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THE EXCITING MIX OF ANTIQUE WITH MODERN
There is no rule that says all the furniture in your home needs to come from the same era. In fact mixing antique with modern can create the most exciting, interesting and distinguishing results and give your home a liveliness and texture that rooms with all matchy-matchy furniture can't touch.
Antique Satinwood Cupboard paired with modern metal shelving – The Past Perfect Collection
We love this set up in our showroom of an antique satinwood cupboard paired with modern metal shelving. The wood and metal contrast beautifully and offer a practical, clean design with ample display space for accessories or collector's items like antique boxes.
We are happy to share below some inspiration and a few tips for mixing antique furniture with modern design.
USE THE 80/20 RULE
When mixing modern with antique furniture, the 80/20 rule is a simple yet effective guideline. As long as 80 percent of your interior is unified by the same style, same period or same philosophy, you can deviate with the other 20 percent. In other words, a fine antique can absolutely work in an ultramodern space or vice versa; just give it a try ! This is a great example of two modern accent chairs in a classic living room.
CREATE A FOCAL POINT
Not only will mixing old and new furniture make your dining room or space exude individuality, it will also look magnificent and act as a focus point in any room.
By sticking to one or two neutral tones in a scheme, the background becomes a perfect canvas for highlighting a particular piece. With the right lighting or a pop of accent colour or trim, an antique piece can immediately stand out. In the examples below the room is kept light and airy with light flooring and light walls that unite the space whilst providing a neutral backdrop to the antique furniture.
TRY PAIRING AN ANTIQUE TABLE WITH MODERN CHAIRS
Try pairing an antique dining table with contemporary chairs for instant character (Eames, Louis Ghost, Knoll Tulip to name a few). Even a traditional desk with a modern chair makes a dynamic combination and is a great way to use antiques in a modern home.
ADD MODERN OR CONTEMPORARY ART
Mixing bold modern wall art with classic old world antiques provides an element of the unexpected which can breathe life into a room. It’s exciting to give an antique new life or to present it in a new and interesting way. And they work amazingly well in contemporary spaces–especially when paired with contemporary artwork.
SELECT WHAT FEELS RIGHT
It would be easy if there would be “decorating rules’ to successful pairing of old and new furniture. We don’t think any rules can be the recipe for success. We see that breaking free from former ‘decorating guidelines’ actually creates the most exciting, interesting and distinguishing results. When selecting your pieces and accessories the most important thing is to stick what feels right and looks good to you!
For more inspiration view our Pinterest board Modern Antique Interiors.
Find out more about our Antique Furniture and View our Latest Collection.
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