Shopping for antiques or receiving them as hand-me-downs are a sure way to add warmth and personality to a room. But integrating them with modern pieces so a home doesn’t resemble a stuffy museum is also essential. Here’s how to organically merge the old with the new.
1. Utilize a vintage dresser outside of the bedroom. Inside, it can look like your grandma’s room. Outside in the living room, it becomes a chic TV console or a statement piece to prop art on top of.
2. Paint your antique furniture the same color as the wall that it’s placed on, which will help it blend in more organically with your space.
3. An antique rug looks fantastic in a room as a centerpiece, making the rest of the pieces sparse and modern, which creates a lovely juxtaposition and avoids clutter.
4. Pair a modern desk chair with a traditional, antique desk for an automatic boss office that belongs in a magazine.
5. Same goes for pairing an antique table with contemporary dining chairs. This works especially well with large, wood tables of the antique variety.
6. Thank carefully a bit contrast when pairing antique and modern – blend hard with soft, round, with square, and leggy with block-like for a dynamic, memorable aesthetic.
7. Use a wardrobe or 19th century secretary in unexpected rooms, instead of the office, try it out in your bathroom. This offers extra storage and an innovative look.
8. Opt for antiques that have a continuously timeless look, such as old photos hung on a wall or the shelf. The same goes for fine China, or Victorian teacups and silverware presented in an updated manner.
9. When considering other new furniture to pair with the old, go with rich materials with a simple aesthetic which blend well with an antique style. Play around with satinwood and other textured woods, which often show up in antiques.
10. If your antiques are smaller centerpieces instead of bulky furniture, they look gorgeous placed artfully on a fireplace mantle within a unique room.
11. Lighting creates ambiance, so juxtapose antiques with a modern lighting fixture, or vice versa – add an antique chandelier or other lighting fixture in an otherwise modern room.
12. If you’re on the hunt for a good antique chair keep in mind that a comfy one works beautifully for a reading nook when paired with a minimal, modern side table or bookcase.
