Oldies with a Newbie: Vintage Furniture Finds Mixed With New Pieces

While we love mid century modern, Scandinavian design and furniture, we especially love it when these pieces are paired with vintage furniture finds -- both original mid century pieces and more traditional furniture. Image via refinery29.uk

Why, you ask? Mixing contemporary furniture with older finds brings a sense of personality, depth, and history to a space. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can pair old and new furniture in a few different areas of the home.

 

In the Dining Room

Even the biggest lovers of mid-century modern design can appreciate the wonderful contrast between a more traditional dining room table and a set of contemporary dining chairs (or vice versa) -- especially when materials are mixed, like wood, copper, iron, and concrete. For example, a concrete dining room table like the Vega Concrete Dining Table pairs beautifully with a range of seating options, from industrial-inspired benches to formal wooden chairs. 

Image via tagandtibby.com

 

In the Living Room

The living room is an easy place to mix vintage or antique furniture with more contemporary pieces because of the variety of furniture in a typical living room. 

Image via myleitmotiv.com

 

If you have heirloom-quality pieces like your parents’ Oriental rug or a handcrafted wooden side table, don’t be afraid to bring it in -- you may be surprised by how much you like the texture and age it brings! 

Image via furnituremaison.com

 

In the Bedroom

As one of the most intimate and special places in the home, we love bringing in family heirlooms that have special meaning, like a few antique chairs from grandma’s house or an older headboard. Other pieces like simple bedside tables and lamps can help keep the feeling current and contemporary (PS, we could totally see the Nordica Side Table working just as well here!). 

Image via interiorsyum.tumblr.com

 

 On the Wall

A surefire way to bring personality and a little bit of quirkiness to your home is in the selection of wall art and shelving -- not just in the content of the images, but also in the arrangement and choice of frames and shelving type. Don’t be afraid to be a minimalist for some pieces and go frameless, and then contrast it with a rougher, antiqued frame or even some vintage memorabilia! 

Image via abeautifulmess.com

 

In The Bathroom

Whether you’re looking at a small powder room or a grand master bath, the bathroom is another location where old and new can live in beautiful harmony. It’s entirely possible to marry modern and even state-of-the-art fixtures and furnishings with older vintage pieces or even reusing an old dresser or chest as a bathroom vanity. Even clawfoot tubs are making a huge comeback now! 

Image via parkandoak.com

 

In the Office

An office nook is another great place to mix and match styles. See what happens when you pair a mid century-inspired desk with a vintage lamp or clock -- you may find that you’re more inspired to work when you’re surrounded by good design! 

Image via pinterest.com

 

Regardless of where you are in your home, mixing newer pieces of furniture with family heirlooms or vintage items is an essential way to add character to your space to make it your own. Not only that, it’s a great way to merge different styles and aesthetics!

Have any experiences where you mixed modern furniture with antique or vintage pieces? Let us know! We’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.

 



Kate R.

Kate is a New York-based architect and preservationist, with a love for all things design! 

 


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