I don’t know about you, but I catch myself dreaming of a simpler time. A time when homes felt warm, lived-in, and full of personal touches? Being a vintage homemaker is all about bringing that cozy charm into our modern lives. It’s about focusing on the little things, the simple daily rhythms that our grandmothers knew so well but that we sometimes take for granted.
Let’s chat about how you can bring some of that beautiful, old-fashioned charm into our own homemaking journey. It’s easier than you think to start homemaking like Grandma did.
1. Bake Something Weekly (and Display It)
Our grandmothers almost always had something freshly baked on the counter. Many would have a dedicated baking day once a week, filling the kitchen with the smell of fresh bread, muffins, or a simple cake. I’ve been using this recipe for homemade bread lately, and love it.
I think we need to bring this tradition back. I mean, just imagine having fresh muffins ready for breakfast all week or a loaf of bread for sandwiches. But here’s the vintage twist: display your hard work!
Instead of hiding it away in a plastic bag, find a beautiful vintage cake stand. You can often find gorgeous glass or crystal ones at thrift stores or online. Placing your baked goods under a glass dome on a pretty stand feels so elegant and adds instant vintage charm to your kitchen. It’s a lovely way to honor the effort you put in.
Vintage homemakers also used decorative bread boxes, especially for loaves of bread. Whether you choose a stand or a box, it’s all about that little special touch.
2. Let the Fresh Air In
One of the first things vintage homemakers did every morning was open the windows. They would air out their homes to let in fresh air and sunlight, clearing out the stagnant energy from the night.
It’s such a simple but powerful habit. As soon as you wake up, open the windows in your main living areas and bedrooms. Let that fresh morning air circulate for a bit before the day gets too hot. It helps purify the air, brings in natural light, and just makes the whole house feel cleaner and more alive.
3. Air Out Your Beds Before Making Them
This one might sound a little strange, but it’s a game-changer. Instead of making your bed the second you get out of it, our grandmothers would “air” their beds.
They would pull the covers all the way back, fluff the pillows, and let the mattress breathe. Sometimes they’d even place the pillows and pajamas on a chair near an open window. Why? Because dust mites love dark, damp environments, which is exactly what your bed is like after you’ve been sleeping in it all night. Letting it air out helps reduce dust mites and allergens.
It’s the first step in my own morning cleaning routine. I pull back the covers and then move on to other tasks. By the time I come back to make the bed, it feels so much fresher.
A cleaning routine that grandma would approve of! (And actually works!)
The reason you struggle with keeping your home clean and under control isn’t because you’re lazy or a bad homemaker—it’s actually because most cleaning routines and checklists are designed for brains that don’t work like yours.
Just the other day, I was talking to a fellow ADHD girly who was feeling completely defeated. She kept trying routine after routine, checklist after checklist, and still found herself hiding laundry under towels and shutting doors when company came over. She felt like she was failing.
So what did I tell her? I told her to stop trying to force herself into routines that weren’t made for her brain and to try something completely different. I’ve been in the exact same position—waking up to yesterday’s mess, feeling overwhelmed before the day even started, and thinking I was just bad at homemaking. I had no idea how much of a difference it would make when I stopped trying to follow rigid routines and started using something that actually worked for me.
That’s when I discovered audio cleaning routines, and let me tell you, it changed everything. I started building a system that works for ADHD brains like ours, and now I wake up to a clean house without the overwhelm. Everyone gets stuck in this mindset that if they just find the right checklist or routine, everything will magically fall into place. But then they just end up feeling more overwhelmed and defeated when they can’t stick to it. So, instead of stressing over a long list of tasks,
Trythis: press play on one of my podcast cleaning routines. Whether it’s the Domestic Darling Morning Routine featuring the nostalgic 1950s Dragnet! True Crime Radio Show or the Domestic Dreams Evening Routine paired with the suspenseful charm of 1950s radio drama, these audio-guided routines are designed to keep you focused and on track. They guide you step-by-step through tasks like airing the beds, tackling laundry, clearing clutter, and even self-care—all in just 30 minutes. It’s like having a cleaning coach in your ear, keeping you motivated and distraction-free.
Just click here for some free episodes!
4. Install a Ring Hook by the Sink
This is such a small, practical detail that makes a huge difference. Many of our grandmothers had only one or two pieces of fine jewelry, and their wedding ring was the most precious. To protect it, they’d have a little hook right by the kitchen sink.
Before washing dishes or doing any messy kitchen work, they’d hang their ring safely on the hook. It keeps your ring safe from harsh soaps, getting scratched, or accidentally slipping down the drain. You can find beautiful, decorative ring hooks that add a touch of charm to your sink area.
5. Turn Family Recipes into Kitchen Art
How many of us have our grandma’s recipes written on faded index cards? Don’t hide them in a box! Displaying these heirlooms is a beautiful way to honor your family’s history.
You can hand-write a favorite family recipe onto a nice piece of paper. Then, find a picture frame and use a piece of fabric that matches your kitchen decor as the backing. It could be a scrap of wallpaper, pretty gift wrap, or a floral fabric. Place the handwritten recipe on top and hang it up. It becomes a meaningful and personal piece of art for your kitchen. You can also do this with your own favorite recipes to start a new tradition.
6. Use Thrifted Antiques for Everyday Tasks
A huge part of vintage charm is using beautiful things for everyday purposes. Head to your local thrift store or antique shop and look for items you can repurpose.
Instead of a plastic tub, use a pretty teacup as a scoop for your flour or sugar. Find a small, ornate bowl or a crystal goblet to hold tissues on your nightstand. Little antique vases can hold pens on your desk or makeup brushes in the bathroom. It’s all about finding beauty in the functional and surrounding yourself with items that have a story.
7. Hang-Dry Your Clothes in the Sun
There is something so romantic and satisfying about hanging clothes out to dry on a line. Our grandmothers knew that the sun is a natural brightener and sanitizer.
Hanging your whites out in the sun will make them so much brighter without using harsh bleach. The sun is also amazing at getting out stubborn stains, especially on baby clothes. Beyond being practical, the act of hanging laundry outside connects you with nature and slows you down a bit. Your clothes will smell amazing, and it’s better for both your fabrics and the environment.
8. Pick a Signature Color or Motif
Vintage kitchens often had a signature theme. Think of the geese and country blue of the 90s, or the apples and strawberries from decades before. Homemakers would pick a color, pattern, or motif and carry it throughout their space. My grandmother’s color was blue—blue utensils, blue dishes, everything.
For my kitchen, I chose apples. I found some fabric I loved and used it as the basis for my kitchen’s color scheme. You can use your chosen fabric to make an apron, curtains, or even just some simple Christmas ornaments. Having a signature theme makes your home feel cohesive, personal, and thoughtfully curated.
9. Embrace Simple, Effective Self-Care
Vintage homemakers were very intentional about self-care, but they kept it simple. They understood the importance of taking care of themselves, especially their hands and faces.
Many women would get their hair done once a week at a salon and then preserve the style by sleeping in rollers and wrapping it in a scarf. For skincare, they relied on timeless products like Ponds Cold Cream for removing makeup and moisturizing, or Vaseline for their lips. They knew the value of protecting their skin from the sun. You don’t need a cabinet full of expensive products to have beautiful skin and feel cared for.
10. Invest in High-Quality, Mix-and-Match Pieces
The “fast furniture” and disposable decor of today was not the norm for our grandmothers. They invested in high-quality items that were made to last. Their homes were a curated collection of pieces that were thrifted, passed down from family, or saved up for as a special gift.
This created a beautiful, lived-in look where nothing was too perfect or matched exactly, but everything was well-made. As you build your home, keep an eye out for high-quality pieces, whether new or secondhand. A home filled with durable, meaningful items tells a much richer story than one filled with temporary trends.
A Final Thought
Adopting these vintage homemaking habits isn’t about recreating the past perfectly. It’s about borrowing the wisdom, charm, and intention of our grandmothers to create a home that feels more personal, peaceful, and joyful today. Start with one or two ideas that resonate with you, and see how they bring a little extra warmth into your daily life.