KIM COOK
Associated Press<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The freshest style in decor these days is … mixing styles. \u2014-
Traditional and contemporary often work well together. Think abstract art with an overstuffed chaise, or an 18th century-style toile wallpaper with an \u201980s-era lamp. The appeal is in the pleasing tension between the styles; sophisticated, artsy, yet livable.
The latest throwback trend comes, as usual, from pop culture. Binge-worthy TV series like \u201cOutlander\u201d and \u201cBridgerton\u201d have inspired Pinterest boards filled with tartan pillows, William Morris patterns, stag antler lighting, copper soaking tubs, silver candlesticks and daybeds. Wave a feathered fan at \u201cRegencycore.\u201d
What \u201cMad Men\u201d did for midcentury modern, these recent period series have done for early 19th century aesthetics, characterized by elements like tufted sofas, oversize mirrors, chandeliers, gilded accents, and colorful floral or Oriental prints.
Modern elements temper the fussiness of frills and furbelows while showcasing their features, and allow you to create personal spaces that aren\u2019t stuck in a single style.
\u201cIt\u2019s always a balancing act finding the right amount of each character to include in a room,\u201d says Cynthia Byrnes, founder of a New York City-based online art gallery and curation business. \u201cSome wouldn\u2019t recommend placing a heavy baroque French console table underneath contemporary photography.
\u201cBut if the scale, colors and architecture complement each other, then anything is possible.\u201d
KEEP WHAT\u2019S COOL
Designers aren\u2019t keen to raze every \u201cold\u201d feature in a project. Rather than stripping rooms back to the studs, they\u2019re often retaining original architectural details and then adding modern elements and furnishings.
Claire Paquin of Clean Design Partners in Scarsdale, New York, brought pops of au courant berry, salmon and ebony into a freshly whitened Tudor living room via curvy modern seating, throw cushions and artwork, but kept the gracious beaded-glass bay windows.
In Brooklin, Maine, John Ike of the New York-based design firm Ike Kligerman Barkley purchased the former Order of Odd Fellows building, updating the 1895 structure but keeping many exterior and interior features. The third-floor living space has the original painted ceilings, moldings and deeply seated windows, but Ike has filled it with contemporary Italian furniture, a tube lighting sculpture from Kartell, and reproductions of Ico Prisi panels found at a street market. The modern elements serve to highlight the historic elements rather than diminish them.
If you\u2019re tackling your own renovation and want to introduce a vintage element, consider adding damask-patterned tile to a backsplash or feature wall; Artaic\u2019s Dramati glass mosaic is worth a look. Native Trails has a hand-hammered copper soaking tub, which Daphne Bridgerton would surely have enjoyed.
Chandeliers are having their own moment as part of this trend; look for traditional clear glass, or go for it with an all-black version of Schonbek\u2019s Hamilton chandelier, or House of Hampton\u2019s multi-colored one.
DETAILS, DETAILS
In his West Palm Beach, Florida, showroom, designer Jim Dove placed de Gournay\u2019s L\u2019Eden wallpaper, with an enchanting forest scene, behind a protective sheet of glass. L\u2019Atelier Paris\u2019 kitchen range adds another refined, French country house element; tailored white cabinetry, a sleek white worktop and luxe upholstered chairs keep it all looking modern.
For her room at the 2019 Kip\u2019s Bay Show House, designer Young Huh paired a pillowy 18th century Gustavian banquette with a hefty Italian marble-topped dining table and an antique wing chair. The walls brought everything into the present, however, with several pieces from Cynthia Byrnes\u2019 gallery, and Fromental\u2019s large-scale, Cubist-inspired Braque wallpaper. The finished room is sophisticated and playful.
Byrnes says there\u2019s a trick to getting this look right.
\u201cWhen you\u2019re mixing contemporary art with period furniture, it\u2019s important to consider the scale and character of each piece,\u201d Byrnes says. \u201cThere are certain periods and styles of antique furniture that flow easily with contemporary artworks. Like the clean lines, marble and airy gilding of Swedish Neoclassical pieces. Classical Chinese Ming-style huanghuali furniture; and, here in Young\u2019s show-house space, the sophisticated grandeur of 18th-century French berg\u00e8res.\u201d
Brittney Herrera, interior designer and founder of the online shop Wildwood House, in Portland Oregon, suggests: \u201cPairing a modern table lamp in a moody hue with a traditional area rug in the same tone will create an expertly curated look steeped in style. Outfitting a room with traditional artwork, a contemporary version of a 17th century caned chair, or an avant garde dining table not only adds interest but depth as well.\u201d
AL FRESCO IDEAS
The front and back yards too can benefit from blending styles, says Miami-based landscape designer Fernando Wong.
\u201cI always try to mix contemporary with traditional,\u201d he says, citing one project where he used \u201ca vintage rattan furniture set from Bonacina, one of Italy\u2019s oldest furniture makers, bought at auction from the estate of Brooke Astor, and paired it with a beautiful new drinks cart from McKinnon & Harris. Throw in some majestic French Anduze urns from a garden antiques store like Authentic Provence, and you are onto something pretty great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\nIt naturally boosts energy, strength, sex power and stamina to generic viagra without prescription<\/a> last longer in bed and offer her intense sexual pleasure in lovemaking. If you have received spam emails sildenafil 100mg tab<\/a> or cheap software, then you’ve seen this in action. There are not many of them who can talk about some specific programs viagra cialis generico<\/a> I have used and am currently using to ply the trade. It viagra prescription cost<\/a> helps to increase the fertility in women include vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin E. <\/span>\n
Kim Cook writes frequently for The AP about design, d\u00e9cor and lifestyles topics. She can be found on Instagram at @kimcookhome and reached at kim@kimcookhome.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n