The best thing about second hand? You never really know what you’re going to find. A lamp that feels like it has been sitting in someone’s living room since the 70s. An armchair that is so ugly it becomes beautiful. Or that perfect vase you didn’t know you needed until you spotted it on a thrift store shelf.
Old things simply have a way of giving a room personality. And sometimes, just a few details are enough to transport you to a completely different time.
Six rooms – six styles
At Colonia, six study rooms have been inspired by different decades and styles – from the classic salon feel of the 1930/40s to the 1990s. Second-hand furniture and period details help set the mood and give each room its own personality.
The first rooms took inspiration from the 1940s, 60s and 80s. Now the journey through time continues, with three new stops in the 50s, 70s and 90s.
So you can now grab your laptop and travel from the early 1900s all the way to the turn of the millennium – without ever leaving Colonia.
Which decade has the best style? We’ll leave that up to you. But we suspect there might be a few debates about it.
Create your own second-hand time journey
You don’t need to redesign your entire home to borrow the feeling of another era. Quite the opposite. Turn it into a challenge the next time you go thrift shopping:
Choose a decade and find three items that capture its essence.
Maybe a lamp, a vase, and a painting. A chair, a cushion, and an old magazine. Or three items from completely different decades that somehow just work together.
And don’t get too caught up in what is “correct” for a specific era. Second hand is more fun when you go with your gut.
Your next great interior design idea might not be among this year’s new releases. It might have been waiting for you for 50 years.
