Colour me vintage
Maritimers enjoy stepping away from minimalist home decor
Minimalism had its time to shine in the 2010s, but now Maritimers are bringing back the colour and interest. Goodbye sad, beige rooms and hello happy, colourful, vintageinspired décor!
Leslie Teeple is an eclectic décor enthusiast and feels that its recent popularity is for a few reasons.
“I think this type of decorating is popular because new stuff isn’t as sturdy or won’t take the abuse that old stuff will. I would describe my decorating style as eclectic, with a focus on cool, older, or uncommon things,” explained the 54-year-old from Coleman, P.E.I.
“I love bright colours; I think you should decorate in a style that makes you feel good. And colour works that way for me… bright yellows, blues, et cetera. And yes, it extends to the kitchen.”
Teeple’s kitchen features all pots and pans displayed on the wall.
“We used to have a ladder on the wall and the pots hung on hooks on the ladder. Not only does it look cool, but it makes it easy to grab a pot you need, and it saves a ton of room,” she said.
“I have stuff like empty bags of coffee beans, the big ones from a coffee importer, and framed old newspapers or family papers on the walls. We find our stuff in flea markets, family or on Facebook Marketplace.”
The rest of the house features old furniture Teeple has refurbished and other fun, vintage décor.
“I have an old writing desk that was my great grandfather’s that I stripped and redid many years ago. I have a set of six chairs from an old bar. Best chairs ever, they don’t make sturdy captain’s chairs like this anymore,” she explained.
Sue Woodworth-Scalia’s colourful and inviting home.
“We’re always on the lookout for that cool thing. I have some big keys and an old plate or center cap from a tire that our son found in a river when he was little. So, I guess found objects are also a way we decorate.”
Tiara Carrick describes her and her husband’s interior decorating style as ‘Grandma’s maximalist hunting lodge.’
“Imagine taxidermy, lace, and rustic wooden furniture. Some would likely classify it as thrifted classic maximalism. Our style stems from some of our shared values. As Christians, we highly value beauty, hospitality and family,” said the 28-year-old from Charlottetown, P.E.I.
“My husband and I find beauty in things made with care and longevity in mind. We find this particularly true with antique hand-crafted furniture, classical records, old bound books, and vintage artworks.”
Carrick intends for her decorating style to cultivate a homey environment for their future children to grow up in.
“We want to raise our children in a beautiful place that helps them flourish and feel like a part of the story of our broader family. Both of us grew up in homes and families that intentionally crafted homey environments through deliberate decor choices,” she said.
“Our house is filled with family heirlooms and items from grandparents who are in the downsizing phase of life. We call the little meaningful knick-knacks hidden throughout the nooks and crannies of our house “Easter eggs”: they are little nods to our family stories and histories, often with a tale of an adventure or inside joke attached.”
Carrick feels the style is gaining traction because of its coziness and warm vibe.
“I think this older style is gaining popularity among some young folks because it evokes the cozy home-feeling of our grandparents’ homes,” she said.
“Or perhaps it’s a way to reject the pressure to keep up with expensive, everchanging trends that lead to overconsumption by instead focusing on long-lasting, previously loved, meaningful pieces.”
Carrick recognizes that the style isn’t for everyone, and some people love simple, minimalistic interior decorating. But for them, this works.
“Although maximalism isn’t for everyone and can potentially lead to materialism, by keeping the style of our maximalist, antique decor focused on serving our core values, for us it has been a positive and key element for building a welcoming and personal home.”
Sue Woodworth-Scalia describes her interior décor style as ‘thrifted boho eclectic’ with an emphasis on her original art collection; she feels the decorations should mirror the decorator.
“Décor, to me, should reflect who you are inside. After so many travels and adventures, my beliefs and love of life are reflected in all that surrounds me,” said the 68-year-old from Summerside,
P.E.I.
“Thrift shops, art projects of my own, and paintings I love are my main sources, though I also have a large collection of crystals and gemstones I’ve purchased over the years. I’m always looking for new twists in my decor as one day, a colour may strike me, and I’ll begin to use that to refurbish.”
Woodworth-Scalia enjoys refreshing old pieces she finds like bedding, rugs, and accent pillows, she says. Working from home, she says that clients often pull inspiration from her décor.
“There is always someone seeing something they would like to replicate, so that’s fun.”
As for fun, Natasha Clayton has a lot of fun with her home decorating. She describes her style as ‘vintage maximalist Addams family.’
“The house, we live in an 1895 Island Ell, which is a classic P.E.I. L-shape floorplan, so the creepy factor was already there, our previous house was a 1970 time capsule,” said the 53-year-old from Ellerslie, P.E.I.
“I use my 1910 Hoosier every day to make bread.
It has a flour dispenser and bread drawer to keep bread fresh. I also have a hand crank shredder and an extensive CorningWare collection that I use regularly.”
Clayton sources her decorations, furniture, and kitchenware from garage sales, thrift stores, antique shops, and Facebook Marketplace.
“Most of our items are vintage, I recently found the flour dispenser for my Hoosier which I had been searching for, for years. Lately, we have been finding things for the house and painting many things black,” she shared.
Clayton feels that the eclectic style is gaining popularity because it fosters uniqueness.
“I think people are finally getting that older things last longer. Also individuality, who wants their house to look like a hotel room or everyone else’s house?”