Traditional to Modern and Vice Versa: Simple Changes with Big Impact

Although we love mid-century furniture, visiting a home where we can name every piece can be a little...well, boring. Frankly, we prefer a home with a little bit of this, a little bit of that. But sometimes it's challenging to know what to add and what to take away. After the jump, some ideas for modern rooms and for traditional rooms, to bring them to life...

Modern: The sleek and spare quality that we love in a modern room can sometimes dangerously tip into cold territory.

Cozy up the room by bringing stuff in: texture's key here. A great throw, a knit pillow or try something with a pattern.
Think in contrasts. Rework grandma's colorful afghan into pillows for your sofa, reupholster your Danish modern chair in a wild tropical floral.
An antique or an eclectic piece can really bring a room into focus. Try an African footstool next to your Eames chair, an elaborate and ornately carved console behind a sleek couch, or a worn Oriental rug instead of the predictable shag carpeting. A floral painting in a gilt frame is a riveting contrast to chrome and glass.

Traditional: Traditional rooms are often chock full. Make them elegant by paring them down to the basics.

Start by simplifying the room: break up matching pairs, swap out a patterned carpet with a simpler rug.
Declutter a room physically and visually: Replace heavy window treatments with light cotton drapes, shutters or blinds (try top down shades if your view's great but privacy's a concern). Clear off the table tops and replace an assortment of knickknacks with one dramatic piece.
Lighten a room: replace ornate shades with something simple, multiple lamps with spot lighting, pattern fabric with something sleek.

[[image: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/house-tours/house-tour-steves-beach-bungalow-and-garden-retreatlos-angeles-063243>Steve's Beach Bungalow and Garden Retreat]

Comments (9)

I still absolutely adore his home. I am going to be daydreaming of his backyard for the rest of the day now.

i'm so tired of seeing MCM all over this site. thank you for trying to move on from that phase!

I very much disagree with "splitting up matched pairs" - There's nothing more elegant than the classic symmetry of a pair of matching sofas, chairs, lamps, tables, etc. - whether in a traditional or contemporary environment.

Best advice I've read in MONTHS.

This is exactly the approach I took with my home (and I think, thanks to advice on AT, that I've got a really great place today). I mixed antiques (tranditional backbone) with some really fabulous contemporary pieces from some of our favorite retailers (R&B, C&B, etc).

I used hand-painted kimono silks to make some pillows. I layered on all kinds of textiles (velvet, linen, ultrasuede, chenille, silk, and a wee bit of Italian tapestry) and added some glass & metal casegoods. (AT lesson) I also mixed up the lamps, including sleek new minimalist crystal lamps with an ornate brass indian lamp. (AT lesson)

The art and few accent pieces are very intentional -- my intent was to curate the best of what I have, rather than display everything possible. (AT lesson)

The advice to keep the window treatments understated is exceptional. They are part of the canvas, not the focus, so they should visually recede into the room, not grab attention. (AT lesson)

that sectional is brilliant! where is it from??

Heather, unfortunately MCM is inherently tied to apartment living due to the small scale and usability of the pieces. I agree it can seem ubiquitous, but if you delve a little further into the history of MCM you'll see how focused the designers were on making life better by making it simpler - something thats probably going to be on a lot of people's minds these days.

And - living in an 80% mod house I can say the tips above are very helpful. I bought a giant victorian dining table - claw feet and all - and it looks wonderful with my Eames chairs.

I am with you heatherleaf.

I have lived in many an apartment w/o using a lick of MCM furniture and guess what,...they looked great. In fact, I find the house tours that feature a mix of styles to be far more interesting. Unusual art and furniture take center stage where as a noguchi coffee table has become as common place as a Lack Book shelf (and I do happen to own a licensed repro of said coffee table).

There are plenty of furniture styles from many eras that are suited to apartment living. It is always wonderful to be introduced to something you may not ordinarily seek out so thanks AT for mixing it up.

Agreed -- MCM is not the end-all only-way to go small scale. Granted it may be minimialist, but it's possible to have some flourish in smaller pieces, like a bombe chest for example.

I think what you also have to take into consideration is the place you live in. If it's a Victorian house with a lot of character by itself I prefer simpler pieces. If on the other hand you live in a new apartment with lower ceilings and rooms with no features the interior can be a bit bolder.

I've always loved the combinaiton of OLD- NEW and I guess you could put MCM somewhere in the middle.

In general I find places that have interiors that all belong to the same style and time boring. There needs to be a contrast somewhere. So this post is spot on.