How to shop vintage & retro

Where to buy vintage
For larger, more structural features, such as mantelpieces, banisters, stained glass windows or basins, salvage yards are the place to look. Do some research first, to find out a fair price for the types of items you are looking for, then visit Salvo to find your nearest reclamation yard, and go prepared to haggle.

Car boot sales and charity shops are fantastic for crockery sets, vases, tablecloths and other knick-knacks – one person's junk is another person’s treasure. For vintage fabrics and wallpapers, check online mail order stores, or otherwise eBay normally has a good range.

For a real bargain, how about paying absolutely nothing for your vintage wares? Visit Freecycle, where people wanting to offload their junk are prepared to give it away for free, so long as you are able to pick it up yourself. Expect a hit and miss selection though.

Alternatively, shops like Baileys and Pedlars both stock reconditioned, old-fashioned objects like typewriters and telephones in full working order that are totally desirable.

How to work vintage into your scheme
To achieve a coherent look, choose paint colours or wallpaper that is in keeping with the period that your vintage items date from. For example – if you have picked up some authentic 1970s furniture – go for a palette of ochre, brown, orange or lime green. With 1960s plastic curvy furniture, go for psychedelic vibrant colours like turquoise, royal blue, magenta and cherry red. For a 1950s look, think bubblegum colours like primrose yellow, rose pink, powder blue or mint green.

Keep objects that date from a particular era together in one room. If you are after a more shabby-chic style, it can be fun to combine lots of colourful, clashing floral patterns or use mismatched old plates to create a wall display. If you find a sheet of authentic vintage wallpaper, use it to create a feature wall or alcove.

Don't be afraid to use reproductions alongside original vintage finds if you need to complete the look. It can actually be quite striking to juxtapose vintage and modern – for example if you have an ornate antique-style chest or mirror, you could paint it in a shocking contemporary colour to create a statement feature.

How to customise your vintage finds
When shopping for furniture and accessories, don't forget to look beyond the colour or pattern if it is not to your taste – half the fun of buying vintage is customising it afterwards.

You could repaint a dressing table or chest of drawers in one plain colour, or use masking tape to paint a band of colour down the front. Other changes you might like to make are stencilling a motif onto furniture or changing the knobs or handles. Look for vintage patterned ceramic, crystal or cut glass handles to give your furniture a quirky, kitsch appeal. You might choose to go for a distressed look using sandpaper to scuff the paintwork. Alternatively, try your hand at decoupage – using PVA glue to cover your item of furniture with decorative paper before sealing it with varnish.

With retro fabrics, why not make a patchwork quilt or simple envelope cushion covers? If you find a battered old sofa or armchair, you can always buy some fashionable fabric and get it reupholstered.