Interior decorators are always talking about the importance of balance and proportion. It applies to colour, shape, texture, and style. Mixing modern items with old features and vintage furniture is a great way to achieve these decorating goals as this approach keeps a room fresh, adds contrast and depth, and ultimately creates balance.
It adds a bit of excitement and an element of the unexpected. But filling a room with an eclectic, unplanned mishmash of styles is rarely a good idea. Before getting started, it’s a good idea to know what you’re trying to achieve. Here are a few possible directions to consider when combining old and new interior design.
Eclectic Accessories
“Eclectic” is a popular adjective in interior design parlance, meaning a decor that comprises heterogeneous elements — a mixture of textures, time periods, styles, trends, and colours. There is a fine line, however, between a beautifully eclectic room and a room that is merely haphazard and chaotic, with no unifying themes or motifs. Consider the scale of each piece within the space, as getting the proportions right is essential to how furnishings relate to one another, particularly when creating an eclectic scheme. Oversized designs are generally better than undersized, some of the most impressive schemes combine contemporary seating with vintage chandeliers and classical mirrors.
Photo Credit: Darryl Carter
Original Brick
Stunning spaces with high ceilings, fabulous windows, and original features provide the perfect backdrop to any design, and it is possible to introduce a little of this to a less architecturally interesting space. Eclectic interiors tend to be based on either traditional or industrial root, so adding raw elements such as exposed brickwork, weathered textural wall finishes, and classically styled fireplaces will help to set the scene. To add this element to a more modern space, Amberth combined a red brick feature with contemporary design.
Image Credit: David Giles
Kitchen completed by: Amberth
Historic Beams
If you’re lucky enough to have original wooden beams in your space, protect them at all costs! Exposed beams offer a rustic feel which can work in harmony with more contemporary colours and design touches for a classic space which you won’t get bored of.
Photo Credit: Brent Darby
Traditional Marble
When we mention marble, many people have a vision of large, cold rooms, closed from floor to ceiling or marble associated with ornate sculptures that decorate the rooms of our grandmothers. However, used correctly, marble provides a modern twist in the world of interior design, used in small doses, accents, and pieces. In this case, when it comes to marble, less means infinitely more.
Photo Credit: Alene Workman
If you found this post helpful and would like to speak to a someone about your renovation project, please get in touch here, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, give us a call on 02073548958.
