Antique Interiors in the 21st Century

Antiques for the Bathroom

A modern home can absolutely have the grace and charm of a classical home from a long past era. The use of antiques and vintage decor will really give a home a certain element of eloquence while still retaining the convenience and vibe of modern living. Throughout this post, we’ll name some wonderful collectibles and design schemes that work for any home architecture and any room. What makes the ideas we are about to list so great is that you can choose the degree to which you apply them for your living space. You can go all out and transform your home to, say, a 17th-century Parisian interior of the aristocratic elite. You can also just implement a single idea or two to achieve a hybrid of modern and classic vibe.

  1. Antique Mixing: You don’t have to stick to antiques from a single region and time period. Feel free to mix and match as you see fit. For instance, you can adorn a living room wall with a feudal Japanese scroll hanging. Directly below, cover the sofa with a vintage French linen sheet covered in marquetry artwork. You can also span across time eras. Consider a 15th-century Elizabethan wall art alongside a much more recent vintage lamp from the 1950s.

    Try to aim for contrast where possible. In other words, mix round with blocky, soft with hard, and neutral with bold. Strive for harmony by keeping everything in a yin and yang balance.

  2. Antique Lighting: You also have a lot of leeway with regards to lighting fixtures. Again, this is where antique mixing comes into play, especially for rooms like the kitchen. If the interior is otherwise modern, add a bit of antiquity by using different style fixtures. For an industrial-age vibe, use metallic fixtures. Some homeowners don’t particularly like the heavy industrial feel, but it works well here as long as the fixtures aren’t the main accent features.

    Antique Lighting
    Image Source: Google Image

    Mix and match by using a more elegant rustic chandelier with candles. This can go directly beneath the dining table, while the metal fixtures can go over the kitchen island prep area. This provides a hybrid mix of blue-collar industrial and high-class eloquence.

  3. Antiques for the Bathroom: The bathroom usually isn’t a room one would consider for an old-style makeover. Nevertheless, with the room’s small size, even a single antique piece would easily stand out. Now, what kind of antique can you add for a bathroom? You can always go for the ornate claw foot tub. However, this may be out of the question for homeowners who insist on the more modern walk-in shower. Another alternative is a vintage secretary. This bulky furniture is normally relegated to the living room, though it works well for a bathroom if you have enough space for one. Be sure the wood is treated, though, as the surface needs to be able to withstand the onslaught of moisture.

    Antiques for the Bathroom
    Image Source: Google Image

  4. Break Out the Vintage Rugs: Rugs are another terrific way of adding antiquity without having to rip out and redo the entire floor. With the practically endless array of designs, you can achieve varied appearances. Once again, consider mixing and matching. The living room is large enough to accommodate two antique rugs of different designs. You can use a Moroccan tribal rug in one area and a distressed Persian rug in another. In accordance with achieving the aforementioned balancing act, consider a rectangular rug and a circular one. For an open room floor plan where the living room and kitchen meld together, rugs serve as a makeshift divider of sorts.

    Break Out the Vintage Rugs
    Image Source: Google Image

  5. The Work Desk: This is another top spot for mixing in some antiques. Here, you have three options. You can use an antique desk and a modern chair, or an antique chair and modern desk. The third option is to maintain both a modern desk and chair and use some small antique décor items.

    Popular turn-of-the-century desks include secretaries, Bureau Plats, roll-tops, ladies’ desks, tambours, and kneeholes. If you decide to go with an antique chair, then choices include: rococo armchairs, Renaissance style chairs, Louis Cane chairs, fauteuils, bergeres, and various styles of ottomans.

    The Work Desk
    Image Source: Google Image

    If you prefer to stick to a few vintage decors for the desk and leave it at that, then a few leather accessories will do the trick. Leather blotters, mouse pads, and document cases exude grace.

  6. The Minimalist Look: To keep the antiquity at a minimum, use a single antique focal piece amid a neutral backdrop. By neutral, this means little of anything else. The rest of the room should have little in way of other décor pieces, antique or otherwise. In the minimalist scheme, use a lot of white or neutral colors. In other words, the rest of the room should be somewhat uninspiring. A single antique furniture or décor within a monotonous surrounding will really stand out in all its glamor.

    The minimalist look, by the way, has influences in Zen Buddhism. As such, Japanese antiques are great options here.

  7. Abstract Art: Abstract art can depict a number of things, and its meaning is in the eye of the beholder. Abstract art spans across multiple geographic regions with time periods going as far back as the 12th-century in some countries. This gives you a plethora of options when browsing through abstract art pieces for your wall. Such types of work naturally catch the eye as the brain contemplates what it’s staring at. Popular forms of abstract art include Cubism, Plasticism, Art Informel, and Suprematism just to list a few. Keep in mind that abstract art also extends to include sculptures, so your options aren’t limited to canvas paintings.

A 21st-century home can be every bit as modern as the current time period. Alternatively, it can have a mix of antique furnishings and decor thrown in. This adds a whole new level of appeal that straddles the line between contemporary and old-world.

About Hannah Hutchinson

Hannah Hutchinson is an interior designer based in London, currently blogging for Westland London. She’s always chasing new ideas and likes thinking outside the box when it comes to incorporating fresh ideas to her clients new homes.

View all posts by Hannah Hutchinson →

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