A 1940s take on Mediterranean inspired home decor

✯ Day 136 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

As the seasons change, so too can one's sense of what they're drawn to when it comes to interior design. In the frigid depth of winter it's entirely natural to want to surround yourself with rich fabrics, saturated hues (such as darkly hued woods, paints, wallpapers), mountains of cushions, throw pillows and blankets, heavy drapes and solid pieces that even unshakable on even the most bittingly cold of January nights.

Come the brighter, toastier - perhaps even more cheerful - days of mid-spring however, one's mind might shift towards thoughts of airy open spaces, serene colours, and cool-to-the-touch materials that somehow manage to help take the edge of the sweltering wrath of July and August.

While many a modern interior designer may think that a rustically styled Mediterranean home is - on this side of the Atlantic – a new(ish) concept, as the charmingly wonderful below from 1948 attests, some of our yesteryear decor mavens were keen on channeling a distinctly southern European vibe, too.

 

Few design styles so perfectly capture the warm allure and timeless beauty of summer as easily - or effectively - as a Mediterranean inspired look. In this classic kitchen - which would in no way, shape or form seem out of place a new home today - fiery tomato red is tempered by serenely mellow green and soft blue tiles, snowy white window boxes and honey hued wood furniture.

A smattering of plates depicting grapes, playfully ruffled window dressings, and a simple crockery container of flowers all add to the rustic, yet still carefully curated, feel of this spacious, beautiful room.

I could so easily image the women - dressed in her delightful peasant inspired garb - in this photo (which hails from the July 1948 edition of Country Gentleman Magazine and come by way of saltycotton on Flickr) sitting down to shuck a bowl of just-plucked peas, sip frosty lemonade with her girlfriends, or play cards late into the night, those tall windows open all the way to let as much air circulate and cool the home as possible.

There is much inspiration to gleamed from this European inspired kitchen, no matter what season you feel like decorating in. The timeless colours, old world elements, and solid styling cues of this fantastic vintage Mediterranean kitchen make it a sure-fire hit any day of the year.

The marvellously black and white and pink all over 1940s bedroom

✯ Day 78 of Vintage 365 ✯

Vintage home decor is one of those siren song topics that calls to me routinely, especially when I'm spending time seeking inspiration online. My current abode, while relatively classically furnished (minus, one might point out, the rather modern appearance of a flat screen TV), could certainly do with more vintage touches (oh how I envy those lucky guys and gals who's whole homes are devoted to, and decked out with, marvelous vintage pieces!).

Given that we rent our apartment, certainly don't plan on living here forever (entertaining, as many couples do, steadfast dreams of owning our own home one day), and have next-to-no wiggle room in the current budget for decorating our pad, most of my decor fantasies are lived out vicariously through images of vintage (and modern day vintage inspired) rooms, such as the immensely beautiful white, pink and black bedroom below.

 

{Gorgeous 1940s bedroom image via RetroPlantet.com}

Teaming with more feminine charm and timelessly allure than you can shake a tube of lipstick at, this 1940s bedroom seems at once deeply classic and yet incredibly of-the-moment. From the engagingly delightful trompe d'oeil bow print rug to the chic black and white damask fabric used judiciously throughout, this natty, beautiful room is the sort of bedchamber I could so easily imagine adorning my home with.

What helps place this wonderful room more squarely in the vintage category though (as it rightly should be, given it’s from the 40s) are the some of the touches - like the pair of tall lamps on the vanity and the alcoved shelving above the bed - that few professional or DIY decorators (aside from us vintage loving folks!) would dare to use nowadays.

They're special, ageless elements that are rich in style and grace, and which definitely provide boundless vintage decor inspiration whether one is planning on redoing their bedroom today, in half a year, or when they finally get a pad all their own.