Old… but make it new!
Mixing modern and antiques in interior design is on the rise! Would it surprise you to know that the Pinterest algorithm shows a 530% increase?! Crazy! Even more stats show a 325% increase in antique room aesthetic, and vintage and eclectic interior design by a whopping 850%. It is clear, we all love something old, and something new!
We moved a bit when I was younger. My parents rented and our homes reflected the era, and eclectic tastes of the times. I grew up with a mix of modern 70’s and 80’s coupled with antiques and vintage. My Mom is my earliest design influence, so is traveling from a young age, so is collecting things! I remember my Finnish neighbours’ home, so different to ours… It had a lot of teak, blue and pewter. I liked it because it was so uniquely different from our home.
Perspective
Rooms that tell stories are the most interesting, and ones that easily marry the old and new. My generation, or Gen X, are seeing lots of styles and trends return. I’d say, not because they ever went out of style, but because younger generations are appreciating classic design. New perspectives elevate and honour our history, and they find ways to implement the patina, patterns and charm of old. Pieces of furniture that remain timeless, are well built and not trendy. So they continue to make ‘comebacks’! The trend is actually how we now style and use modern and antique pieces.
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Something Old, Something New
We seek connection. Respect the past, and layer it with our future. This old and new, modern and antique, or traditional is not really a trend. We give it names like ‘Grand Millennial’ or ‘Granny Chic’ or ‘Cottage Core’. Check my post here for my contribution! But my point is, if you’re of a certain age, you’ll recognize that some things will come full circle in the design world. Our reality is that everything old is new again, and this is the same for fashion. And I’m not talking about stirrup pants and padded shoulders here! Hehehe
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Future Generations
Have you heard how people are building and designing homes as heirloom projects or legacy design? This is nothing new either. The principle: to design homes and curate our stuff so that it lasts for future generations. It’s not disposable or trendy, but essentially built to last several lifetimes! Cool, right?!
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Pro Tip: Invest in your home and design now by mixing both modern and antiques. Essentially the pieces/choices should carry over to your kids, and so on. I realize that our kids may not want our old stuff, but if you bought them a Rolls, they wouldn’t sneeze at it, would they?! 😉
Slow Design
Mixing modern and antiques, in essence, is about a collected vibe. Your own personal, curated space that layers your past, with antique furniture and mixes modern items of today. The best part about mixing is that it is a process. We can add or edit pieces as we go. We might enlist the help of others. We can take a look at our home and give it a good sweep, and donate and repurpose anything we don’t actually want or need. This is soooo good! And, we can also take our time in purchasing items that we really want, but we may need to save a bit for. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s called slow design, and it’s smart.
For more ideas on mixing modern and antiques and reasons to source vintage check my blog here and here – Not only have I got lots to say, but I’m here to help!
Melissa
