Our roots, culture, and land inspired the ORIGINS color palette of the Boysen Color Trend 2020. But more than country and people, ORIGINS is also about sustainability to ensure the continuity of our habitat and our race.
The key thing is nurturing connections—to our heritage, to family, to community, to our home, and to nature.
With the pandemic, people have realized the importance of many other things other than the material. Aside from people and health, we’ve re-learned to appreciate our homes, from the structures we live in to the world at large.
In fact, we go back to the “good, old days” in our minds just to have a little bit of rest from this quarantine lifestyle, which is difficult for such a social people. It is not surprising that the vintage style has made a comeback in interior design so we could have mementos of those good, old days for real in our homes.
ORIGINS + Vintage
Combining ORIGINS and the vintage style is a logical move. Why not give it a try if you want to update your interiors?
Because it’s vintage, let’s definitely keep those heirlooms and keepsakes that we’ve inherited. In my case, I use everything my mom passed on to me daily, except for the silverware which is impractical in my busy life. Silver needs to be polished regularly, and I can’t be bothered. But for my meals, I eat from my lola’s rose glass plates every day. I would have wanted a couple of furniture too but these would have been too cumbersome with my gypsy lifestyle.
I really like antique Filipino chairs with solihiya backrests, old wooden hand carved cabinets with glass to display dinnerware in, wooden aparadors with hand carved embellishments and mirrored doors, and huge wooden tables that could seat big families. They speak to me of bygone days when extended families would meet for lunch in my grandparents’ home every Sunday, when the front gate and front door were always open, where people (family and friends) would come in and out of the house at any time to eat, to chat, or to share the yummy bites they made.
What about you? What are the things that you have inherited that remind you of your roots? Spend some time to examine them and remember the happy times. It’s Christmas time and ’tis the season to be jolly. If you have nothing tangible, I am sure you have wonderful memories to look back on and smile about. What better time is there to take out those gems that you’ve tucked away in your mind, to polish them, and to hold them up to the light?
Easy Styling Tips for a Vintage Look
Here are some ideas to give old things pride of place to lend your home that whiff of vintage.
1 Make a gallery wall of old photographs and art works.
I mentioned before in this post that the easiest way to add a vintage feel to your home is to frame photos of your loved ones. Framed black and white pictures of your family (especially old photos) would look great on a gallery wall. It gives a concrete feeling of your family history, where you come from, and the spirit of your tribe.
Use the dark color Back to Zero as backdrop for maximum effect. Add to the mix art works that have been handed down to you and that have a special meaning for you. Even tickets, maps, travel souvenirs that bring you joy can go up the wall.
Practice the arrangement of all the pieces first on a table or the floor before putting them up on your wall.
2 Make a focal point of beloved pieces of furniture and accessories.
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Some of us are lucky enough to get a piece of furniture that means a lot to our family. It could be cribs, armchairs, tables, slabs of old hard wood taken from an ancestral home that was torn down, tables, and bed linens. I can even imagine an old door becoming a conversation piece.
Mid-century style furniture such as this console cabinet would look good paired with the colors Pink Skies and Lucid Green. Add some vintage posters and retro lamps from the 70s, and you’ve got an attractive corner that can remind you of carefree days.
3 Borrow some ideas from this kitchen.
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There is such a mix of styles here. You’ve got these brooding colors. The hues Barefoot, Back to Zero, and Lucid Green would fit right in. The yellow Humble Bee is similar in tone to the metal of the chandelier and the art works.
There is an industrial flair going on here with metal, concrete, and old wood. But then there are the ultra-modern kitchen equipment paired with gorgeous classical crystal chandeliers. The mix of industrial, modern and classical work!
If you are redecorating your house, remember that you have the license to experiment. It helps to keep in mind the 80-20 rule when you are mixing interior styles. But as long as your eyes are pleased with the results, then that should be enough confirmation for you.
Celebrate Christmas Rituals
Just because there’s a pandemic, don’t let Christmas customs pass by without celebrating these with members of your household. For example, have your puto bumbong, bibingka, and queso de bola for noche buena if that has been your tradition. The colors Humble Bee and Purple Paradise are beautiful to look at not only on your walls but also on traditional kakanin. Enjoy your noche buena with other family members and close friends who are not with you via a Zoom party.
Try these easy styling tips and use colors from the ORIGINS palette in a vintage style to fill your home with good memories as you make new ones this Christmas.