PRODUCTS | Mixing traditional and contemporary design


This striking, bespoke and award-winning ‘Furniture Maker’s’ kitchen from H Miller Bros is built over three levels rather than the traditional two, to articulate the idea of ‘furniture’ rather than kitchen cabinets, and includes a purpose made ladder to add functionality


As a designer, why choose between contemporary and traditional styles when you can combine the two? We talk to industry experts about how these seemingly opposing approaches can be blended together


F


rom ‘country industrial’ to ‘transitional’, or ‘modern Scandi with a mid-century vintage twist’, blending contemporary and traditional styles


and furniture can be


incredibly appealing for a variety of reasons.


Vintage pieces can inject character, while traditional-style painted furniture offers a softness to the scheme that wouldn’t be achievable using contemporary alone. The addition of vintage-style elements in a bathroom, such as a chandelier and ornate brassware, can give the design a feeling of opulence.


Creating a scheme that contrasts traditional with modern takes careful consideration, and is all about fine balance, so that the design doesn’t tip from eclecticism into chaos. It’s crucial that you consider a theme, with a


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limited colour palette and choose the time period you want to pay homage to. Pick a few standout, focal items and build around these with furniture and décor that complements. Ensure you have no more than two contrasting themes. Our expert contributors recommend an 80:20 or 70:30 split between your chosen styles to ensure you have a cohesive design. In the bathroom this could consist of a rolltop bath and period- style brassware with more modern, furniture, sanitaryware and tiling. In the kitchen, it might be Shaker-style furniture and a rustic dining table, but straight lines and harder, modern edges in the fixtures and appliances.


Period features


Another key point agreed on by most of the experts kbbreview spoke to, is that designers should ensure they take


the architecture and period of the home into consideration. Ripples designer, Jessica Flack says that when choosing the dominant style, the designer should be guided by the age and aesthetic of the property. “For example, in a Victorian property, you should choose traditional white sanitaryware and a rolltop bath, which are sympathetic to the building, but pair them with modern metro tiles and


gold accessories for a


contemporary twist,” she says. Tom Howley, design director at


Tom Howley, adds: “Architecturally speaking, structural details like beams shouldn’t be hidden or changed. The beauty of working within listed or special properties is that the brief is further defined. “All designers love working within a


brief. It helps direct your design and instead of limiting you, these


Modernclassics


restrictions can provide further platforms for great design if you consider the possibilities rationally and creatively.” In addition to designing in sympathy with the age of the property, it’s also important to consider the flow throughout the other rooms in the home, even if that means simply picking a colour and a few accents that appear in say, the living room and hallway, or bedroom.


Harmony and tension As with any design, creating a beautiful room that blends styles from different eras should balance complementary and contrasting elements. This can be achieved by the careful use of different textures and colours. Dark, dramatic, contemporary tones work well with traditional shaker-style furniture, particularly when up against bare, rough brickwork, for example. Metallic


· April 2021


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