How to Mix Vintage and Modern Home Design in a Way That Works

Gone are the days of going to a traditional furniture store, seeing a floor model room setup you liked, then buying it and recreating the look lamp-for-lamp in your own home. Now, our homes are carefully “curated” in a way that’s supposed to reflect our personal style and philosophy — or at least look good on Instagram.

This look frequently involves mixing modern design with a few tasteful vintage pieces. Sounds great, but how do you actually do that? The New Orleans publication Gambit asked some local interior designers for some tips. Here’s what they said.

[referenced id=”654578″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/02/how-to-use-basic-design-principles-to-decorate-your-home/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/02/25/hvvy7pdvtcdb1jrmah8j-300×169.jpg” title=”How To Use Basic Design Principles To Decorate Your Home” excerpt=”Some people are born with a great eye for decorating or design. Others learn the skill and are able to apply it successfully. And then there are the rest of us. If you don’t have much of a knack for design, a few basic techniques can go a long way.”]

Design around a vintage statement piece

Find a vintage piece of furniture or decor that you can’t leave behind at the flea market? Buy it now and worry about whether it matches later. “When you can find a big statement piece, it really makes the budget go much farther than trying to bring in small pieces that work with what you have,” interior designer Whitney Jones told Gambit.

Don’t be afraid to go bold

If you’re completely over the seemingly never-ending trend of grey walls, add in some colour and patterns and make your space your own. But it doesn’t always work to just throw up some mid-century patterned wallpaper and call it a day. “It’s not just you putting a bunch of things in a room,” interior designer Chad Graci told Gambit. “They all have to have some sort of language and work together and be there for a reason…If something doesn’t feel right, then it’s probably not right.”

[referenced id=”673161″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2015/11/when-decorating-with-colour-use-the-rule-of-three/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/06/23/1304680281658524562-300×169.jpg” title=”When Decorating With Colour, Use The Rule Of Three” excerpt=”A little colour can work wonders to liven up a room. If you’re looking to decorate a room with a splash of colour, use the “rule of three” to pull it all together.”]

Pair simple modern pieces with ornate vintage finds

Sometimes vintage pieces are classic wooden dressers that fit in anywhere. Other times, they command attention. In those cases, surrounding them with sleek, modern furniture and accessories helps everything mesh together and not seem as though the different time periods represented are competing with each other.