One Decades-Old Decor Trend Is Making A Big Comeback And We're Not Surprised

Whether you're updating your home with the latest modern design trends or aiming to create a space that feels a bit more traditional, it's important to add personality into your decorating scheme. Vintage décor and antiques, which include everything from old-fashioned clocks to ornate brass light fixtures, are a great addition to many homes for this exact reason. These kinds of furnishings have been popular for a while because of how much unique character and history they provide. And, there's one decades-old décor trend that is making a major comeback: painted screens. That's not exactly surprising, since these pieces have considerable functional value in addition to their obvious visual appeal.

Painted panels and room divider screens often showcase ornate patterns with eye-catching colors and dramatic scenes that tell a story. They can stand alone within any living space, and divide the room into zones to enhance privacy. Also, they can cover up unappealing stretches of your wall, or improve the aesthetics of corners that are too oddly-shaped to properly decorate. Another major benefit of a painted screen is its flexibility. You can easily extend the amount of visual space that this décor element is occupying, or pick it up and move it around the room as needed. Plus, these fixtures pair well other vintage pieces, and there are many creative ideas for styling your antique home décor.

While painted panels and room divider screens might be centuries-old elements of interior décor, they are among the vintage-inspired finds that can work for your modern home. In fact, one of the most important steps in adding such a large vintage décor piece to your home is to balance it out with newer-looking elements and textures, so that it has plenty of personal space within the room. Too many large vintage pieces can leave your space feeling cluttered or outdated, and if you're not mindful of this, then your painted screen or panel won't be able to make as much of a statement. Hanging some sleeker, modern light fixtures from the ceiling, for example, will help connect your painted screen and other vintage décor elements with contemporary design ideals.

Before you pick up a painted screen for your interior, you might want to think carefully about how you're going to zone your space. Which areas of your open floor plan are meant for relaxing, and which are designed for work instead? By figuring out where one zone ends and another starts, you can find the perfect place for this vintage piece. Found the right size decorative screen at your local thrift shop, but aren't feeling thrilled about its look? You can repaint it with just one color to give it more modern appeal. Alternatively, if the main part of the panels are made from wood, you can resurface them with peel-and-stick wallpaper.