Interesting Décor Idea: Combining Modern & Vintage Styles
Can you think of a better way to do something about the nostalgia of decades past than by using your home’s decor to introduce some vintage charm? Sure, that sounds nice. But unfortunately, your home is already designed in a contemporary way and bringing some old-timey details in will ruin its look. Or so you think.
The truth is, the modern style of today that focuses on clean lines gives you a great opportunity to create your own eclectic mix combining it with the timelessness of detailed vintage pieces. All this without the worry you’d end up with a visual mess.
I’d also like to point out that the same goes the other way around. If your home is decorated in a more traditional way or includes a plethora of vintage elements, that doesn’t mean bringing in furniture and decor with a contemporary design is out of the question.
Mixing these two seemingly-opposite styles in a way that will wow people is totally doable as long as you have the vision and the right ideas. The final mix would provide you with an interior decor that’s got both depth and contrast, and you’d be amazed how harmonious it turns out to be. At the end of the day, you’d get a vintage contemporary furniture blend with your individual stamp on it, i.e. something unique that only you have.
Source: houzz.co.uk
Choose Your Pieces with Care
Even though you might as well say there are no rules on how to go about this combination of styles, if you want to get an outcome that’s warm and cosy, you still have to carefully choose the pieces. To be able to do so, it’s important to consider whether you want to invest in a vintage furniture piece then use modern accessories to decorate, or give it a go vice versa.
One example of vintage contemporary furniture mix for the living room is to buy a sofa with retro charm and then decorate with a pair of side tables or a modern coffee table where you showcase your modern collection of glassware. If you choose the other way, the sofa can be in contemporary style, whereas extra seating like an upholstered bench, ottoman and blanket box could provide the vintage appeal.
Repetition Is Key
The only way to bring about balance and harmony is to choose some features that are similar for the furniture pieces in both styles. It could be the colour that brings them together, it could be the shape, material or texture – even though they’re different styles, to begin with, this is the way you can create a cohesive look.
Source: pinterest.com.au
Go with the 80/20 Rule
In case you’re somewhat shy about going this bold with your decor, perhaps you could do with the simple 80/20 rule where the 80% goes to contemporary furniture and the 20% goes to small vintage decorations for accentuating. This would provide you with the perfect contrast of modern vintage furniture that would certainly instil your abode with personality.
Don’t want to risk it with the whole interior? Then pick the most contemporary spot in your home and work from there. For instance, if your bedroom is the most minimal room with the bed and bed-head being the main features, you can add some interest by introducing vintage shelving. In a room with modern technology, neatly organise it using desks, consoles and tables for them.
Play with Textiles
If you don’t want to go as bold as using designer vintage furniture and modern pieces for this kind of project, perhaps you’d feel more at ease trying out with textiles. A predominantly vintage abode could do with contemporary throws in amazing natural fabrics like natural bamboo, knowing modern is all about bringing nature inside.
A home where contemporary reigns, on the other hand, is ideal for the introduction of old carpeting with rich colours and patterns. This is a great way to protect and style up your floating wood floor too.
Source: bobvila.com
Play with Small and Big
Just because your home, or a certain room, is small, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the charm of antique. In fact, a smaller interior is ideal for playing with bigger vintage pieces – antique oversized furnishings can add grandeur to your living area. This is exactly what you need if you want to visually enlarge the space. If you’re in need of inspiration, you could choose large vases with retro charm as focal points for your dose of timeless appeal.
Don’t Forget the Walls
Though often viewed as an afterthought, the walls play a huge role in the overall decor. Having this in mind, you can use them as your main elements to have your share of vintage/contemporary mix. One way to do so is to create a classic look with wallpaper in distinct colours and patterns for some antique and luxurious feel.
Another way to go about it is to use vintage decorative pieces, from mirrors with intricate frames to china and wall signs depending on how ancient of a look you want to get. In the kids’ room, you can fill up a wall with your old toys or buy some from a flea market. A nice trick also is to resort to modern wooden toys that have the vintage flair – no one would even be able to tell the difference!
Take it slow, pick the right pieces, don’t be afraid to mix, and you’d create your own contemporary home with timeless beauty.
