Need a little vintage in your life?

If you want your space to scream vintage, but you’re not sure where to start, consider these tips:

ŸLess is more. Get rid of things you think you need, but don’t. “That doesn’t mean if you have a box of your mom’s old love letters, those have to go. I’m talking about stuff that’s for the sake of stuff, like 10 lamps in a room,” says Rachel Ashwell of Shabby Chic fame. “Let one or two stand beautifully. When you have beautiful things, you don’t need a load of them.”

ŸPaint walls white. While bright colors do indeed wow, Ashwell says mellow colors have much more longevity. “A clean palette is a good place to start, but that doesn’t mean that over time one wall can’t take on wallpaper or a different color, like a pastel or muted smoky palette.”

ŸAdd drama. Signature pieces, such as a chandelier, instantly create a feeling of grandeur even in a small space, says Ashwell. Finding that dramatic piece can get the ideas rolling for the rest of the space.

ŸBring the outdoors in. Keep in mind garden elements such as cement pots, urns and fountains. “They always have a great patina that they acquire naturally through their time outside,” author and designer Brooke Giannetti says. “A pair of aged cement urns in a dining room brings a bit of the garden inside.”

ŸArchitecture, architecture. Old architectural elements, such as French shutters and vintage columns, add an interesting large-scale element to any room, says architect Steve Giannetti.