Mixing Contemporary and Traditional Interior Styles

At Penderyn Antiques, we love mixing contemporary and traditional interior styles. After all, our ethos revolves around bringing beautiful antique furniture into the 21st century. And, what better way to do this than incorporating antique furniture into contemporary settings?

While we’ve always loved this idea, we’re excited to see others in the interior world embrace an eclectic mix of styles. So, in celebration of this, we’re offering our take on the best way of mixing contemporary and traditional interior styles.

How to Mix Contemporary and Traditional Interior Styles

Depending on your preferences, the ratio of contemporary to traditional that you want will likely vary. Personally, we love incorporating statement pieces, such as antique furniture, into predominantly contemporary settings. However, others prefer a vintage revival more apparent throughout their home. Either way, there are a few things that you can do to ensure you execute this mix of styles in the most stylish way.

Mixing contemporary and traditional in the kitchen.

Choose Your Ratio

Begin by choosing the ratio when mixing contemporary and traditional styles. As a rule of thumb, one style should dominate the interior while the other acts as a complementary second. One way to decide this is to consider the architecture of your home. For example, a modern apartment will likely lend itself better to a predominantly contemporary style with the inclusion of traditional statement pieces. Moreover, a period property may be better suited to a largely traditional interior style, with the addition of some contemporary details.

Choose Your Colours

Another way to successfully mix contemporary and traditional is by selecting complementary colours. For example, we recommend choosing a neutral colour palette as the base of your interior and incorporating some darker or brighter colours sparingly. This is especially advisable when opting for a primarily contemporary look with a traditional style as secondary. Moreover, try to keep the bolder colours all within a complementary colour palette that you choose from the start.

Choose Your Furniture

The best way to mix contemporary and traditional interior styles is with the addition of antique furniture. This is because antique furniture instantly offers a traditional aesthetic while being versatile enough to look fantastic among a predominantly contemporary interior or alongside a few modern accents. In particular, antique furniture made from wood such as pine perfectly complements even the most contemporary interiors. Moreover, darker, more traditional looking antiques can act as the perfect statement piece in any room.

Discover the other reasons to opt for antique furniture here.

Pay Attention To The Details

Finally, when mixing contemporary and traditional, it’s important to pay attention to the details. For example, a primarily modern interior should be free from clutter and focus on a polished look in which everything has its place. This can be achieved by creating a clean, contemporary interior with the addition of some antique storage, which can effectively store any clutter while adding the traditional element of the mix.

Moreover, you can incorporate different accessories into the interior to further mix styles, such as traditional upholstery in a contemporary setting or modern art in a largely traditional interior.

If you’d like to learn more about incorporating antiques into your interior design, click here to read our other blogs including guides to Autumn interiors, Hygge interior design and sustainable interior design. Please get in touch if you have any topics you would like us to write about!

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