The beauty of contemporary interior design is its inherent freedom and flexibility. You can choose to improve the look of your home any way you see fit, and there is really no need to conform to a single design approach such as fully rustic or completely sleek and modern.

You can create a unique, inviting space imbued with a distinct feeling of days past mixed with the subtle nuances of functionality and vivaciousness of modern design. You can build a cozy living environment that invites family members to huddle together and spend quality time making lifelong memories.

Let’s explore this creative design approach and help you blend the old with the new.


Start with the Color Scheme

When mixing vintage and modern design elements, start with the foundation of the room (the color scheme) before you shop around for furniture pieces and accents. Doing this will allow you to set the tone of the space and work your way in from the walls in an organized way instead of moving from one area to the other on a whim.

This will bring order and consistency to the setting — something that’s imperative in an eclectic environment.

With that in mind, there’s no need for walls to bear an overzealous color scheme. Something simple and neutral will make a big impact. You can choose a clear white color or any off-white hue, or even opt for a more intimate shade such as deep forest green. These color choices will allow you to bring in a beautiful hardwood floor, for example, but also bring other elements of the room to life.


Introduce an Architectural Element

The color scheme on the walls doesn’t need to encompass the entire room. Depending on the overall approach, you can choose to add an interesting architectural solution that will break any monotony and emphasize the era you want the room to focus on.

Keep in mind that mixing old and new doesn’t mean splitting the design down the middle; instead, it means letting one dominate over the other just a tad.

This creates that homey vibe and makes it seem like everything just fell into place on its own. To achieve this eclectic look, consider adding an architectural solution such as an exposed brick wall.

This is your statement foundation, and it can emphasize a more retro feeling while complementing the overarching color scheme. Because everything goes with exposed brick!

You can also go in a different direction and hang contemporary artwork on a vintage wall to emphasize your love of the modern.


Let Furniture Depict the Era

One of the most important elements of the eclectic puzzle is furniture. The furniture pieces you choose to put in every room will define the overarching feeling the room creates.

Decide whether people want to cozy up on the couch or take their drinks on to the patio.

With that in mind, your main furniture pieces should be timeless and able to support both the old and new decor elements.

For example, a living room that emphasizes the modern over the old-fashioned can thrive with the addition of leather couches because these furniture pieces bear a timeless charm that would work just as well if the room were more of a vintage setting than a contemporary one.

Follow this mindset for the key decor elements so that you can emphasize the rest of the design with accents.


Balance Vintage with Modern Accents

Accents are crucial in interior design, as they hold the power to tilt the scales in favor of both the new and the old. With a neutral foundation in place, you can go ahead and pick key accent pieces to bring a unique eclectic setting to life. This could be a vintage wooden coffee table in front of the leather sofa, but it could also be a modern glass one.

In the kitchen, you can accentuate a contemporary chef’s island with vintage bar stools, while a modern bedroom could be “toned down” with the introduction of a vintage powder table.

Consider using even smaller accents to further get your point across in every area. Add a vintage vase on a contemporary fireplace, or how about modern coned lighting on a retro brick wall? The possibilities are endless.


Use Lighting to Frame the Design

Lastly, lighting plays a vital role in shaping the final look and feel of your interior. You need to scale the lighting wisely to light every room just right to create that distinct inviting vibe.

Opt for warm artificial lights and shift focus from a single overhead light source to two or more points in the room.

Add a light dimmer to every room to control the luminosity and create the right ambiance at a moment’s notice.

Many homeowners opt for either a vintage or a modern look, but no law prohibits you from mixing vintage and modern elements together to create a unique setting imbued with positivity, creativity and comfort.

Follow these five tips and you will have no problem blending the old with the new in a tasteful way!

Mike Johnston is a home improvement and business blogger based in Sydney, experienced in covering a variety of subjects on construction, real estate and interior design.

He’s a regular contributor to. Smooth Decorator

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Danny Lipford

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Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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