A young woman with a passion for the 1940s has transformed her home into a vintage time warp.
Hannah Hall, from Nottingham, bought a 1920s-era house in 2016 and decided to unearth its old charm, after copping a working 1940s gas cooker for £16 on eBay.
The medical examiners officer’s obsession with the wartime period began when her grandfather and grandmother introduced her to 1940s film and TV, fashion, and also gave her some of the antique furniture that’s helped build up her house today.
Despite still owning a TV, Hannah admits that transforming her house has helped her appreciate the simplicity of the past and she plans to continue to strip back to using antique household objects instead of reaching for technology.
1940s enthusiast Hannah Hall, from Nottingham, bought a 1920s-era house in 2016 and decided to unearth its old charm
Hannah bought the house (pictured) from an old family friend and found that everywhere was rather beige with lots of laminate flooring, and in need of overhauling
Hannah said: ‘I’ve always been interested in vintage things and I get told that I’m an old head on young shoulders.
‘When me and my mum moved into the house, it was totally different to what it is now and we wanted to unearth its potential.
‘It’s my mum’s first buy because she’s always rented homes, so I wanted to make it extra special.
‘The theme really started to take off when we did the kitchen in a 1940s style and we loved it so much that we decided we really wanted to go with that theme throughout the house.
Hannah’s old fashioned kitchen features a working 1940s gas cooker bought for £16 on eBay, as well as a checkerboard floor and vintage decor
The main vintage aspects of Hannah’s home include the wooden floorboards, the 1940s stair carpet runner, a working rotary phone and other antique furniture, such as the stunning oak wardrobe (pictured, in her bedroom)
Despite still owning a TV, Hannah admits that transforming her house has helped her appreciate the simplicity of the past (pictured: the loo)
The medical examiners officer’s obsession with the wartime period began when her grandfather and grandmother introduced her to 1940s film and TV, fashion, and also gave her some of the antique furniture that’s helped build up her house today
‘The kitchen’s finishing touch was the beautiful 1940s gas cooker – it works an absolute dream and has inspired us to live a little simpler.
‘The house is kind of like an ode to my grandpa, who was born in 1936. He was a significant part of my life and really got me interested in the 40s era as a kid – I was enamoured by his droplets of wisdom.
‘My nan’s taste in vintage and eccentric fashion has also inspired me to dress quirky.
‘I feel like my home is an adoption centre for vintage things. I absolutely love it but I know it’s not to everyone’s taste because it’s a massive niche.’
Hannah bought the house from an old family friend and found that everywhere was rather beige with lots of laminate flooring, and in need of overhauling.
Hannah’s nan’s taste in vintage and eccentric fashion has also inspired her to dress ‘quirky’, paying homage to the 1940s era
Hannah’s kitchen has a modern Smeg fridge which fits in with her vintage vibe, and she also uses an old fashioned whistling kettle
Another bedroom in Hannah’s home, which fits her 1940s theme but with a few modern items such as her bedside lamp
She said: ‘It had lost its charm a little because there were plastic cabinets in the kitchen and lots of laminated floors throughout.
‘We uncovered the original floorboards and tore off the carpet to reveal the original stairs to start bringing it back to life bit by bit.
‘Vintage items have a bit more soul than modern things and I get a kick out of finding something that might have so much story behind it.’
The main vintage aspects of Hannah’s home include the wooden floorboards, the 1940s stair carpet runner, a working rotary phone and other antique furniture, such as the stunning oak wardrobe.
But the main event is the 1940s kitchen – which is complete with black and white flooring, a whistling kettle, wooden beams and an open pantry.
Speaking about her collection of old school items such as this record player (pictured), Hannah said: ‘Vintage items have a bit more soul than modern things and I get a kick out of finding something that might have so much story behind it’
Hannah is continuing to add to her 1940s home, and often posts quirky videos on her TikTok page @realvintagedollshouse – which constantly rack up thousands of views
Hannah said: ‘After the kitchen was redone, we went a bit mad and just started collecting different items such as a 40-year-old tin opener, vintage wallpaper and old paintings.
‘The gas cooker in the kitchen definitely comes in handy if the electricity goes out on our street because we’re still able to cook dinner!
‘It’s not what you expect when you come in and every single room has vintage touches. Our family thinks the house is really quirky and is like a little time capsule. Everyone loves coming over and kicking it a little old school for a bit.’
Hannah is continuing to add to her 1940s home, and often posts quirky videos on her TikTok page @realvintagedollshouse – which constantly rack up thousands of views.
The main event of Hannah’s home is the 1940s kitchen – which is complete with wooden beams and an open pantry
Hannah said she’s a big believer that we should honour the past and doesn’t think younger people these days necessarily appreciate how different things used to be
She added: ‘It’s very fulfilling to show off my house on TikTok to educate the younger generation but it’s also very bonkers that my videos sometimes go viral.
‘I’m a big believer that we should honour the past and I don’t think younger people these days necessarily appreciate how different things used to be.
‘Reminding people that it wasn’t always like this hopefully helps them appreciate how far we’ve come.
‘It’s also providing nostalgia for the people that did grow up in a time like that, even though I didn’t grow up in that time.
‘We’re still working on the house every day and we’re hoping to get a 1940s-style front door and also transform the back garden, using my grandpa’s old Raleigh bike as a flower feature.’