Some looks never go out of style, and vintage designs look perfect in houses that are the far side of fifty years old. Matching contemporary designs with classic style touches looks great in many homes and allows you to match unique antique features with modern comforts and materials. Here are a few basic tips for matching classic and contemporary styles in your living spaces.
Furniture for the Win
The best way to bring some classic styles back to life in a modern and contemporary space is with furniture. For seating, especially in a living room or family room, you should stick to something modern and comfortable. Aged antique sofas tend to lack a spongy seat to rest in for long periods. You can achieve the look by mixing modern and antique furniture and adding classic end tables or a gorgeous antique coffee table to accent your modern sofas and chairs.
This creates the perfect opportunity to add some classic stylings to contemporary comfort. By adding some vintage knick-knacks like sterling silver photo frames or an antique clock on the mantle you can get the best of both worlds into your living space. Use modern furnishings for the big things and rely on vintage styles to accent them with smaller pieces and accessories.
Old-School Wall Coverings Add a Classic Style
Modern styles let themselves down when it comes to wall coverings. Too many modern rooms and homes have walls painted plainly in muted colours, often giving homes a cold and museum-like feel. These spaces should be bright, and interesting. The walls of a room should bring some warmth to the space to complement the warmth of the family living there.
Look for patterned wallpaper. This is a little harder to hang, so consider hiring a professional decorator to get the job done. The pattern does not have to be intricate to get the classic look, but the more detail there is on the wall, the better the room will appear. Yellow backgrounds with designs featuring birds and trees can be complicated to get on the walls, but they give a stunning look and turn your walls into works of art.
Wood Is Good
For a classic look, ditch the thick paint used to colour skirting boards, door frames, and picture rails for a natural-looking wood stain. This creates a feature from nothing. It may take some effort to strip woodwork from any previous coats of paint, but the result makes it worth it. Chemical treatments can help, but a cheap heat gun and some scraping will leave you with a better result. There will be fewer noxious fumes too, making this approach more family friendly.
This makes the perfect framing to wallpaper with a decadent design. Darker stains are perfect to counter light-coloured walls, and both light shades and dark shades suit walls with a deeper and darker colour. Try to match the shades with your furniture, if possible, bringing the room together. If you can have wooden floors and rugs, you can complete a vintage look with modern furnishings.
The further you dig into the opportunities created by mixing and matching vintage and modern styles, the more unique your decor can become. Matching modern furnishings with classic accessories can be the first step towards a beautiful home.
