How to Combine Traditional and Modern Design | The Living House

Written by Catherine Seagrave

I love to combine the old and the new in my home. It adds personality and character, and a history to make your home unique to you. There is something very ‘homely’ about things that tell a story about its previous life; the memories of the person who gave it to you or the place it came from. That’s not to say I want to live in an antique shop (and that would be immensely impractical with my heavy handed children!) but it’s about carefully marrying the old and new to create a beautiful individual home.

Sometimes adding older pieces into your home is motivated by money - or lack of! Having completed my kitchen extension, the remaining budget to furnish the snug and dining area was pretty much zero. With 3 young children I wanted it to look good, but be practical too. I didn’t want to feel precious and uptight about new expensive things that a) I couldn’t afford, and b) were bound to get covered in paint, slime and mud!! I wanted a space that we could relax in, an area where the children could craft, and some storage for all the ‘stuff’. So I started to scour the ebay adverts, Gumtree, and anything else I could think of! With a bit of time and good luck I found a sofa locally for £24 - not my first choice style wise but it did the job and the kids could do their worst without me worrying. A few miles away I found a lady selling a sideboard, a bit dog chewed around the legs and in an unattractive pine finish - but nothing a lick of paint wouldn’t fix. Next we needed a large coffee table for the kids to use for drawing. Again for about £10 I found a dated but perfectly sized table and decided to paint it bright orange for a splash of colour. So for less than £100 I managed to furnish the area, and create something kid friendly. The mix of the old and quirky with the new kitchen extension gave it character and best of all, it suited the needs of my family.

So where do you start when mixing old and new together? Is it a case of anything goes, or are there rules to get it right? Take a look at these tips to see how you can add some old/vintage/antique/junk (pick the word that applies!) to your home.

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Why would you want to mix old and new?

Good question! Sometimes if everything in a room is brand new and of the same design era it can make it feel a bit too matchy matchy. Although everything is shiny and new, it can feel a bit flat and one dimensional. Showhomes can feel that way - beautiful but a bit soulless. By mixing it up and adding in some vintage pieces you inject character, and create layers in the design. The old and the new complement each other; the new bringing a contemporary edge and the old bringing history to your home.

Sometimes the mixing of old and new is literally built into your home. If you live in a Victorian home with period features, then this mix is hard to avoid. However the trick is knowing how best to mix in the modern so that you don’t feel like you live in a time capsule. Here, in this image from welcome_to_no.1 it’s the bedside light and amazing chandelier that bring the modern and unexpected to the room. With the high ceiling and period door, it creates the perfect backdrop to allow the modern elements to sing.

Getting the balance right

This can be tricky. While older pieces can look fantastic, too many can make your home feel more junk shop than effortlessly eclectic. To get it right you need to mix textures and place the old and new directly together in contrast. Try mixing a contemporary shiny metal light with a distressed kitchen table, or mixing a modern style wallpaper with a period sash window. Mixing the old and new in unexpected ways keeps it looking fresh.

This beautiful childrens room from elle_the_home_bird uses paint in a really contemporary way, in both the colour choice and the colour blocking. This is the perfect contrast to the period fireplace - and I’m loving the colour coded books! A simple but effective way to make a statement wall.

cool kids bedroom period home — @elle_the_home_bird

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A home is at its best when it contains things that are meaningful to you. However it definitely works best when you sprinkle the vintage throughout a space so that the contrast between old and new feels exciting and surprising rather than shabby. On these kitchen shelves, flea market finds are mixed with modern shapes so the beauty of the vintage pieces can reach their full potential.

How to make old and new work together

If you are concerned that mixing the old and new could result in a hodgepodge of ages and styles, one trick to unify them is to stick to the same colour palette. This creates balance whilst still being eclectic. six_by_the_sea demonstrates this brilliantly with the use of dusky pink running throughout the room. The traditional items like the fireplace tiles and the vintage rug pair seamlessly with the modern shape of the vases and artwork to create an elegant, harmonious look.

eclectic bedroom ideas — @six_by_the_sea

For maximum impact, go bold with a large-scale statement piece. It could be an antique bed frame or a large decorative item like a vase. This works particularly well in a neutral or characterless room that could benefit from a focal point. The same goes for a period room - for impact, an oversized piece of abstract art or a contemporary rug elevates the whole room and creates a sense of drama.

wallpaper landing ideas period home — @casaoldcorn

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Where to find interesting pieces for your home

There are many ways to find interesting one off pieces if you don’t mind trawling through a few websites. Facebook Marketplace is a great treasure trove if you have the patience! Sophie is fantastic at finding free things like this amazing mid century table in her home.

If you prefer something a bit more curated, Vinterior has an interesting and ever changing selection of vintage pieces, and flea markets bring different suppliers together under one roof. Junk shops and charity shops (especially in posh areas!) are worth a rummage, but our very favourite place to spot a treasure is on the street! It’s amazing what people leave outside their homes for free. This footstool was a free find, and once it had a good clean and some new fabric, it looked amazing!

Freegle is another good site - when I checked my local area there were some 1950’s kitchen chairs, an armchair, pine mirror and even some vintage cake tins all for free!

So if you fancy mixing the old and new, give it a try! It doesn’t have to be an expensive antique to add something special to your home, just add something that means something to you.

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