Home Decor

Throwing traditional interior design rules to the wind

Jessica Crawford
Cotton & Co.

(8/2021) One of the many, many beauties of today, is the lack of rules when it comes to interior design and home decor. When you picture the early 1900’s, you probably envision the Victorian era. Lots of rich textiles, velvet furniture, ornate woodwork, etc… When you look back on the 1920’s, you can picture a certain style. Probably lots of authentic farmhouse and industrial design; reminiscent of a simpler time. Then we move into the 1940s where the Art Deco and waterfall vibes start coming through. Around the 1950s and 60s, Mid Century design makes an emergence and takes hold. With sleek lines and a Scandinavian influence. Then we flow into the 1970’s, full of lots of color and texture and carefree hippy vibes.

Fast forward another fifty years. When it comes to interior design now, we aren’t restricted by one or two decade-specific styles. We are lucky to be able to borrow from the last century’s worth of designs and decor, mingle and mix them, to create our own individual look. We have the internet and social media at our fingertips, that fill us with ideas and inspiration on a daily basis. We get to watch through little thumbnails of people’s lives, how they create and decorate their spaces. We fluidly share ideas and inspiration with one another, whether we realize it or not, which is probably one of the most redeemable qualities of social media as a whole. We see how this friend decorates their home in a bohemian way, this relative is drawn to Mid Century, while that neighbor is drawn to a more modern-farmhouse look. And we are able to see how these designs can really be integrated together. The rules have changed. We can decorate however we want, borrowing from as many time periods as we want, and still create a cohesive look and living space.

There are less rules about how furniture is used too. One of my most favorite, versatile pieces of furniture is a dresser. I love a good dresser. And I must not be alone, because we sell a ton of dressers at the shop. No longer are dressers strictly for storing clothes and never being seen other than by overnight guests. Dressers are excellent storage, useful in just about any room of the house. A refinished dresser can be painted (or not) into any color that suits your home and theme. They make excellent storage for kid’s toys, tv stands, unique bases for one of a kind kitchen islands, storage in a mudroom, or a sideboard for a dining room or hallway. The uses are really endless.

I think it’s fair to say, in the past twenty years or so, we’ve ditched being chained to certain era-specific styles, and are able to freely express ourselves, by borrowing from numerous past styles to achieve an individual look for our homes. We’ve talked a lot in previous additions about the bohemian revival. Full of jewel tones, natural elements, wicker and rattan, and bold textiles and textures. But we really haven’t touched much on Mid Century. Which is a super hot trend right now. One of my biggest points of pride in my shop is, that I have a team of vendors that each offer their own unique twist on vintage. There is something in the shop for everyone’s style. And we have a couple of vendors that specialize in curating and refinishing vintage Mid Century furniture and integrating Mid Century inspired home décor.

Mid Century Modern (MCM) furniture is generally very well made, solid and stands the test of time. Some designs are very sleek and simplistic, with very clean, modern lines. While others reflect that, but also add in geometric patterns into the design of the piece too. With their sleek Scandinavian style, these pieces fit seamlessly into most homes. While MCM may initially seem decade and era specific, it really can be incorporated into so many different design styles. If you tend to decorate in a more Modern Farmhouse style, a MCM piece would still fit well into your home. Either in a natural wood or refinished in black or white. Or even a combination of the two to create a two-tone paint-and-wood effect. They also generally show beautiful wood grains, that can be rejuvinated with a fresh coat of furniture oil.

MCM is often thought of as a minimalistic design style. And many people use the MCM style as a way of creating a beautiful, welcoming but also minimalistic home or space. But Mid Century design also blends naturally with a boho inspired theme. Which is completely opposite of Farmhouse and Minimalism. Picture a beautiful MCM low boy dresser, refinished in a deep jewel-tone green or teal, as either a dresser in a bedroom, or console in a living room. Or a super funky, bold patterned ceramic lamp. Or a pair of refinished MCM end tables in a master bedroom, refinished in a gorgeous, bold color. While the designs themselves are simple and elegant, they can also be used to achieve a boho look too. I think because MCM is such an adaptable style, that can be molded and morphed into whatever look you’re trying to achieve. And since the decades back up to one another, MCM décor and furniture, definitely vibe with a retro inspired home too.

Our staff is always more than willing to help you bring a design or idea to life. Not only are we more than willing, we love to do it. So bring us your design ideas, inspiration, etc… and let us help you bring it into fruition. Located in Keymar, Cotton & Co Vintage Boutique is open weekly, Friday-Sunday, and always updating the shop with new inventory, fresh finds, refinished vintage furniture, and a little something for everyone.