8 Ways To Mix Modern And Vintage Decor
You might think, that two opposite design styles like modern and rustic could never go together. However, that’s not the case. They’re so eulogizing and fascinating together, that real design magic happens when you mix them.
When a modern house is paired with rustic, vintage touches, it takes the edge off the bareness of the modern style.
Vintage textures and warmth contrast modern’s simplicity and coolness by mixing with aged and worn materials in rustic charm.
What is vintage decor?
Vintage-style decorating uses old pieces to create a nostalgic look from the past.
Vintage design style uses old and artificially aged pieces to give an elegant look to your space.
Designing a vintage-style home means incorporating pieces, colour palettes, and accessories from an earlier period. But some also include mid-century modern, art decor, etc.
Vintage style varies on the period you want to focus on. The 1940s and 50s are associated with a sense of romantic, old-fashioned charm.
Elements like wood, linen, aged furniture, one-of-a-kind pieces or lovely pieces handed down from grandparents are used in vintage-inspired interior design style.
Why are people obsessed with vintage decor?
Mid-century designs were out of trend but recently made a comeback.
More and more designers are adopting vintage decor and mixing it with different interior design styles.
Vintage decor goes with any style, be it modern, bohemian, farmhouse, etc.
Vintage decor embraces pieces passed down from generations and celebrates them. It helps tell a story about the people and gives a sense of nostalgia.
It is simple as well as budget-friendly. Hence, there is no reason to not be obsessed with vintage decor.
Also Check: Vintage Home Decor Items On A Budget!
How old does something have to be to be vintage?
Vintage items are old but not antiques. The word "vintage" usually means "of age" and has different interpretations. Many dealers consider items to be vintage if they are at least 40 years old. So, when you shop for vintage items, check if they are manufactured between 1917 and 1978.
Shop some enticing vintage items at The Handmade Store and pair them with fresh neutral colors to add visual appeal to your room. You can also recreate your decorative items that look vintage to create the desired interior decor. To highlight the beautiful vintage decorative pieces, minimize other distractions in your room.
6 ways to put vintage decor in your modern house.
Today’s vintage style is more than just old statement pieces. It is now combined with the freshness and simplicity of modern style.
Here are great ideas and inspiration for how to create vintage style with a mix of modern style in your home decor.
1. Find the Right Balance
" When it comes to mixing antiques with modern pieces, almost anything goes," says interior designer Erin Williamson.
A home is a collection of things you love and have meaning. It is not a catalogue of coordinated furniture.
Mix vintage and modern style home is a combination of old and new that feels fresh and surprising rather than shabby.
When decorating house vintage and modern style make sure to create room to breathe. Putting too much or too little of both can throw off the vibe.
Antique pieces were made to fit multiple design spaces and lifestyles. Many dark, heavy wood pieces do not fit comfortably and would look perfect near a wall without anything around it. Similarly, light pieces can be placed besides items with heavy mass so that the room does not feel uncomfortable.
Finding a proper balance across spaces paves a way to go crazy with colours, prints, and accent pieces.
2. Start With the Basics
When you start decorating your house, always start with the basic things.
What vibe would you like the house to give? Decide on the theme of the house.
Choose a colour palette revolving around the theme. Avoid choosing more than 3/4 colours. Too many colours will make the house more confusing.
Then slowly go on buying basic furniture pieces like a bed, sofa, a table, etc. keeping the theme in mind.
Do not rush into things and pick anything and everything you like.
Look for stores nearby that sell pieces that go with the interior design style of your choice.
Keep adding things one by one after deciding on the place of that piece and usage.
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Checkout: Vintage Office Decor Items On A Budget!
3. Statement Pieces
If you wish to get all the Oohs and Ahhs from all your guests, go big with a large statement piece like an antique french armoire or a huge vintage table. Try to make these pieces functional and appropriate for a modern lifestyle.
Make the statement piece stand out by adding paintings, refurbishing interiors, etc to bring a modern sense of comfort.
Adding a statement piece usually works better on a neutral space that needs a sense of drama by introducing contrast.
Lean on lighting to make a statement.
Antique lighting fixtures add instant character to the space.
An antique crystal chandelier or industrial cone pendants can be a statement piece, full of drama, that fits the theme.
4. Unify Styles with Color
Uniting styles with similar colours is one of the best ways to foster cohesive interior design, irrespective of the design era.
The biggest challenge with mixing modern and vintage styles is how to mix the periods and styles to work together with some sense of cohesion.
Mixing pieces of different finishes is easy when you have a proper colour palette to unity them.
Don’t shy away from unexpected colour combinations.
Do not be afraid to be bold with the colour palette as mixing modern and vintage is all about contrasts.
You can also opt for one single hue to riff on with multiple tones.
5. Use the 80/20 rule of decorating
The 80/20 rule is simple yet effective when mixing modern and vintage styles.
A space should be 80% modern with 20% vintage touches. If it is the other way around, your space would look outdated and it does not sit well with the theme.
The vintage pieces need not be large pieces of furniture, they could be small accent pieces with detailings such as striking grandfather clocks or framed vintage maps.
6. Add touchable dimension with textiles
When decorating in any style in neutral colours, keep in mind to add textures to avoid the house appearing flat and boring. More importantly, if you’re dealing with the typical neutral colour scheme.
Textures are important to add visual interest, contrast, character and depth to your home.
Accessorize the house with different textiles like wool, chunky knits, grain sack, faux sheepskin, linens, and a large wicker basket with a soft cable knit blanket. Animal-printed carpet runners, shag-pile area rugs or hand-knotted Persian carpeting add a pop of colour and are eye-catching finishes.
Adding vintage textiles will add a sense of timeless warmth to your space.
Make it a point to choose grounded and earth-toned fabrics to temper brightly upholstered furniture.
Long, graceful vintage curtains, delicate lace napkins on bedside tables and dressers soften modern architectural elements like concrete floors or polished stone counters and other modern features.
7. Intermix Seating Arrangements
Furniture of different styles from various places and decades can look good together. Pair two lavish antique chairs with an angular contemporary couch. You can match a wide leather couch with light sophisticated chairs with exposed legs.
Put modern chairs at a vintage table in your kitchen, living room, or home office. Use aluminum or clear chairs with a heavy pedestal table. Pair up a huge mahogany desk with an angular chair. Add a luxurious touch to your minimalist dining room pairing it with lavish vintage chairs. Mix different furniture styles to create cohesion in any room of your home.
Wall decor and shelving can enhance the visual appeal of any room. Create vintage shelving for a stylish backsplash or subway tiles in your bathroom or kitchen. If the walls in your room are covered in antique wallpaper, hang modern shelves to mix the vintage and contemporary furniture perfectly.
Besides mixing and matching your seating in a space, you can also add a vintage rug. A Persian rug can look perfect in a modern room with vintage decor. You can also add a Turkish rug to contrast modern furniture and boho plants. When you decorate with rugs from different design periods, you can add life to your modern interior decor.
8. Play With Your Bathroom Decor
A bathroom is one of the best areas in your home to implement modern and antique decorative elements. Add vintage Bohemian touches, such as woven plant holders and rattan rugs, to balance the bright colors and metal components of your contemporary bathroom design.
You can match a modern sink with a claw foot tub or hang a vintage mirror/vintage chandelier to transform the look of your industrial bathroom.
The Takeaway
Mixing vintage and modern decor with different furniture can get quite tricky the first time. If you can't afford to fill your home with antique decorative elements, you can experiment with subtle modern decorative elements. The mix and match of old and new furniture and decorative elements can give an excellent makeover to your home.
Implementing the vintage art is mainly crucial in coastal design styles of adding more depth to relaxed rooms.
So, you can mix antique and modern furniture but need to make the right choices. Buy the best furniture and decorative elements and place them in the right areas to enhance the overall beauty of your home. All the best!
Checkout our collection of vintage home decor items.
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