A lesson in how to make new furniture look old: set it against ornate panelling and carefully sourced vintage accessories. Vintage look furniture is great fun to hunt down at boot sales and can be very inexpensive, but the reality of sagging sofas and moth-eaten material can be decidedly less romantic.
Instead of musty retro curtains or furnishings, opt for a distressed dresser (you can buy one for very cheap, and create a variety of looks by hand) or a vintage bookshelf full of character and detail. Setting these against a detailed, panelled wall breaks up a room while providing useful storage – all without the hassle of fading colours and removing musty odours.