After years of modern, ultra-polished aesthetics dominating the design industry, people are yearning for character. Young renters and homebuyers are indicating that new-builds and gut-renovated spaces, despite clean lines and amenities, simply pale in comparison to the aesthetic charm of an older home. And designers agree: There's something undeniably more interesting about a touch of patina or an imperfect silhouette. The romantic, old-world sensibility of vintage design is hard to beat.
For one thing, the apartment was recently gut-renovated (I know, brag) and came to us in a pristine state - so pristine, in fact, that all the stark white walls and brand-new finishings were starting to feel a bit, ahem ... bland. In our new space many of our existing furniture pieces and wall art looked less like extensions of our personalities, and more like we'd given up and raided a photoshoot. Enter: the patina trick.
Wooden utensils take on an unmistakably aged appearance, vintage metal cookware and service pieces dull and darken with time, and the factory-original paint on most items will discolor and show traces of damage. Collectively, we speak of the look that comes with long use as the item's "patina." There's no meaningful way to fake it, despite various well-established techniques for making new-made items look deliberately old and rustic. It won't fool a practiced eye, and thankfully that trend is outdated anyway.