When purchasing a home or furnishing and decorating a space, one must consider what style of furniture and decor is most desired. Some may feel that there is an unspoken competition between modern and traditional furniture forcing you to choose one side or the other. However, the reality is that you can enjoy both traditional and modern furniture and incorporate both within a space. Before you can fully understand how to mix the two types of furniture, you must understand the basic quality and elements to each style.
Traditional Furniture
Traditional furniture is most notably described as being classic, elegant, durable, sturdy, and built for longevity. This furniture is aptly coined the “heirloom furniture” because it is known to last for decades if not centuries and to maintain its original quality and design. Traditional furniture tends to be created using high-quality materials such as solid wood, wrought iron, luxurious fabrics and upholstery, and hand-crafted details. Overall traditional furniture is used to make an environment that is sophisticated and timeless while maintaining comfort and charm.
Modern Furniture
Modern furniture on the other hand is quite opposite to traditional furniture. It tends to be sleek, light weight, and neutral in color. Unlike the heavier materials used in traditional furniture, modern furniture tends to use a variety of contemporary materials such as glass, metal, and concrete. It is worth noting that modern furniture has not yet garnered the reputation of longevity that traditional furniture has. Modern furniture is used to create an environment that is technology based, and innovative in lieu of a charming and comfortable one.
How to incorporate both traditional and modern furniture within a space?
Despite the very extreme differences in modern and traditional furniture, it is possible to incorporate both within a space. There are a few tips that you can follow which will help you to strike a balance between modern and traditional furniture in a way that merges the two best.
One way that you can mingle modern and traditional furniture within a space is to incorporate them both in a balanced manner. An example of how to do this is by having a modern-styled couch but pairing it with traditional nightstands. Another way that you can mix modern and traditional furniture is by creating a unified theme. For example, if you are creating a space that is largely neutral with pops of color, make the pops of color similar if not the same in both the traditional and modern pieces. A third tip for mixing the two types of furniture is to keep them both to scale. This simply means avoid having a large, bulky traditional item paired with a sleek modern item. The two variations in size will cause a disruption in the space. A final tip that can be helpful for someone wanting to incorporate both traditional and modern pieces of furniture is to embrace the eclectic style. Unlike designing a space with one style of furniture, you are choosing to use a variety. This means that there will be variations to the interior design within the space. Despite this, you can create a cohesive and inviting environment that is not only classic, elegant, and durable, but also unique, contemporary, and eclectic.