[Kristin]

Basically, what we call vintage furniture today is any furniture that is between 30 to 100 years old. That is the most common usage of the term. Furniture that is older than 100 years is usually termed antique. Anything more recent would qualify as simply used furniture and a little older would be retro.
A very popular vintage look in furniture is the Mid-Century Modern style.
However, technically, the term vintage also refers to furniture that best represents the prevalent style of any period, the best examples of it, if you will. This term actually comes from the world of wine where it refers to grapes that were harvested in a particular year.



Simply being old will not make any furniture vintage in the technical sense, even though most people use the term old and vintage interchangeably. It should also be an example of what defined a style belonging to that period. For example an Eames chair is a good example of vintage furniture.
However, the piece of furniture does not have to belong to a well known line or the best known manufacturer. It simply has to exhibit the best characteristics of that era.
Today, Vintage furniture is very popular, and there are many reasons for it.



It May Give Your Home a Unique Look

Not everyone will have furniture in that style.Buying vintage gives you the chance to decorate in your own unique style. If you are a romantic, you can recreate your favorite era.
If that is not how you like to furnish there are other options. Since the period encompasses several decades, you have a chance to pick and choose pieces belonging to different years and combine them into a look that is your very own. You can also be creative in how you choose to refurbish or refinish the pieces you find to give them a look that is your very own.

It Can Be Budget Friendly

If you appreciate fine quality furniture, but your budget does not support it, buying vintage pieces gives you the ability to indulge your fondness for the better things in life. It is less expensive than buying new furniture of the same quality.

It is Earth Friendly

You are being a friend of the planet when you buy vintage pieces. It is one of the greenest ways of furnishing your home, as you are saving furniture from going to the landfills. It is healthier for your home because the furniture has finished off-gassing. Even toxic finishes and glues are not off-gassing any longer. If these pieces need to be refinished, you can use finishes that are non-toxic



Even Shopping for Vintage Furniture Can be Fun...

Shopping for vintage furniture is different from shopping for other furniture. There are many venues for finding older furniture. So look around

- Other than asking for hand me downs from grand parents, one way to shop for vintage furniture is to go to garage sales and estate sales in neighborhoods that have older homes.
- Auction houses are filled vintage furniture.
- Also, because of its popularity there are plenty of stores and online sources for vintage pieces that you will want to bring into your home.
- Check out some better established flea markets.


Article Source: http://furniture.about.com/