It is not uncommon to have a random and eclectic mix of home decor items that we collected throughout the years. They carry an emotional value most of the time: grandma’s dressing table, dad’s book case and so on. Plus, the things that bought over the years, mostly new, modern and generally objects and furniture representing our very own taste. It is a tricky task to mix them tastefully – but it’s not impossible. Luckily the current interior trends are on our side, it is very much trendy to have a laid back, eclectic style of home decor. Having said that, you still want to keep the big picture simple and decluttered but there’s no need to throw the granddad’s favourite arm chair away. Instead give it a revamp! Here’s how.

1.  Evergreen additions

Like plantation shutters. These evergreen, romantic looking shutters are such a great choice to almost every window! Try window shutters in London for them. Prices may vary, depending on the size you need, so check out plantation shutters prices here. Let it be a top floor apartment or a big country house, they will work just lovely. Also, somehow they are always associated with far away, warm countries and so they give a hint of “love to travel” style to the home.

2. Look after your vintage items

Vintage furniture and objects only look good if they are in a good condition, otherwise they look rather run down. Therefore, polish the old wooden furniture and repair the chips and cracks. Refurbish the old arm chairs with a new – maybe even modern looking – fabric. Grandpa’s arm chair will still remain the same just with a better look.

3. The importance of lighting

Choosing the right lighting can make a huge difference to a room. Especially in winter, you want your home to be bright and warm. Vintage items really crave good lighting too, without it, they just look (and everything else in the room) way too shabby. LED downlights are a perfect for any home.

4. Aim for simplicity

When the look of the room too crowded, too cluttered – everything loses meaning and the space will just look messy, no matter how much tidying and organising is behind the look. Less is more, as they say, like in this useful article: Urban Ladder furniture. Sometimes it’s good to have a second opinion too: ask your friends how do they feel about it. When it’s time to get rid of a few items which are no longer in use has no emotional value – just give them away to a charity. If you really, really, I mean really want to keep it, try to upcycle it. That’s a trendy way of turning old, useless object into something useful again. (Also very much environmentally friendly!)

5. Work the contrasts

Try to pair a vintage item with a modern one as their immediate neighbour. For example: getting back to Grandpa’s arm chair again – add a modern, statement standing lamp right next to it. Or pair the vintage dining table with sleek, minimalist, even bold coloured dining chairs. I recently posted about how much I like soft navy blue paired up with copper and rose gold metallics – a great way to add a bit a modern twist to art deco features.

6. Personal touch is everything

Nothing works if it in the end looks like a reception room at your dentist surgery. You have to add a few spoonfuls of “YOU” into the mix. So go ahead and pick out some small, affordable and a few statement items which will represent your personality in this mix. I always vouch for pictures to do this: a few favourite prints (or originals, it really depends on your budget) of favourite paintings or pictures add lots of personality to any room. So do other art objects and travel memorabilia. 

7. Highlight the original features

Your chosen shade of wall colour or wallpaper pattern will need to work well with the room’s original features: the window tills, the fire place, the balcony door – they are all given features you have to work with. If they have a significant presence (like we have curved corners as this was a very fashionable feature in the 1920’s when the house was built) you might have to choose a neutral shade for wall paint. But if it’s the other way around in a newly built flat – maybe you can pick something more of a bold, statement colour.

This is a collaborative post.