home decor

Tips for an Antique and Modern Mix

Opposites Attract  &  Less is more

Mixing modern with antique is a classic example in the home decor world of how “opposites attract.” Antiques are an awesome way to anchor—or ground—modern home decor.

I’ll soon post about the “Magic of Tidying Up,” in which I’ll discuss how getting rid of things is therapeutic. Decluttering, or editing down, is also beneficial from a home decor perspective. Eliminating unnecessary objects can ironically add to the overall aesthetic. More specifically, I’m trying to say that negative space is created. To me, negative space in decor is good because it helps establish a focal point. When you have a focal point, everything else can fall into place.

Truth be told, I really didn’t even like this space until we moved some things out and other things around. After much weeding out and rearranging I had paired many extreme opposites. This seemed to calm the mood.

In this post, I’ll show you my best and favorite example of extremes pairing. I combined an old French console with Kelly Wearstler sculptures and the contemporary art piece.

Examples of my Antique and Modern Mix

You can also see my grandmother’s chair peeping out from the den. It too is a case where opposites attract and where two extremes counterbalance. It’s basically an old chair with a contemporary fabric. It along with everything else is in the images below.
modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix
modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix holly addi painting from gregg irby gallery
modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix
modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix holly addi painting from gregg irby gallery
modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix holly addi painting from gregg irby gallery

modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix holly addi painting from gregg irby gallery modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix holly addi painting from gregg irby gallery modern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mixmodern kelly wearstler sculpture antique french console mix holly addi painting from gregg irby gallery antique reupholstered chair mid mod den background

How I Created this Antique and Modern Mix

If you want to do what I did, follow these 4 steps:
  1. Remember that old wood always has more character. So buy old wood.
  2. Find shapes that play off each other, but have opposite design styles. An example is pairing these modern sculptures with the antique curvey French console that I showed you above.
  3. Create negative space so there is room for a focal point.
  4. Then just move your items around until they settle and blend.
A major source of my own inspiration is Kelly Wearstler’s “playful take on mid-century modern.” I’ve really enjoyed all three of her books, but Hue is my favorite.

 

Additional Details

If you like the art in the background, you should also check out the Gregg Irby Gallery.  This particular painting is “Figue” by Holly Addi. Click here to read more about her and to see some of her other, similar works on the gallery wrap.

The rug is from ONE KINGS LANE. Click HERE to access its website and simply type “vintage neutral rugs” to see what comes up. 🙂

So do you like mixing design styles, or are you a purist?

Thanks for visiting! I’d love to hear from you.

Love Jean

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