Antique & Modern, The Art of the Mix

Eclecticism, the sophisticated mixing of styles and periods, is now firmly established in the design world. A period room can be interesting and quite stunning, but difficult to live in. Imagine bringing a modern coffee mug into an 18th century living room -- what scandal! Similarly, a modern-minimalist setting can be breathtaking, but so very cold and lifeless without any evidence of the past.

The Europeans have always been better at the sophisticated mix; no doubt in part because they have far more centuries-of-design to work with. But thankfully Americans are beginning to catch-up. There are several tricks to pull it off:

1. Mix the art, if your interior is predominately traditional add some modern paintings and maybe a modern sculpture.
2. Mix the furniture; a modern chair in a traditional setting, or an antique in a contemporary modern setting, becomes it's own work of art.
3. Do it with upholstery; cover an antique sofa or chair in a more modern fabric, or cover a modern piece of furniture in a traditional fabric.
4. Use unexpected colors.
5. Allow for some empty space; not a worry for the minimalist, but a struggle for the maximalist who still thinks that ever bit of floor and wall space must be covered.

Photo: Elle Decor

In this example, the mix is achieved with color and modern fabric:

I added this vignette, even though every item in the photo is antique, because the modern "eye painting" in an antique frame, changes the whole feel:

This is a Miles Redd room in a NYC Victorian townhouse, and yet it looks so modern (the chair is his design):

The only modern piece in this room is the coffee table, and yet it changes the feel of the room:

Paint and a little empty space:

This is another Victorian House, but look how bright and modern:

Photo: Elle Decor