How to blend traditional with modern home decor?

amother

Sun, Dec 31 2023, 3:40 pm

any tips? I can't get rid of my traditional brown dining room furniture but I want to liven the place up a bit. make it more cheery and fun.
looking on amazon and wayfair for knickknacks but how do I know what makes sense or what is "trying too hard"?

amother

Tulip

Sun, Dec 31 2023, 4:15 pm

I don't love the look of traditional dr furniture with very modern decor unless it's done very, very well by a designer that does eclectic and maximalist. I'd keep that room classic, though you can probably pull off a transitional light fixture, rug, buffet, clean window treatments etc.
I would consider reupholstering the chairs in a modern velvet upholstery if it's currently tapestry.
I would also consider a dark color for the walls for a moody look, and some cool moldings for added texture.

amother

Gardenia

Sun, Dec 31 2023, 4:32 pm

Look for inspiration on Pinterest. Know what the goal is before buying decor and hoping it looks nice.

Also, there's decorating rules and themes that are worth reading up on. If everything is the right dimension, it's much more likely to look intentional. And then there's general advice: adding lamps to a space helps a lot with ambiance, so I just make sure I've got beautiful lamps in as many places as they could plausibly make sense. Lamps instead of less useful decorations. The light is more flattering properly diffused, so I like either a normal shade or a milk glass one. Repeating elements of a space helps with cohesiveness: so if you've already got a lot of brass, for example, a brass chandelier with modern lines will likely be easier to make work than a chrome one. You can mix metals, but then you need to carefully repeat both metals.

amother

Caramel

Sun, Dec 31 2023, 6:03 pm

I have traditional Chippendale dining room set. I reupholstered the seats with faux leather. Changed the flooring from wood to very large white onyx looking porcelain tiles. Painted walls, trim and ceiling a white that went with my floors. Changed my bulbs to 3500K. Changed the marble on top of my buffet from taupe marble to white with a straight edge instead of bullnose. All frames on paintings are simple and not ornate. Accessories are transitional. Looks great BH! I love the room it is so much more interesting than all modern imho.

zaq

Sun, Dec 31 2023, 7:06 pm

Find a unifying feature e.g. color, material, or shape, and buy items with that feature to pull it together. For example, to an antique sofa in dark red , add a modern dark red-cream-and
black rug, cream curtains with a dark red stripe, and dark red picture frames. Or if the furniture has rattan accents, find rattan picture frames, maybe rattan-print curtains and a rattan basket to act as a magazine rack. Or if the furniture has an octagonal silhouette, put up an octagonal mirror, curtain rods with an octagonal cross section, and octagonal pillows on the couch. It doesn't all have to be matchy-matchy like a hotel room, there should just be one feature that pulls it together. It's no different from pairing a yellow blouse and blue skirt with a yellow-blue-cream scarf to pull them together.

StylishTichel

Sun, Dec 31 2023, 8:06 pm

amother OP wrote:

I prefer this style. Modern cookie-cutter homes are a dime a dozen. My home decor style is a mix of the old and the new. Think: rattan, wood tones, florals, mixed with velvet brass, and glass.

Affordable options to update more outdated styles: change out cabinet knobs/ door pulls (can be very cheap- look on amazon), reupholster chair cushions- you can honestly do this yourself with a staple gun and some fabric. A more modern tablecloth can update a table (again- you can just buy affordable fabric). Maybe get more modern prints and frames for the walls, freshen up the walls with paint. Get a new light fixture with bright bulbs- amazon has more affordable options as well.