If you live only in the past, you are seen as a fuddy-duddy person. If you are concerned only about what is trending today, you are perceived as flighty. It is the same for your home.
You must have heard that a home reflects the personality of its owner. As each one of us is a blend of modern and traditional beliefs and ideas, you may want your home to reflect the same.
A home that looks real and lived in gives the impression that it has evolved over time along with its owner. To achieve this eclectic impression, your home should ideally have a mix of modern, vintage, and antique elements.
However, it is easier said than done. What if you are following a certain décor style? What if your home starts looking hodgepodge rather than stylish?
To address these concerns and help you pull off a balanced look incorporating the modern and vintage, we have some tips that help you get the ‘somethings new, somethings old’ look which will have personality and character.
Give your prized treasures a neutral backdrop to shine
A neutral color palette for walls, custom drapes, wallpaper, etc. creates the perfect backdrop for mixing old and new in your décor. This holds especially true for smaller rooms. Neutral backdrops create a sense of serenity and the drama shifts to the pieces in the room.
Choosing old things to juxtapose with the new
We all have some objects with nostalgic value. Most of us also inherit period things from parents, grandparents, and older kin. For example, Grandma’s teak four-poster bed, their parents’ Wedgewood vase, or great aunt’s Moroccan rug. Then there are things with sentimental value. It can be something pretty you bought decades ago with carefully saved money or a cherished gift from your beloved. There also are things you might have bought from antique shops, garage or estate sales, or on your travels to exotic places. Have a careful inventory that makes ‘quality over quantity a rule.
Make a mental note of all these vintage and nostalgic items, and then carefully select the ones that you want to display in your home. Finally, incorporate these into your décor.
Unifying with color
One fail-proof way of mixing old things with new ones is to keep them all true to one pre-selected color palette. Monochrome is often the easiest way to go. When a color unifies objects from different eras, the look is cohesive, not chaotic.
If you have a pair of antique chairs placed alongside a modern couch, reupholster them in the same fabric as the couch.
You can extend the color theme to other more modern elements of the room in order to keep the theme traversing the old and new. For example, if you have six different dining chairs, upholster their seats in the same color fabric, and also use the same fabric for your custom roman shades or cushions.
This will instantly create harmony in your space. You can also use diverse textures in the same color on different pieces to create a harmonious feel.
Refurbishing, repurposing, and upcycling your old items
If there are old things that you really must have in your home but you can’t find a use for them, or their current looks don’t seem like a good fit as such, think of repurposing or upcycling these things.
An old pair of wooden dining chairs can be repurposed as bedside tables. A reupholstered footstool can be used as an ottoman. A chest of drawers can be transformed into a vanity. An old tea kettle can become a dining table vase.
It is also a good idea to refurbish old items. Bits of distressed look can be accommodated but too much of it can look rundown and shabby. Polish the old wood. Reupholster the seats, and of course, make everything scrupulously clean.
Mixing old and new when following a certain décor style
This is quite simple actually. Keep your chosen décor style. Add your vintage and antique pieces as statement or accent pieces (more on this ahead). Create heavy contrast and you will get it right. This simple trick will inject personality and character into your space, giving it your personalized stamp. The ‘old and new mix should feel refreshing rather than shabby in your space.
Using old objects as statement/ accent pieces
A statement piece is that single item in a room that draws eyes towards it. Accent pieces are also noticed first but these can be more than one. When one walks into the room, these are noticed first. Think of these as a hint of drama in an orderly space.
A statement piece example could be an old carved mahogany writing bureau repurposed as a workstation in your steel and chrome home office. Or an old iron cabin trunk serving as a tea table in front of your leather upholstered couch. Accent piece examples could be a crystal chandelier in an otherwise minimalist modern room, or several framed abstract art pieces on a wall while the rest of the room is traditional.
Do remember that if your statement furniture piece is oversized, it should be placed next to a wall. An oversized piece of furniture placed right can anchor the entire room around it.
Cut the clutter
This simple and rather obvious tip is perhaps the most important. Remember that less is more when mixing up things. Keep your space uncluttered, and you will be home in style, literally.
