Decorating with antiques: mixing old and new

How to bring character and soul to a modern home by pairing antique pieces with contemporary interiors.

The most interesting rooms are rarely bought all at once. They’re layered — a little old, a little new, gathered over time. Antiques are what give a modern home its soul, and mixing them in is far easier than people imagine. Here’s how we’d go about it.

Start with one statement piece

You don’t need a houseful of antiques for the effect — one strong piece will do the work of ten. A carved mirror over a plain mantel, a French commode in a modern bedroom, a farmhouse table in a crisp white kitchen: a single characterful object anchors a room and stops it feeling like a showroom.

Mix eras with confidence

Antiques don’t have to live with other antiques. In fact they look their best against contemporary things — a Georgian chest beside a modern sofa, a mid-century lamp on a period desk. The contrast flatters both. If everything matches, nothing sings; a little friction between old and new is exactly what makes a room feel collected rather than decorated.

Use mirrors to bring in light

An antique mirror is the most useful thing in the decorator’s toolkit. The old, softly-foxed glass throws light around beautifully, makes a small room feel larger, and adds instant grandeur to a hallway or dining room for a fraction of the drama it creates.

Let good pieces breathe

Resist crowding. A lovely piece needs a little space around it to be seen — a clear stretch of wall, an uncluttered top. Negative space is what separates an elegant room from a busy one, and it costs nothing.

Bring in warmth and texture

Old timber, worn leather, aged brass and hand-glazed pottery add a warmth that machine-made things simply can’t. A single antique lamp or a piece of art pottery on a shelf softens the hardest modern scheme. It’s the quickest way to make a new-build feel like it has a history.

We help private clients and interior designers do exactly this every week, and we’re always glad to advise — you can read about ourinterior design and consultancy service, or simplybrowse the collection for a piece to build a room around.