You want your home to feel inviting yet keep the sleek style of a modern lifestyle you love. Believe it or not, you can have both! With the ultimate guide to mixing modern and traditional style, you’ll learn how to integrate the best of both worlds. There’s no need to sacrifice comfort for modern advances when you can buy décor to make you feel right at home.
Traditional home décor is making a comeback. Whether you love the nostalgia it brings or have always adored its vibe, you’ll enjoy mixing it into your modern home. Check out what makes these two styles excellent for mixing and matching.
What Is Traditional Home Décor?
Achieve comfort and elegance with traditional style. Everything goes together with this style that marries muted, mid-range colors and fabrics with a mixture of shapes and lines. Traditional furniture may have straight edges, puffy curves, or anything in between. Natural woods and whites are common in this simple décor style.
What Is Modern Home Décor?
Not to be confused with contemporary style, you’ll recognize modern interior design for its bold elements. It’s a minimal style with much contrast. For the most part, pieces in modern home décor are striking and unique. Modern décor features:
- Metallics
- Distinctive textures
- Natural light
- Clean lines
Reasons To Mix and Match Décor Styles
Loving two different décor styles can make decorating challenging. Especially if you and the person you live with can’t agree, you may need to find a way to compromise. The benefits of mixing and matching modern and traditional décor styles is that they blend well together. Both include natural elements, clean lines, and fun textures.
Mixing and matching décor styles makes your modern design look professional. Going with a single style can seem overwhelming and forced. When you mix styles, it’s easier to give yourself grace.
Choose a Dominant Style
Follow the 80/20 rule when mixing and matching décor styles. This ratio can help you determine which styles to buy for your furniture versus your accent pieces. If traditional style is your main décor, you should purchase traditional furniture and use modern accents. To determine which style should be dominant, you can choose your favorite, pick the style you have the most access to, or assess which will look best in your space.
Embrace Contrast
People who enjoy modern décor love striking elements. Use the best parts of modern décor to spruce up your traditional living spaces. For instance, glass, metal, stone, and other natural elements mix well with both modern and traditional spaces. Consider adding mirrors, wooden accent tables, or plants to your space.
Limit Your Color Palette
A general rule to keep in mind when mixing décor styles is to stick to a few key colors. Don’t forget to choose a natural or neutral shade when creating a palette for your modern and traditional mix and match. Once you decide on two or three colors, choose furniture, rugs, curtains, and other elements.
Create Flow
Tie the elements of your room décor together by repeating colors, shapes, and textures. Find modern and traditional pieces that have the same types of wood finishes, shades, and lines. Make sure you pay attention to the details of each piece you add to your space and build off them to create flow. For instance, when you buy modern style area rugs, find one that includes the color of your sofa.
Choose an Eccentric Focal Point
Every room has a focal point. In most spaces, it’s the TV, fireplace, or a large window. You can create a focal point in your room by introducing an exciting element and by how you situate your furniture. Consider a unique chandelier, piece of art, or table. Don’t be afraid to give your space multiple focal points that compete for attention.
Find Unique Furniture
One of the best ways to add striking modern décor to your traditional space is with a unique piece of furniture. Buy a bright colored accent chair or ottoman with a fun fabric for your bedroom or living space. Both styles feature sleek lines and tight upholstery. Mix in a piece that isn’t done in a muted shade to add contrast and a touch of modern flare.
Keep Scale in Mind
Pay attention to dimensions when purchasing items that you plan to place next to each other. A large traditional sofa may overtake a small modern table. It’s possible to find large modern style tables, but they don’t all come oversized. Further, you should measure to ensure items will fit in your space. Don’t overcrowd your rooms for a décor style. Consider pairing down so you can still walk between your furniture.
Hang Bold Art
No matter which period of art you enjoy the most, displaying the most striking pieces you can find will give your living spaces modern flare. Find artwork with bold colors and prints. Consider hanging a large piece on the wall with nothing else around it in a minimalist style. You could also place statues throughout your home. Use a large statue in a dining room or living room as your focal point.
Make Upgrades
You may need to switch out some of your furniture, decorations, or appliances to accomplish the aesthetic you’re trying to achieve. Update sofas and cocktail tables to traditional styles and use stainless steel and other modern appliances in the kitchen and bathrooms with traditional rugs and other décor. When it comes to décor, consider updating details such as:
- Bedding
- Curtains
- Tablecloths
- Cushions
- Wall hangings
Share the ultimate guide to mixing modern and traditional style with your peers. Everyone needs tips and tricks to upgrade their home décor. When mixing interior designs, don’t forget the 80/20 rule and to limit your color palette. Find an amazing focal point and don’t hesitate to include unique pieces in your design. Mixing and matching these styles is easy because they go together so well. When you can’t decide on a single décor, marry these two for a cozy and inviting ambiance that’s trendy and share worthy.