5 Items for a Retro Perfect Dining Room

Today on Vibrant Vintage, I'm happy to present a guest post by Amy at LuxeDecor!  They offer a wide range of home furnishings with a retro touch.  They have handpicked some items that my readers will surely be interested in, especially those who love midcentury decor.  Enjoy! 

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Often referred to as the Golden Age, the 1950s were a time of funky furnishings, bold artwork and vibrant décor. Seeking to add some of this midcentury vintage drama to your dining space? Whether you want to overhaul an eating area into a total time warp or just want to add some cool graphic furnishings and colorful art pieces to an otherwise modern mealtime nook, there are plenty of options for filling a dining space with nostalgic style.

Here are five items fit for a retro inspired dining room:

Image Via Pinterest

Splashy and dramatic, a sputnik chandelier is the perfect fit for a midcentury dining room. Adding tons of light to the ceiling, this showpiece lighting fixture is a glitzy standout.

Image Via HGTV Home

Classic and cool, a metal bar cart offers any dining room tons of character. Filled with bar staples and classic mixers, this cart is bound to be a hit during parties and evening soirees.

Image Via Memorable Décor

A large hypnotic painting offers this dining room a fresh focal point and tons of dazzling retro charm. Perfect for giving an eating space a bit of glamour, this painting is a definite blast from the past.

Image Via BeeYoutiful Life

Forget a commonplace gray or brown rug and instead opt to give a space some serious sparkle with a bright orange rug. Perfect for plain or muted floors, this colorful floor covering gives a dining room a burst of energy.

Image Via Decoist

A dining room needs a space for noshing and nothing screams midcentury more than a classic table with tulip chairs. Ideal for entertaining, this Scandinavian style dining set is like an ode to 1950s family life.

Guest Post by Amy Spagnola for LuxeDecor

Heat Wave

 

Something about summertime lately makes me want to dress like a member of '70s girl gang all the time.  (The new fringe and flare jeans must have something to do with it.)

Carnival at Dusk

 

 

 

 

Molly, Ivie, Whitney and I went to the local cheap carnival and stomped through the mud, got on rides, and played games.  The dress code for the evening was 70s-80s girl gang, which was even more fun!  An excuse to dress up makes everything better.

1950s for Spring

     I'm so happy it's springtime.  I think this winter was the last straw and I'm ready to migrate south next year; I guess I'm finally accepting the fact that I'm always freezing.  Here is what I'm normally wearing out and about come springtime, when it's time to shed the dark colored clothes and heavy boots.  

     It used to feel overwhelming trying to find something vintage and comfy and pretty to wear during the day; a lot of vintage shops and stores highlight dresses over all else, and that isn't always practical.  But with some trial and error, I found my go-to outfits for a day of shopping or running errands.  I get a lot of inspiration from teen outfits in the '50s, actually.  They're cute, functional, but still body-hugging and grown up.  If you don't have a pair of saddle shoes, go get some; it'll change your life (for real, ladies).

Image via the50shousewife.com

Image via Wikimedia, from an ad for T. C. Beirne's department store

Image via VintageDancer.com

Jeans by Merona, at Target

 Shirt from Lands End

Shoes from Payless

The 5 Minute Flapper: Eyes

Here's the final installment of the 5 Minute Flapper!  This week, spend 2 minutes and learn how to put on a dark, dramatic 1920's eye.

The 5 Minute Flapper: Brows

Hello again!  I'm here with the next installment of the 5 Minute Flapper (although perhaps I should have named it The 5 Minute & 45 Second Flapper, seeing as how those extra seconds add up!).  This week I'll show you in a jiffy how to get those perfectly curved half-moon brows that were so popular in the 1920s with flappers and starlets alike.

This video is only a minute and change, so break out your makeup bag and get started!

Winter Sunset

I'm so happy to show you the rest of the photos taken by the wonderful Naomi of Fresh Images Photography!  I've always loved the 1920's (watching Louise Brooks in her prime is still one of the most glorious cinematic experiences ever) and the era made a huge impression on me when I was learning how to my makeup and hair.  I've been hooked on Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (more on that later), and no small part due to the clothes.  Ladies in the 1920's knew how to dress for fun and for impact, and even though the popular silhouette was commonly boyish, the fabrics and details were very delicate and fanciful.  I came across a fringed sheer kimono that adds a cool Bohemian flapper touch to any dress.  

Here Naomi used the soft sunlight to show off the textures and warmth of the outfit.

 Dress and robe: Target

Hat: thrifted

Necklace: Forever21

Earrings: jade stones from my mom

For more of Naomi's work, visit FreshImagesPhotography.com

Misty Moors

(...Or, the best I could do for moors when there isn't really a flat plain anywhere near me.)

I've been on a Victorian/Bronte sisters kick lately; any form of Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre is okay by me.  I've been trying to channel it for fall with frilly lace, chunky sweaters, and tough shoes and boots.  The practical-but-ladylike costuming in films set in that era are an endless inspiration of springing from the clash of austerity and meticulous beauty.  The strict observation of fashion amidst a wild landscape is a contradiction too good not to experiment with.

Dress: Vintage

Slip: Vintage

Sweater: Landsend

Shoes: Payless

Makeup is ELF shadow, Nyx Matte lipstick  in Snow White