Last week was a crazy one! I was working with clients who, after several months of construction, were preparing to move into their new yet empty home. As I was prepping them about the furnishings that would and would not be there, they asked about some of the old character pieces and antiquities they wanted incorporated into their design project. This was no small task for them as this house started from nothing.
So, how do you merge items that inject your style, character, and personality when the pieces do not really belong to you? Truthfully, it is a challenge. Here are my best tips to seamlessly blend the meaningful and modern…
Tip #1: Personal Perspective is Everything in Collected Design
Much love, conversation, and investigation goes into creating a home for a client that speaks to them. If I wanted to build a home that speaks to my aesthetic, it would be easy! Some people hire designers to recreate the unique and identifiable styles they are known for. But my goal is to create a unique look for each of my clients, and this process takes time and care.
Knowing your likes, loves, and dislikes is necessary to the design process. I look at your preferred colors, motivations (like charitable causes), birthplace, favorite vacation spot, or hobby you’ve always wanted to do but never had time. Casual and deep conversation that goes beyond the professional is essential when the design goal is collected design.
Tip #2: Follow the Rules in Eclectic Design
The trick in bringing the old in with the new is balance. Most clients don’t want to live in Grandma’s house. They want fresh, young, clean, and new but with the touches of class and style and a hint of old-world elegance without looking like they took it out of the pages of the most recent RH catalog (no offense to those who love it, it’s just not the thing most of my clients are searching for!).
With wood finishes that blend regardless of decade, colors that stand the test of time, and items that speak of quality and longevity, mixing the old and the new is as seamless as carrying a vintage handbag with a little black dress!
Tip #3: Texture is a Powerful Tool in Blended Design
Finally, there is much to be said about the various textures. Old things tend to be of more subdued and worn patinas. But all rooms benefit from a little bit of sparkle somewhere. And by sparkle, I do not necessarily mean the glam and glitz variety! Glass, shiny metal finishes, rich, lustrous velvets, and even glossy woods can all bring the “sparkle” to the space. When mixing old and new, letting the older pieces bring in the shine and the more contemporary pieces add the texture can often provide the most pleasing results.
Ready to get to work designing a space that is both meaningful and yet blissfully modern? That’s our specialty. Give us a call!
Xoxo,
Pamela
