Integrating Contemporary Furnishings Into Traditional Homes

Although traditional design still dominates homes across the country, we Americans like new. This means fewer people today want to live with the furniture styles of their parents. Plus, while a traditional interior makes most people feel comfortable because they grew up with it, a truly traditional interior is really not all that comfortable. And, nearly everyone agrees that our lives are much more casual than they used to be.

Bellagio Dining by Casa Novalia

Modern design by its very definition (clean lines and no clutter, a kind of less-is-more simplicity) is more casual and somewhat less formal, better reflecting the way we truly live. Yet, the very nature of quality furniture means that pieces tend to get passed down, and if it’s an older piece, odds are it is probably traditional in style. So what happens when you want to blend contemporary furnishings with the pieces you inherited from your grandmother?

Here’s the good news. One of the hallmarks of good contemporary design is its compatibility. In other words, pieces from different periods tend to mix well with it, and combining contemporary with a mix of historical periods creates a richer, more interesting look in a room. All it takes is the confidence to “play a little,” and “a new way of looking at things,” according to interior designer Bobbie Burns Hughes of Excelsior Designs.

Paletta Buffet by Excelsior Designs

Indeed, she says, “Design today is about taking old techniques and applying them in new and different ways.” For example, think of using crude linen to upholster a formal chair. Such juxtaposition makes it more appropriate for our casual lifestyles today and also very new. When it comes to wood furniture, often the age and patina of an antique will offset the clean lines of more modern pieces.

Hughes describes, “Eclecticism is all the rage and it allows for a combination of materials in a piece or a collection of styles within a room. The key is just not to use too many. Don’t try forcing a complete collection of contemporary furnishings into a very traditional space. Instead, choose a focal point for the room, such as a beautiful, contemporary metal and glass console in an entry, or an armoire with glass-front doors. The idea is not to suddenly wake up one morning, discard everything you have, and say, “I’m going to have a contemporary home now.”

Still, that might not be an altogether bad idea. “Given our stressed-out lives, more and more people today are looking to simplify,” Hughes says. “Translated into home décor, this means less clutter and a few good pieces, which is the very essence of contemporary design. The true traditional home, where every surface is covered with accessories, is a thing of the past. What we want now is calm…and a lot more low-maintenance.”

San Remo Dining Table and Chairs by Casa Novalia

While Hughes says a modern room doesn’t have to consist of white walls and wood floors, she relates: “It can be very helpful to approach traditional design with a minimalist eye. By using magnificent pieces sparingly, and focusing on the beauty of the wood, you end up with an abstract landscape, rather than a room that’s overly ‘done’. Of course, while you’re thinking Zen, remember that backgrounds are vital to the style and spirit you wish to convey in any interior environment, and accessories can pull eras together. A room with a white ceiling, white walls and wood floor is a lot like a blank canvas waiting to receive color. Throw down the richly toned Oriental rug you inherited from your grandmother and add pillows to your modern sofa in colors that are compatible with the rug, and you’ll see how easy it is to blend contemporary and period pieces.

Sums Hughes, “The fact is, most people really don’t live in completely contemporary or totally traditional homes these days and true style is what happens in between. Additionally, for couples, a stylistic mix allows for a commingling of different tastes. He likes modern, you like antiques. It’s all about compromise."