Stylebook: Rebecca of The Vintage Closet

Welcome to the debut of Stylebook, where we will take a glimpse into the personal fashion or decor style of Etsy sellers and bloggers. Join me as I kick off this series with Rebecca from The Vintage Closet as she talks about her personal decorating style, shows us her home and shares her favorite decor finds.

Rebecca's Kitchen and Dining Room

Tell us a little about yourself and your Etsy shops.
My name is Rebecca and I am a stay-at-home wife and mother of three beautiful boys: Harrison (6), Jefferson (4), and Edison (2). I have two Etsy shops: theVINTAGEcloset {quality vintage apparel and accessories} and theVINTAGEdress {exquisite vintage dresses}. I have always had a passion for anything and everything vintage; so it was a no-brainer for me one and a half years ago when I first discovered Etsy, to open up a shop and share my treasures with the world.


Rebecca also models all of her amazing finds in both her shops

How would you define your decorating style?
Totally and completely VINTAGE! Not any certain era or style though, my decor transcends the decades and includes items from many eras.


Rebecca's Living Room

Are you a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to decorating?
For sure! I rarely get inspired by a look that I've seen somewhere. Nine times out of ten my decor ideas are birthed in my brain; then comes the part where I tell my husband what to do and how to do it. :)


Vintage Sun Lamp ~ tentpitcher $69

What are your favorite places to shop for/find decor items?
I would venture to say that 75-80% of my decor comes from thrift stores and estate sales. The thought that I am quite possibly the ONLY person with a certain decor piece completely BLOWS my mind.


Inspiration for Rebecca's Kitchen

Where do you begin when decorating a room?
I usually have a certain item that is my inspiration for the room, then I go from there to picking colors and so on. My kitchen was totally inspired by a pair of canisters and a mug. My living room was inspired by this AMAZING vintage cabinet that I got for $15 at a thrift store, the color and detail on this piece is so rich and nostalgic. Also, I am drawn to things in three's, I'm not sure why....maybe because I have 3 boys. I have 3 clocks in the dining room, 3 large trunks and 3 frames on the wall in the living room.


Rebecca's TV Stand, inspiration for her living room

What colors in your environment are you most drawn to?
When we first got our home we weren't sure what the "main" color would be throughout the living room, dining room and hallway. I knew that painting the everything olive green just wouldn't be right; so we went with a soft yellow, almost cream and honestly, it's a color I wouldn't normally have picked. But I am sure glad we did, it ties everything together so well and gives off such a peaceful and "home sweet home" feel.


Retro Canister Bowl Set ~ 26olivestreet $42

What color combinations do you like best?
Chocolate Brown and Olive Green
Aqua, Red and Brown
Yellow, Orange and Green


Rebecca's Desk and Dining Room

What kind of patterns do you like?
I am crazy about plaid. So, I think this is when I should share about my dear and beloved couch that we had to put to rest about 1 year ago. It was a tweed: green, brown, yellow and off-white PLAID couch, JUST GORGEOUS! The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew that we were meant to be together. Needless to say it was worth every penny of the$45 I paid for it (no haggling needed). Overtime the fabric started to wear (probably from the boys); so one day I did the inevitable. I took off the cushions covers and then proceeded to cut off and salvage every inch of fabric I could from it. I knew that if I couldn't keep it as a couch, I had to make it into something els e. That couch lives on in the form of our dining room window valance and our living room throw pillows. It brings joy to my heart to have recycled that BEAUTY of a couch and keep it's memory alive in our home.


Garden Party Bench ~ sprucehome $585

Are their certain properties you look for in fabrics?
I am obviously drawn to fabrics that are durable and washable. We recently switched from a micro-suede couch to the leather set and with the small children, leather is definitely the way to go. We also invested in a large indoor/outdoor rug for our living room, so that in the event of a spill we can take it outside, hose it out and it dries within 30 minutes.


Vintage Wind Up Clock ~ inbloomfinds $5

What is your most treasured decor item?
Definitely my sunburst clock, I picked it up at an estate sale for $6. I LOVE clocks; in a previous home my collection on the dining room wall was up to 16 clocks! I settled for my 3 faves in this house though.


The Boys Room

How does having three young boys and working from home affect your decor?
I try to keep my decorating simple or out of reach, so that I don't have to constantly be worried that something is going to fall over or break. Another plus about having vintage/used decor is that we haven't invested much into it, therefore we're not paranoid that the boys will harm it. But in the event that something does break, well that just gives me a reason to search for a replacement and I'll take that challenge any day! I try very hard to keep things organized and put away. The house can be a total wreck, but give us a half hour and we can tidy it up quite nice. It is imperative for the functioning of our home that everything has a place and if it doesn't, than we donate to the thrift store!


The Boys!

What advice do you have for someone with a new house to decorate and on a limited budget?
HIRE ME! It is a dream of mine to be able to decorate a home from top to bottom on a limited budget, with primarily vintage and used decor. Seriously though, to get back to your question, my house is proof that you don't have to buy high end items to have a decently decorated home. I am quite proud of my little house and don't feel that it is lacking at all in the decor category.


Cold Spring Fine Art Photo ~ poofny $22

Do you consider your home decor complete, or are you thinking ahead to the next room to tackle?
In the house, yes! But, we are currently finishing up the transformation of our garage into the "EVERYTHING room": play room, workout room, theatre, etsy storage and shipping center. Yea, it's gonna be pretty awesome in there and I'll be posting pictures of the final product on our family blog in the next few weeks.

Sum up your Stylebook for us:
My goal is that my home would be warm and inviting to anyone who walks through the front door, especially my husband and 3 boys. We LOVE having people over and look for any reason to host a party! I have been told by one friend that my home reminds them of their grandmother's home and by another that it is like a museum; quite the contrast, but I'll take them both as a compliment!



You can check out all of Rebecca's amazing vintage finds in her shops theVINTAGEcloset and theVINTAGEdress. You can also visit her blog for lots of vintage fashion fun!

I hope you have enjoyed the first installment of Stylebook! Stay tuned for more to come soon and if you are interested in sharing your own personal or decor style, contact me at stylebook@lillyella.com.