Environment concern, heritage transmission, recognition and survival of traditional crafts, quality and solidity without any comparison with contemporary competition ... all reasons are good to encourage the recovery or even the rescue of antique furniture. If those of the 50's are lucky to be riding high in our hipsters friends’ interior, all the others have indeed difficult times and generally end up in waste dumps. I’ll be the first to encourage recovery but I understand the difficulty and fear you may have of messing up your interior.

So here are my few tips for setting up a smooth adaptation.

Use with moderation

As I said before, old is good but, to keep a modern style, it’s really important to avoid creating a "antique dealers' Fair". One object, maximum two, per room is more than enough and I’d recommend against exceeding this limit if you want to keep a modern interior.
An unusual detail brings charm, a host of unusual objects and it’s a bric-a-brac.

Play with contrast of style

Your interior and furnishings are modern, the furniture’s old. There’s no point in wanting to hide the obvious. Instead, play with it. You can choose to do something on the piece of furniture itself by changing its color, material or texture finish. But you can also choose to intervene on the space around it such as the appearance or color of the wall or floor. The bigger the contrast, the better: the very chic velvet sofa in front of a graphic tapestry will make a real impression, and the Louis XV armchair, reupholstered in flashy color, will perfectly match Eames plastic chairs.

Wallpaper by Ananbô (picture Pinterest)

The noble mixture of materials

To rediscover the character of an old furniture piece, it’s best to put it in a situation where one doesn’t expect it. A mirror in wooden moulding leaning against a brick wall? A sofa with period fabric in concrete environment? Nothing’s better to create a gap and a beautiful dialogue between each of the elements. In this case, the delicately carved wood will bring elegance to the raw hardness of the mineral materials. My bonus tip? Reveal the natural color of the wood, often hidden under old paints or old varnishes. The untreated appearance will match better with our contemporary materials and will bring real character to your room.

Each time has its color

Color trends change from year to year. Some will last only one year, others will stay longer. But one thing’s for sure, color is a very strong indicator in our perception of what’s modern or not. A good way to update an old piece of furniture and bring it back to the 21st century is to apply one of the colors of the moment to it. But, careful, do not apply this in all situation: if your furniture’s in good condition, with a beautiful material (wood, fabric or other) and doesn’t have any stains, avoid hiding it or transform it unnecessarily. Only if you really want to. Otherwise, prefer to do the change of color on the wall behind it or by accessorising it with decorative objects.

You are curious to give it a try and give this little "spacio-temporal breach" twist to your interior? Let me know :) I completely support you! This is a very good way to make your home unique.

Check #MaybeOutOfTime on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for ideas.

If you don’t know how to manage it and what to do to adapt it successfully, you can contact me to plan a consultation to clear this up.

Enjoy your day!
Emilie