Vintage Inspired Children's Style

When I lived in Spain, one of my favorite pastimes was to sit on a park bench and watch Spanish mamas take their kids out after siesta. There is a certain subculture in Spain, mainly the upper/more tradition rooted class or commonly known as pijos (preppy people), that still dress their children to the nines for everyday activities. From knee high socks and knickers to cute, 50's style baby doll dresses and tailored pea coats when it's the slitest bit cool out. Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about:

While I love this idea, I realize it's not entirely practical and know that a boy who doesn't get to wear long pants until he's ten would not fair well in the American school system. That being said, I think there is something timeless and sweet to these outfits and think vintage inspired fashions can be infused into more modern-playground friendly clothing for your littles. So, I've come up with a few vintage-inspired wardrobe options for your kiddos this summer. I look forward to creating inspiration boards for the rest of the seasons as well!

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Vintage Room Inspiration- Children's Books

These days I spend quite a bit of time reading to Collin. I love seeing his eyes dance when we read a new story or an old story that's new to him. One of his current favorite series is Richard Scarry's Busytown books. He's amazingly quick at finding the hidden Goldbug on every page. It's impressive. I can barely keep up reading because Collin is all too ready to turn the page and find another "Go-bug." Now that the boys' nap times and bedtimes are synching up, it's fun to sit on Collin's bed with

Killian on my lap and read to both of them at the same time before they go down.

Another favorite in our house is the classic Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman. Not only is the story adorable, it boasts such a rich, vibrant color palette. The other day I found myself inspirited to create a home decor scheme around the beautiful canary yellow, tomato red, mocha brown and vibrant teal. You don't see these colors put together that often in modern decor. 

Take a look at what I've come up with.

book//light//cabinet//table//chairs//planter//napkin//bird print

So I've decided to start sharing some more of my vintage inspiration for rooms-- be it from old postcards, advertisements, movies, product packaging... You name it. Stay tuned, friends!

What I'm In The Market For...

When it comes to furniture, I'm sure many of you are like me and do not have the budget to pick something out of a catalog and have it shipped and assembled on whim. This can, at times, be frustrating, but it does force me to be creative and always on the alert for items with potential at Goodwill, on Craigslist, or at a granny estate sale.

So, without further ado, I present to you my long term wish list:

A vintage china cabinet that is narrow enough to fit in our dining room. I have a whole set of lovely china from our wedding and a bevy of retro cake stands just itching to be displayed! Alas, they will remain in boxes, nestled in their newspaper cocoons, until I find the right home for them.

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Nightstands for our bedroom. I have paid our bedroom only a fraction of the attention I have given the rest of our little farmhouse. I'd really prefer not to go buy crappy mdf side tables at Ikea, so I will wait until the perfect little set (or even mismatched pair) with character pops up. My husband hates me even mentioning that I want to paint real wood, but I think he'll get over it if the nightstands are cheap enough;)

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A new Sofa. There's pretty much nothing in our house, furniture-wise, that we've spent over $100 on. In fact, the great majority of our items are hand-me-downs or estate sale finds. Go us! That being said, when we are ready to purchase a couch we will probably not go vintage. Why? Well, vintage is great for accent furniture and side chairs, but nothing beats the comfort and durability of a modern sofa. I've hunted down a few models that have a nice vintage look without the smell and discomfort factor;)

So, in a magical world, I'd stumble across these beauties in a bargain basement...

Love the Anson Sofa from Room and Board!

Azure Sofa from Crate and Barrel

Greenwich Sofa from Pottery Barn

Ahh, isn't the internet fun for window shopping? What's on your wish list? Maybe I'll come across it the next time I'm thrifting and can snag it for you! Just leave me a comment with a few links!

Graphic Chevron Stripes

I once had a knit cap with red and camel colored chevron stripes and it was my favorite. There's something so retro and playful about this pattern. Don't know what happened to the hat... Perhaps it still in a tub in my parent's garage or maybe my sister has it. Anyhoo, the following room shots are full of chevron stripe goodness. Please enjoy!

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With a little painter's tape, you could have a lovely chevron striped accent wall or large canvas!

A large piece of wood, painted with chevron stripes, is much cheaper than a gigantic canvas,

while delivering the same look (only $8 at the Home Depot)!

How clever and cute (source).

Vintage Chair Makeovers

I found myself the loveliest Eames Era chair at Goodwill for $7.99. It has such beautiful form, the only problem is that its seat is upholstered in an awful 80's puce fabric:( Good thing I can see past the abomination! Once I am done with the recovering, I'll post pictures. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite chair makeovers. Hopefully it will inspire you to give an overlooked and seemingly unfortunate chair a new life!

Chair Makeover by Jessica Jones (source)

Ribbon Upholstered Chair (DIY here)

Shelby Williams Club Chair Makeover (source)

Michael Penney's DIY Chair Makeover (source)

$7.50 Chair Makeover (source)

Design Sponge Before and After (source)