sometimes you just hit a wall and realize that there is really nothing new under the sun. And  So how do you stay inspired? I immerse myself in life, experiences, nature, and stay involved with other creative people. But when I need some visual inspiration? I head back to a hundred years ago.

It's really interesting to think about how designers back then had to actually cut and paste designs together, making engraving plates, letterpress blocks and the like…. it makes moderns feel awfully lazy! I stumbled upon these 1920s sheet music covers and was completely struck by the graphic colors, pattern, and design elements used. Definitely inspirational.

all images found at Valentino Vamp