From Old to Gold: How to Mix Antiques with Modern Furniture

When designing a home, it's important to create cozy spaces with life and personality where we can enjoy the time we spend at home. Many times, choosing a set of furniture - for living rooms, bedrooms, or even dining rooms - may seem like the easiest and most effective solution, however, nothing could be further from the truth.

Today, the best interior design projects seek to combine new pieces with old and antique ones, generating unique and individualized spaces that reflect the tastes of those that live there. In this post, we cover useful tips for mixing new and antique furniture like a true professional interior designer.

Find common theme

Whether you are a fan of eclectic interiors or prefer everything to match, finding commonalities between new and old pieces can help create coherent but not overly uniform combinations. If not done correctly, combining many elements of different styles can create an incoherent look and feel. Opt for furniture with common colors, a recurring pattern, or a similar material. Ideally, antique and modern pieces should be united by at least one common attribute.

Add vintage-style textiles

Bring a timeless warmth to your living room with vintage fabrics. Wool rugs with classic patterns or hand-woven Persian rugs add a touch of color to any interior and a contrasting element to the most modern furniture.

These prints will undoubtedly be the perfect contrast against the most modern furniture. Other textiles, such as curtains, upholstery, cushions, or even fabric wallpaper, can be a way to introduce those vintage-style patterns or motifs.

Antiques for small spaces

An old, solid wooden desk or a classic mid-century sofa can make a small living room feel much larger. Playing with proportions can give a sense of luxury in small spaces in contemporary homes and apartments.

Choose a spectacular vintage or second-hand piece as the focal point of your interior, and surround it with more modern and discreet pieces. In general, introducing a historical piece full of life is the perfect way to give contrast to more modern rooms.

Consider the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule is an effective method for mixing antique and modern furniture. Unless you collect antiques, most of your pieces will generally be contemporary. Therefore, it is common to see 80% of modern pieces in a home combined with 20% vintage details, from furniture to small decorative pieces.

Use vintage lighting

Lamps are one of the simplest ways to combine the old with the new. If you are unsure about mixing antique and modern pieces, consider combining modern furniture with antique crystal chandeliers. These pieces, borrowed from past times, are an excellent way to introduce a touch of luxury and sumptuousness to contemporary interiors.

Antique mirrors are another effective way to spice up your modern interiors. A gold framed mirror (whether an antique, like a French mirror from the 16th century, or a modern replica) can be the perfect way to bring natural light to the darkest corners of the house, as it will double the light sources with its reflection.

Don't shy away from unexpected color combinations

Mixing antique and modern furniture styles in our homes has a lot to do with the need to create contrasts. Combining modern furniture in white or gray tones with antique pieces full of color is easy and effective. Incorporating different colors and patterns can be equally sophisticated and bring greater energy to your interiors. So, don't be afraid to opt for a more daring color palette, even if it might initially seem too much.

Conclusion

Look for pieces that reflect your tastes and preferences, and always respond to your needs and lifestyle. After all, when decorating your home, you do it for yourself. Play with antiques and new pieces to create an interior that is completely yours.

Want to try out different combinations of styles and colors before redecorating your home? Give it a go with Planner 5D, an interior design software that lets you visualize all combinations and decorating styles in 3D.