New, Meet Old: Mixing Modern and Vintage Design
We love the clean and simple lines that modern furniture tends to lend itself to, but designing an entire space with all new modern pieces, while looking quite sharp, can also come across as lacking something vital, something that brings warmth and life. There's something to be said (and felt) for adding pieces with a storied past into a space. And we'll be the first to admit, mixing modern design with vintage design is not always the easiest thing to wrap your mind around, especially if you are just getting started.
Here are some of our expert thoughts on how to blend the two design styles:
Living Room
A new modern sofa is a great way to anchor a living room. Take for instance a sectional from the Cleon Collection by Blu Dot, a favorite of ours. Pair it with the simple form of Blu Dot Plateau Side tables, and you have a strong start. Now is the time to mix in something vintage. Perhaps a strong midcentury Danish modern coffee table in walnut or teak for some warmth and soul, or a vintage Burl Wood floating block table for something a bit more sophisticated. You could also go the route of a vintage slatted wood bench, stylish and classic. Whatever your design asthetic, a vintage coffee table makes a perfect statement combined with new modern pieces, and is a great starting feature for mixing vintage with new.
Dining Room
Dining rooms are fantastic for blending new modern design with vintage classics. The combinations are endless! One idea is to anchor the room with a vintage modern dining room table and chairs. Then add a new modern credenza such as the Shale 4 drawer/2 door Credenza by Blu Dot. Classic, warm, modern. Another possibility is to start with a new modern dining room table and chairs, and then add a stunning visual vintage piece such as a mid-century modern credenza. Like vintage coffee tables, vintage dining tables and credenzas are a very good starting point for blending modern and vintage design in a space.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms are great for balancing new modern pieces with softer vintage design. We love the combination of a modern clean line bed frame such as the Nook by Blu Dot and a modern dresser for functional storage. To soften the edges of new modern design, flank the bed with vintage side tables and add another element of old mixed with new by bringing in a fantastic vintage lounge chair. Vintage side table options are endless. As for the chair, something oversized and comfortable such as a Womb Chair, or a classic Danish mid-century modern sitting chair are solid choices.
These suggestions are just the start of mixing new design with vintage design. They are basic thoughts on how to anchor each of these rooms as a start. Once you have the main functional pieces for each room decided on, how to build on them and choose a mix of modern and vintage becomes easier, not to mention oh so fun!
The Mod Livin' family loves mixing new design with vintage classics, but we love seeing our Mod Livin' customers even more - so please stop by the store at 5327 E. Colfax, Denver, CO!