Pairings: Antique Artwork with Modern Furnishings

This photo from Alcro struck us with its chic combination of modern Eames chairs and an antique portrait. We love this method of combining old and new styles...

In this room, the scale and drama of the portrait adds a nice point of contrast to the spare furnishings. Grandeur and simplicity balance one another. This look isn't difficult to recreate at home. Since art isn't usually expected to match a sofa or dining set, there's a lot of flexibility in what you hang on the walls, no matter what your style is.

Photo: Alcro

Comments (9)

I'm all for a mix of eras and styles done right. But this looks like a rich kid's first apartment.

I really like this look as well, but I agree - this photo isn't the best example. I would love to see more examples.

Philip Johnson's Glass House has one painting and it's from Nicolas Poussin dated 1648-49. I just went to visit the house this past Wednesday and the combination of Mies van der Rohe furniture and this old painting worked really well. Both had warm tones which helped.

How is the house looking, azure?

I love this look, and am trying to use it in my new place. I wish I could afford a large Old Master.

You can: www.allposters.com.

I have framed El Greco and Van Gogh reproductions hanging in my studio apartment. I bought them because I love them. But the paintings, along with their ornate silvery frames, help soften a room with lots of modern straight edges and shiny surfaces.

Yah I agree...they could have used a much better example than the photo above. It would have been better if there were more photos...not including the one above.

This is so good... not only the style mix, and the spareness, the muted but rich palette, but also the scale game, that big picture in the small room... magic

Oh totally. I've got an old engraving of St. Peter's Basilica above an Eames chair. And in the other room I've got a pair of antique manuscript pages near an Eames rocker. Really good stuff can work together if you do it right. The trick is to balance the frilly-er stuff in smaller doses against the larger, more simpler pieces. A big modern couch could have a loverly classical landscape above it.