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Decor Fusion: How to Combine Vintage with Modern Elements

Welcome to CoziNest, Gary Ashton

Gary is a realtor in Nashville, TN and contributed the following article to help homeowners and/or stagers combine vintage with modern elements in our homes. Thank you Gary, for allowing CoziNest to feature your tips and advice. We are honored.

Decor Fusion: Tips for Combining Vintage with Modern Elements in a Home

There is something to be said for the craftsmanship of vintage or antique furniture. Many of these items last for generations. While the standard living room set often feels stale and downright boring; vintage elements add personality and variety to a space. The mix of vintage with modern elements can make a room pop. 

That being said, there is an art to mindfully combining disparate elements from different periods. Consider personal style and functionality when incorporating items from different periods. Use the following suggestions to add inspiring twists to living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms and more.

Choose with Thought

Key pieces of furniture add a particular feel in a home and bring in a sense of history. However, not every vintage piece or antique is worthy of your space. Look for vintage and antique items in good or excellent condition.  Joints should be secure. There is little point to choosing items that need significant repair. Items constructed from real wood make them an excellent choice to anchor a room. 

Vintage with Modern Decor

Minimalist Style with a touch of vintage. Your eye is drawn to the clock and the chest adds a feminine touch.

Design Around the Piece

Furniture is often chosen to demonstrate the function of a space, which is why people often prefer staging their home when it’s up for sale. A beautiful headboard, vintage dining table or accent chair provides inspiration to the rest of a room or area. Other items worth considering when designing a room include wall art or a larger mirror. Partner these choices with vintage-inspired modern items.  Be consistent in applying specific trends or principals to a design to achieve overall harmony. Keep lines and shapes similar when pairing different pieces.

Keeping similar lines

You see modern with vintage here with the placement of antique brass candlesticks on the mantle. The curves of the center table coordinate with the transitional rug and the straight lines of the sofa reflect the lines of the mantle.

Pick Colors and Patterns

A little research into colors and patterns of the period go a long way in drawing out a particular theme. Look at images of the period to see how specific patterns and colors were used. Different colors from the 50’s or the Victorian period incorporated in modern living rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens add whimsy and personality.

Color and pattern also add energy to a room and modernizes vintage furniture. Reupholstered older pieces, colorful textiles and prints add necessary brightness to generally neutral-colored spaces.  Throw in a pillow, add a centerpiece to the table or a bowl of fruit in the kitchen. Color, when used consistently, creates a cohesive appearance in a room with mixed elements and furniture.

adding color

Keep Scale Consistent

Whether it’s high or low, the scale in a room should be similar. High backed chairs feel ill-placed next to low and wide mid-century pieces. A small carved love-seat looks out of place near overstuffed seating. Maintain similar heights in order to make arrangements of furniture blend well together.

Plan the Space

Are you planning a formal room or a more relaxed space? Designers and homeowners should share the same objective.  Select a particular theme and adhere to the specified principals as you design the space. The addition of pieces from different periods offers a cohesive feel and look to the room. 

 

It is not hard to mix elements if one is mindful of the general layout. Remember to distribute elements equally and do not simply clump all items of one period together. Balance is about the integration of vintage furniture with contemporary pieces. The eye finds harmony in a design with styles spread throughout a space strategically.

Bring old and new together. Arrange your furnishings in delightful ways. Visitors will want to come in and stay a while.

Photo by Bruce Mars

 

Gary Ashton REALTOR®
The Ashton Real Estate Group of RE/MAX Advantage
210 12th Ave South, Suite 201
Nashville, TN, 37203

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