One of the things pinterest is obviously great for is collecting inspiration by category - it's enabled me to be much more selective in the kinds of clothes I buy, through my board Without looking foolish, and I've also started to plan out what I might do with a business one day, through The Woodpigeon. Last year I even bought a beautiful McIntosh side board (a bit like this one) off the back of the common threads I discovered through my future house board; VictorianModernCosySparse.
Some finds on my pinterest board
What the hell is this aesthetic? Kevin Mcloud called it 'Vintage' in that awesome Grand Design episode in Falmouth, the Corkellis House by Kathryn Tyler: "There's a considered simplicity - nothing showy, nothing uneccesary.. It's success is not just down to how it plays with space and light, but also how it plays with time".
I don't think it's called Vintage though. In as much as it's the inevitable post-modern next step in visual bricolage, that celebrates history rather than challenging or channelling, maybe. But it has no particular vintage. It seems completley now but also timeless.
Maybe it's a good thing that there's no official term for it - I find delight in seeking out images that embody my personal tastes and aspirations, just as much as I imagine the homemakers and designers enjoyed the processes of creating them.