More Decorating Tips

Here at Bennett’s we carry a line of furniture called Stressless. You may have heard of it, and I hope you have had the pleasure of sitting in it!

Stressless is a Norwegian company with a very modern, Scandinavian look to its furniture. It also has the best ergonomics on the market! I overhear some shoppers say that it would not “go” with their home décor, but I’m here to tell you that they are mistaken. In fact, according to Rick Janecek, Creative Director of Revelation by Uttermost, mixing these types of pieces in with other décor is a big trend right now.

You can certainly mix and match modern furniture in an older home (like a century farmhouse), or you can go the other way by using classic pieces in a new build. This style is often referred to as Vintage Modern.

It is not hard to incorporate a piece or two into your existing furniture, in fact, this can help add visual interest to your home! For the sake of this discussion we will mix modern looking pieces into an older farmhouse. But you can certainly use the same principles if you are going the opposite way.

First consider that modern furniture has a sleek simplicity about it. This pairs nicely with what an older home offers, such as exposed wooden beams, brick walls, and hardwood floors. Most older homes have “good bones”, meaning they were well built by craftsman and have walls that stood the test of time, often with wonderful accents like crown moldings, high ceilings, fireplaces, and real wood trim. You can show this off by using furniture that is simple and does not take away from these intricate and vintage aspects visually.

How do we unify the two styles? Colour and shape!

You can use either (or both!) to unify the styles in your room. Let’s say you have a vintage Persian rug with some deep red tones in it. You can pull colours from it, such as a deep red leather, into your modern furniture. The busy pattern in the rug will also pair well the smooth leather finish, as they won’t distract from each other. Sometimes a busy rug and a busy upholstery pattern can be visually jarring. This is why choosing the right material can be extremely important.

You can also create unity in the room with your wood finish choices. With many Stressless pieces, you can select the wood finish. By choosing a colour similar to the wood in your vintage home, these pieces will have a unifying element. Do you have an original fireplace mantle in your older home? Tie it in with your new Scandinavian Stressless recliner by using the same wood finish you have on your mantle!

Modern doesn’t have to all be stark minimalism. Blending and sharing make for happy rooms and happy lives.