Mixing Vintage and Modern Décor Made Easy

However, mixing vintage and modern décor is made easy with an understanding of each style. Although each independent piece may differ significantly, there’s no need to put the beloved things into storage just because they don’t fit within a certain style. Instead, it’s easy to build a style that incorporates a mixture of your favorite looks.

Comparing Modern Trends With Vintage

If there was ever a reason for people to be afraid of mixing the old with the new, it would be due to the differences of intent. Vintage furnishing tends to range from incredibly ornate to more rustic and handmade. Almost all of it is made from natural wood or metals, and it’s generally intended to look and feel like a little slice of luxury. Most commonly, older items use heavy mahogany stains along with brown, black, or gold detailing.

Many find the detail-rich look of these styles to be intimidating, especially alongside modern styles. However, whether you’re going for a mid-century modern style or something closer to contemporary, the intent is simplification. In other words, to properly blend vintage and modern styles, it’s essential to create a balance between stark minimalism and the more detail-heavy antiques.

Techniques for Mixing Different Styles

The first and easiest way to mix different styles is via a matching color palette. Depending on the materials favored in a home’s furniture, this can be pretty easy to do. Since antique woods are usually either a deep cherry or deep mahogany stain, just about any furniture chosen within those palettes will blend in nicely.

What’s more, it’s easy to use the dark and heavy look of antiques as the dark half of a contemporary high contrast palette. Metals are even easier to blend, as almost every era has made use of silvers and gold. For instance, a sterling silver picture frame will mesh into any design regardless of the room’s style.

Choosing vintage pieces as the eye-catcher or conversation piece in the room is a great way to hide a favorite old treasure in plain sight.

Emphasize What Interests You

Mixing vintage and modern décor comes down to one’s own tastes. There’s no actual rule that says a home needs to follow any decorating rules save that of the owner. It’s best to use styles as a rule of thumb and a measure to refine decorating tastes as a whole. After that, it’s entirely up to each person to put their creativity to work.

Regardless of the styles chosen or the furniture in your collection, the layout of each room only needs to conform to what makes the family feel comfortable. Have fun learning about different styles, makers of furniture, and potential color palettes to make your home décor entirely unique.