Decorating Guides
Pitch Some Retro-Cool Camping Style at Home
Enjoy a summer camp feel the grown-up way: heavy on picturesque picks for the home and backyard, light on sandy sheets and chilly feet
After seeing Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson's latest film creation, I found myself with a nostalgic longing for a summer camp experience I never had. It didn't help that Camp Yawgoog, where much of the film was shot, is the very same camp my Eagle Scout husband went to as a boy.
While I can't call up memories of summers at a picturesque New England lakeside camp, I can let its style inspire my home and adventures. Here are 14 ways to spruce up your home (or campsite) with rugged Scout-inspired finds and optimistic mid-'60s style.
While I can't call up memories of summers at a picturesque New England lakeside camp, I can let its style inspire my home and adventures. Here are 14 ways to spruce up your home (or campsite) with rugged Scout-inspired finds and optimistic mid-'60s style.
Show where the Scoutmaster sleeps. For a slightly more luxurious than usual take on sleeping in the great outdoors, I love the idea of constructing a screened shelter just steps from the backdoor.
You can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, minus the bugs and tent setup drama.
You can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, minus the bugs and tent setup drama.
Camp Throw Pillow, Racoon
Love your woodland friends. Equally fitting on the sofa in your house or the built-in seat of your vintage Airstream, this little fellow brings campy cheer wherever he goes.
Birds have been used so much in decor in recent years that it's only fair to give the raccoons, squirrels and other fuzzy critters their own turn in the limelight.
Birds have been used so much in decor in recent years that it's only fair to give the raccoons, squirrels and other fuzzy critters their own turn in the limelight.
Personalize a Postcard Pillow by Olive Handmade
Send a postcard. Personalize this postcard pillow with text transcribed from an old postcard, or write a new message for someone you love. Either way, this handmade accent is sure to add a heartfelt note to your home.
Add a dash of flower power. The vibrant, optimistic floral prints of '60s bedding can often be found for a few bucks at thrift shops and yard sales. A little goes a long way, so think about adding a few pillowcases rather than an entire set of sheets.
Collect vintage paintings. Thrift shops, yard sales and online sites like eBay are filled with one-of-a-kind original paintings by amateur artists. Masterpieces they are not, but they have their own unique charm and when collected can make a wonderful statement wall. Try choosing a subject (portraits, mountain scenes etc.) or time period theme to focus your collection.
Source enamelware for your camp kitchen. There is something incredibly cheerful about the sight of a classic blue-speckled enamel coffeepot on the stovetop. Enamelware may be a traditional part of the camp kit (and it's still fun to bring it camping), but it works equally well in the home kitchen. Try your local Army surplus or outdoor store for inexpensive enamelware.
Use picnic tables to feed a crowd. If your summer kitchen seems to be crowded with kids and visitors more often than usual, try adding a picnic table for easier meals. If you have the space, put it right in the kitchen; if not, it works on the patio or deck just as well.
Vintage Folding Camp Stool by Pine and Main
Use camp furniture indoors or out. Classic camp folding furniture of an older vintage (think wood frame, not plastic) adds a rustic-chic note to interiors, and can be folded up and toted along when the mood strikes to hit the road.
Build your own low-key backyard fire pit. Sleek, modern fire bowls have their place, but if you want to re-create the mood of camp at home, a rustic fire pit is what you want. Simple wood planks placed on logs make an easy seating area where friends can hang out and roast marshmallows.
How to Make a Stacked Stone Fire Pit
How to Make a Stacked Stone Fire Pit
Live it up in an Airstream. These retro trailers have a cult following with good reason. Their sleek lines and streamlined interiors and the mystique of life on the road are an irresistible combination. Take one on the road, then park it in the backyard the rest of the time for use as guest quarters.
See tiki decor ideas from this vintage Airstream
See tiki decor ideas from this vintage Airstream
Embrace rec room style. Painted floors, framed posters and a ping-pong table are all you need to brighten up a basement, a spare room or a garage. Stock a cooler with drinks and a cabinet with board games and puzzles for entertainment old-school style.
Find a lake near you. Just because you can't go to summer camp doesn't mean you can't still experience something like it. And let's face it, visiting a lake as an adult is bound to be a much more pleasant experience than the reality of camp when you were a kid. Enjoy it!
And if you are feeling especially crafty, stitch up a new cover to give an old armchair a fresh look.