Antiques and Contemporary Home Decor Can Blend
Contemporary home decor is, of course, very relative notion. What is contemporary for you will be old-fashioned for your children. Now contemporary home decor means glass, minimalism, and plenty of storage for electronics. If you think that there is no place for your family heirlooms in the modern design of your house, think twice and you will find a way to integrate great-grandmothers Victoriana into a 21st century home.
Small Things
Some small antiques not only blend into contemporary home decor, but can even enhance it. Glass vases, silver, and textiles designed with clean lines and classic style are easy to use. The fabrics in many old quilts, for example, tend to be more neutral from a time before very vibrant dyes were invented. Geometric patterns are the easiest to sew - perfect for contemporary home decor.
Primitive pieces are also wonderful accents in a contemporary home. An oversized, well-used dough trough is a perfect centerpiece on any large dining table. Fill it with something like sand or pebbles for a more modern look. Arrange bamboo in grandmothers old milk churn; the contrast makes both look better.
Contrast is what makes the more overwrought pieces look their best. Aunt Mildred might want you to display the antique pink epergne she gave you, but where can such a big piece of ruffled, dainty pink glass fit in contemporary home decor? Hang it as a chandelier. Or, make a modern monochromatic ensemble. Let one shelf of the bookcase be the "pink" department, and put all the pink there. Single-color groupings fit well in the contemporary home.
Furniture
Even antique furniture is quite easy to put into contemporary home decor. Many contemporary styles are inspired by the past in any case. Upholstered pieces like couches and chairs can be easily brought up to date. Replace seventies avocado or fifties floral with your own modern colors. Even pieces with elaborate carving can be toned down when matched with the right upholstery.
If there are big sets of antique furniture that look too country for your contemporary home decor, try and break them. A country table and six Windsor chairs dont necessarily have to be used together - use the dining table and pair it with new upholstered chairs that fit the rest of your style. The chairs of the set can be placed in the other rooms of the house. This way allows "diluting" the old-fashioned look of antique furniture and blending it better with your contemporary home decor.
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