In an era where 3 in every 5 Americans regularly buy vintage goods, you can’t go wrong with including a blast from the past in modern interiors. Vintage desks are a great way to spruce up any home office with a personal, human touch.
Here, we’re going to talk about how you can use vintage furniture in modern offices to create a beautiful transitional design scheme. Read on to learn why this is an awesome idea and how you can create a cohesive aesthetic with high-end used furniture.
Choose the Right Vintage Desks
The first step toward pairing vintage and modern office furniture is to choose the right desk. Opting for quality is critical since you want a durable and long-lasting design. More to the point, a high-end desk made from real wood will give your office the sophisticated and elegant look that you’re trying to achieve.
A simple mahogany desk with many drawers integrated into the design is sleek and minimalistic. It’s a great throwback to simpler times and gives your office a clean look. Plus, since it doesn’t take up much space but has a lot of storage, it’s a great space-saver.
If you have a larger space and want something bold, a solid cherry modular desk is an excellent option. These desks don’t just have a writing surface on one side—they also feature a lot of storage, an open area that will fit a computer, and a side table for decorations. They’re great for those who want to incorporate technology into their transitional look.
Those who want to try something different can get desks in vintage colors, A Dixie furniture off-white painted desk has a yellowish undertone that goes great with warm-colored design features. The same applies to desks made of “blonde wood” and light pine/wicker materials.
The bottom line is to choose something that you like. You can build the rest of your modern office around your favorite desk’s appearance.
Get a Modern Desk Chair
One immediate way to juxtapose vintage used furniture with modern design is to get a contemporary-style office chair. A black swivel chair looks beautiful when contrasted with a vintage desk. The neutral black goes well with any material including heavy oak, mahogany, maple, or even light-hued wicker.
Swivel chairs are a classic staple of modern office design. They’re comfortable and often come with sophisticated padding. While they’re definitely a far cry from classic vintage furniture, they have the same elegance and timeless appeal as mid-century desks do.
Modern looks don’t have to be at odds with vintage ones. As long as all your selections are classics, they’ll never go out of style regardless of the time period that popularized them.
Consider Neutral Minimalism
Minimalism, the idea that less is more, is a staple of modern and contemporary design. This style is characterized by neutral hues, white space, bold lines, and simple accents. In transitional design schemes, minimalist surroundings can help a focal piece stand out.
A vintage desk makes a great focal point in a minimalist design scheme. Simple surroundings are bold and clean, but they also draw the eye to the nuanced design of the classic desk. All the details in the natural wood high-end used furniture will stand out, as will metal drawer knobs and organic shapes incorporated into the desk design.
Choose Natural Accents
Your desk shouldn’t be the only pop of color in a minimalist space. It’s important that your home office looks lived in. If it’s only sanitized neutral hues and sleek laptops, it will lack the personal touch that makes a house a home.
Natural accents are the perfect way to make your space look great. Green plants add a pop of life to your space and can even have health benefits.
There are a lot of different textures to choose from, so you can put leafy plants in one area and rougher vines in another. This is a great way to enrich your space with texture and diversity.
Don’t forget that you can incorporate flowers into your design scheme by placing plants with multiple hues on your desk. Coneflowers and marigolds can give you some warm hues in your space to match desk wood with warm undertones. Blue pansies and forget-me-nots can provide you with an interesting, eye-catching contrast.
If you want to make your space look more feminine, pink flowers are a great way to do so. Carnations and peonies can give your space a softer look that you’re sure to love.
Pair Heavy Wood With Interesting Colors
Vintage furniture tends to be heavier than alternatives, which gives it a gravity and bravado that modern desks can’t match. It’s important that you use light colors to soften it up if you choose not to opt for a minimalistic neutral design.
Consider using unique pastel colors like pale yellow, soft pastel pink, and robins-egg blue to make your space more complex. This is an especially great idea because it’s a throwback to mid-century design when these hues were popular on home appliances.
Display Unique Artwork
Artwork is another opportunity to make your space look softer and better rounded. Paintings are ideal for modern offices with vintage touches. Floral paintings, watercolor landscapes, and minimalistic swirls of color are timeless and elegant in any transitional space.
You can also use Art Deco styles as a callback to vintage decor. These paintings and sketches have boldly delineated geometric patterns that stand out when combined with natural desk plants and heavy wooden furniture. They also feature strong colors and shapes that tend to look like household objects and architectural features.
Black-and-white photographs of modern objects are also a great way to bring both contemporary and vintage aesthetics together. The possibilities are limitless.
Get Deals on High End Used Furniture
Now that you know why vintage desks make an excellent addition to modern home offices, it’s time to revamp your interior design. We’re committed to providing beautiful vintage pieces at an affordable price.
You’re certain to find a quality wooden desk that perfectly rounds out any transitional design scheme. Sign up for our VIP newsletter to get year-round discounts, information about buying gorgeous home office furniture, and more.