Vintage Wall Art Inspiration

June 08, 2015
When you're looking for creative solutions for wall art, think outside the frame and use beautiful and unique secondhand treasures instead.
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Pretty Plates

If you find a set of stylish dishes at a flea market, but there aren't enough place settings, scoop them up and use the set as art for your walls. Buy plate hanging hardware from a crafts or hobby store. Plan out your arrangement before you start hanging. Click the links below to see how to create the perfect wall arrangement and how to create a gallery wall.

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Dinner Destination

A vintage map makes the perfect conversation starter at mealtime. Mount it on the blank wall above a kitchen banquette for colorful wall art.

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Window on the World

Add architectural interest to any room by hanging old windows as art. For a more custom look, use mirror spray paint to turn a window into a mirror.

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Go Team!

Typography is right on trend. Arrange collegiate letters and letterman jacket patches in a group as wall art for a sports-themed bedroom or den.

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Frame It Up

Flea markets and secondhand shops are rife with vintage artwork. If the art isn't your style, but the frame is calling your name and the price is right, scoop up the piece and start collecting other frames for the ultimate ensemble. Once you have the perfect mix, hang the frames as is, or unify the display by painting all the frames the same color.

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Jewelry Case

Turn a vintage printer's tray into storage for your favorite jewelry and art for your bedroom walls. Paint the case to match your decor and line the cubbies with pretty papers. Screw brass hooks from a hardware store into each compartment. To a make room for necklaces and bracelets, use a hammer to remove a few slats.

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Initial Thoughts

Crown an entryway table or a side table with your initial. Or, scout out the letters for your monogram. Mix and match styles for extra eclectic appeal.

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Hang It Up

Items that aren't conventional wall art are perfect for conveying eclectic, vintage style. Utilize cabinet doors, trunk lids, industrial components, and more as creative wall art. When considering a piece at a secondhand shop or flea market, think about how you could hang it. Familiarize yourself with the different types of hanging hardware at your local retailer so you know what tools you'll need to get the piece on the wall.

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Vintage Signs

Vintage signs, like this plywood sign from an old manufacturing company, add an interesting conversation starter to any room. The peeling paint and color palette, fire-engine red and tan, give this room a trendy vintage feel. Look for vintage signs from local companies.

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Use Family Photos

Turn a blank stairway wall into a display of treasured family photos. Print the pictures in sepia or black and white to give the photo an older feel. Use a variety of image sizes and display inside weathered or antiqued frames.

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Bird Watching

Classic bird prints add flair to any room. Use pages from a vintage book for an authentic look. Choose images that have at least one common hue to create the perfect display. Mat illustrations backed with solid-color scrapbook paper in clip-edge frames.

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Architectural Appeal

Repurpose old barn windows as wall art and hang them on the wall for a reflective and interesting piece. Peeling paint adds to the vintage feeling of the mirror that was rescued from a Dutch barn. A reproduction Louis Philippe chair is upholstered in old feed sacks to add to the rustic, vintage feeling of the room.

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Cross-Stitch Wall Art

Turn vintage cross-stitch samplers into a unique and homespun wall display. Place some on floating shelves and hang a few on the wall. Use similar frames for the samplers to create a unified display.

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Salvaged Shutters

Add a sense of history to any space by using old building materials in new ways. Salvaged shutters are the perfect way to add interest and texture to a wall. Prop up large shutters behind a piece of furniture, or secure them to the walls.

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Vintage Labels

The vibrant colors of vintage fruit and vegetable crate labels make a bold statement when they are grouped together. The graphic labels pop when displayed amidst a sea of white accessories and atop white scalloped shelves, creating the perfect retro cottage display.

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Copper Cookware

Create a simple wall display by grouping vintage copper pieces together. Mix the copper pieces with distressed off-white cabinets for vintage country charm.

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Vintage Kitchen Wall Art

Create a beautiful kitchen wall art display with colors that pop. Old enamelware is elevated to artistic status when grouped together along a wall in a cottage kitchen.

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Add an Accent Color

A large vintage sign is the perfect way to add personality with an accent color. This circular sign's bright red color stands out against the stark white kitchen. Smaller items, such as a small red tractor and cutting board, pick up the accent color.

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Beachy Antiques

Protect your beach treasures in a shadow box to relive your vacation year-round. For the background, use a scrap of vintage wallpaper. Then adhere your sea fans, sea horses, and shells to the paper and assemble the box.

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Playful Vintage Pieces

Rather than incorporating vintage clothing into your wardrobe, add it to your decor. This framed vintage swimming suit is a perfect lighthearted touch to this red breadboard and white room.

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Shutterbug

Cottage style and old shutters are naturals together. Try hanging shutters horizontally to display photographs, postcards, letters, and clippings. If years of paint and weathering prevent your louvers from closing tightly enough to hold the papers, use a small piece of double-stick tape to keep items in place.

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Framed Plates

Ceiling medallions function as frames for these pretty still life china plates. Easy to find in a variety of sizes, composite fixtures are designed to dress up the ceiling plates of chandeliers. Hunt for decorative china at flea markets or garage sales, attach the dishes to the centers of the medallions, and hang them on the wall. To ensure the dishes will stay put, use a strong adhesive, such as E6000, to create a good bond.

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Make a Vintage Gallery

Add interest to any room with rustic or vintage artwork from a flea market or garage sale. Choosing a theme gives the display even more character and makes it easier to select pieces from a variety of choices.

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