When it comes to interior design, finding the perfect balance between modern trends and traditional aesthetics can be a challenge. But not one to be feared, finding ways to make your house feel like a home is exciting.
One area where this fusion can truly shine is in the choice of curtains. At The Mill Shop, we love helping you design the home of your dreams.
That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide. We endeavour to explore how you can expertly style modern curtains in your traditional home.
The Essence of Traditional Elegance
A traditional home embodies a sense of timeless elegance. We love the use of rich textures, classic patterns, and deep, inviting colours such as burnt orange, warm red, and forest green; ideal for the autumn season.
To seamlessly integrate modern curtains, you must ensure that they complement the existing elements. Let's delve into the key aspects of achieving this harmonious blend.
Harmony in Hues
The colour palette of a traditional home plays a pivotal role in setting the ambiance. To maintain the seamless transition between traditional and modern elements, choose hues that resonate with the existing tones.
Often traditional homes have an element of regalness about them. That’s where the stunning wine-red Buckingham metallic curtains would make a fantastic statement piece.
The metallic sheen ensures these curtains are on-trend. The pelmet is giving us Bridgerton, and with nine captivating colours to choose from there is something to suit all styles.
Pattern Play
Traditional homes often feature intricate designs in upholstery, wallpapers, and accessories. To give the home a modern twist opt for fresh plain walls and select curtains that feature beautiful patterns.
Such as the Kensington Lined Curtains that offer a blend of classic floral decals along with unique hummingbirds. This traditional pattern paired with fresh modern colour options perfectly intertwines modern and traditional styles.
Fabric Matters
The fabric of your curtains is crucial in achieving the right balance. Choose materials that exude luxury and sophistication. The Mill Shop's Voile scarf is timelessly stylish. It’s a versatile choice for both traditional and modern settings.
Voile scarves look stunning on smaller rectangular windows in hallways or guest bedrooms. They offer an element of luxury to sometimes forgotten areas of your home.
Light colours such as white, cream, and latte are all great choices as they complement a range of interiors.
Length and Layers
For a traditional home, opt for curtains that pool gracefully on the floor. This lends an opulent and classic feel. Consider combining different types of curtains, like voiles or nets with heavier blackout curtains.
The Mauve Berlin curtains can be beautifully paired with Lavender voiles for a perfectly purple layered effect that marries elegance with functionality.
Incorporating voiles alongside heavier drapery allows for a play of natural light, gently filtering sunlight, and creating a soft and inviting ambiance while maintaining privacy.
Accessories and Accents
Curtain rods, tiebacks, pelmet, and scarves are like jewellery for your windows. Opt for ornate or brass-finished hardware to add a touch of tradition. The Mill Shop cares about intricate detailing and knows accessories can be a superb way of bringing vintage flair to your modern curtains.
Accessorise with Elegance
To complete the look, consider adding matching cushions. This can create a harmonious and cohesive look, elevating the overall aesthetic appeal and making any room look fresh out of the pages of an interior design magazine.
A Fusion of Timelessness between modernity and traditionalism
By blending modern curtain styles with the timeless charm of a traditional home, you create a space that is inviting, sophisticated, and enduring. However, curtains are only the starting point. Let’s look into how you can blend traditional features with modernity throughout your home.
Don’t be worried about clashing when it comes to traditional and modern aesthetics; pairing modern interior design elements with traditional items can look stunning if done correctly.
It allows for a fusion of timeless elegance with sleek, contemporary elements. If you're fortunate enough to reside in a home with classic architectural features, here's a guide on how to infuse it with a modern sensibility.
Respect the original features
The first step in styling a traditional home with a modern touch is to acknowledge and respect its existing architectural elements. Ornate woodwork, traditional fireplaces, and low beams can be accentuated rather than hidden.
We have previously spoken about the rich and regal colours that are symbolic in traditional homes. However, natural shades such as creams and light browns are synonymous with modern decor.
You can strike a balance by opting for a neutral base with splashes of colour. This could be achieved through accessories like throw pillows, artwork, or even a statement piece of furniture.
Minimalist Furniture
It doesn’t matter whether you opt for a grand Chesterfield chair or a sleek corner sofa. The easiest way to keep a room looking fresh and modern is by reducing clutter.
This means regardless of the style of furniture you opt for make sure there isn’t too much of it. If you like to collect ornaments and trinkets, store them in a stylish sideboard or in a glass viewing cupboard to keep sides clear.
Think practically about how many large items of furniture you will need. For example, will you use a large coffee table, or is a small side table more convenient for you? Do you need a corner sofa and chairs for guests, or will a two-seater make the room look larger?
Mix Materials
A great way to bridge the gap between traditional and modern is through a thoughtful blend of materials. Mix a traditional wooden dining table with velvet chairs adorned with brass embellishments to create an interesting visual contrast.
In bedrooms make beds an inviting blend of fabrics, silk duvet covers, plush faux fur cushions, and luxurious cashmere throws. Place elaborate chandelier lamps on modern marble effect bedside tables and marvel at the results.
Statement Lighting
Lighting is a powerful tool in any design scheme. For a traditional home with modern influences, consider incorporating statement light fixtures.
Lamp shades are a brilliant way of tying decor together, opt for tones that match your wallpaper or wall art, or go for nude shades if you'd prefer the rest of the room to do the talking.
If you’re lucky enough to have high ceilings, show them off with statement lighting. This doesn’t have to be a classic chandelier, there are so many different unique lighting options available.
Open Floor Plan
If possible, consider opening up the floor plan. Modern design often embraces open, airy spaces that facilitate easy flow and interaction. This also allows for natural light to flood into your home making areas appear brighter and larger.
Wall Art
The bolder and more abstract your art the more transformative it will be. Bold paintings and contemporary sculptures that force people's imaginations to wonder are the ideal way to inject modernity into a traditional space.
Embrace Technology
Smart features can be seamlessly incorporated into any home. Consider installing smart lights, or an entertainment system perfect for hosting guests.
Technology doesn’t need to take over your home. Gone are the days of big bulky TVs and surround sound systems. Now, everything is sleek and designed to be hidden until needed.
Being able to hide away smart features enables you to have a modern home that still looks traditional to the untrained eye.
Greenery and Natural Elements
Bringing the outdoors in is a timeless trend in interior design. You can use houseplants or fresh flowers. Bright fresh flowers in crystal vases are the perfect way of blending modern and traditional elements in dining rooms and kitchens.
If you’re good at keeping plants alive, modern, clean-lined planters can complement the traditional surroundings while giving it a contemporary lift.
If you have allergies you may prefer to opt for floral curtains or cushions to bring the outside in without sending yourself into a sneezing frenzy.
Personal Touches
A house is not a home without personal touches. Your home should reflect you and your family's personality. Include personal mementos from holidays, family heirlooms passed down through generations, or cherished pieces that hold sentimental value.
Styling Every Room In Your Home
Whilst our expertise lies in curtains, we also like to think we know our stuff when it comes to interior design, and hope you’d agree.
We know how hard it can be to decorate a room and get it just right. Let alone renovate your entire home. Especially if you’re looking to blend modern twists into a traditional home.
We’ve put our heads together at The Mill Shop to come up with some design ideas and useful tips on how to revamp every room in your home.
Kitchen:
Your kitchen above all else should be functional. Before delving into designing and decorating your kitchen, think about what you need it to include.
If you have a decent-sized dining room you may be able to save space in your kitchen by opting for a small breakfast bar rather than another table.
If you like to bake and cook you may wish to have plenty of surface space and storage. Once you’ve got the fundamentals in place, then you can start thinking about interior design.
A great way of mixing traditional and modern tastes together is by keeping traditional wooden cabinets and draws but pairing them with fresh light-coloured countertops and walls.
You can inject bolder colours through bright splashbacks and accessories such as tea towels and toasters.
Appliance company Smeg has a great range of traditional-style fridges, toasters, and kettles in modern pastel shades such as pale pink, baby blue, and light sage.
Dining Room:
Dining rooms should be bright and airy. Often you sit in them first thing in the morning to have breakfast and in the evening to eat your tea. These times of the day can often be met with feelings of tiredness.
The last thing you need is a dull room to dampen your spirits. A light and inviting room can help you feel ready for the day ahead.
Fresh, welcoming rooms are more likely to make you want to host guests, great for your social circle and your mental well-being.
Opt for wipe-clean paint and stain-resistant or wipeable flooring in case of any accidental spills. Pick a dining table large enough for your family plus guests.
Adorn walls with photos showcasing fun memories as these are great conversation starters and bound to put you in a cheerful mood.
If you’ve chosen a traditional wood table go modern with fresh white photo frames, whereas a modern table would pair well with traditional detailed wooden frames to blend modernity and traditionalism beautifully.
Living Room:
Living rooms are the perfect place to go all out with your love for traditional style. They should be cosy and relaxing rooms. Designed to allow you and your family to unwind after a long day.
The kitchen is often the hub of the home, full of hustle and bustle. Your living room should be the opposite. Whilst we welcome a games night; day to day your living room should be a sanctuary for respite.
Opt for rich warm tones. Comfy sofas, snuggly throws, and dimmed lighting. A room perfect for drinking hot chocolate and binge-watching your favourite TV shows during cold winter nights.
As we write this, Christmas is just a couple of months away and we’re getting so excited to switch over to our festive throws, light the gingerbread candle, and decorate the tree, that’s what living rooms are all about.
Office:
An office is a practical space. It’s the one room you want to walk into and feel in control. You mean business and this room is going to help you reach all those goals you’ve been manifesting.
An office is also somewhere you want to shut the door on at the end of the day and forget about. That’s why you should think about storage solutions and organisation so you can easily tidy your office each evening.
Keep things simple. The modern minimalist approach works best in home offices. It can be easy to allow your space to become cluttered. Whilst a few personal items are a brilliant way to spark inspiration, too much clutter can get in the way of your mind thinking freely.
Opt for a comfortable office chair, plenty of natural light, wipe clean surfaces, handy storage, and a notice board to keep all your important notes and to-do lists.
Bathroom:
A bathroom should be fresh and clean. You can inject traditionalism with cast-iron radiators, roll-top baths, and gold or brass taps and shower heads.
Allow modernism to seep in with light-coloured walls and white tiles. Add a pop of colour with bright fluffy towels. Opting for a different colour for each member of your household is a great way of differentiating whose towel is whose.
Don’t be afraid to include artwork in your bathroom to liven the space up. A large mirror also works in smaller bathrooms to make the room appear larger.
Main Bedroom:
A bedroom is your sanctuary. It’s a space for you to feel your most comfortable and be your best self. Somewhere to feel safe, whether you share your room or it’s a space just for you.
That’s why when it comes to your bedroom decor there is no right or wrong. No one has to love your bedroom apart from yourself and your partner if they’re sharing with you.
Whilst we love red in a bedroom as it’s deep, traditional, fiery, and encompasses love. If you prefer relaxing blue hues, or modern nudes then go for it.
Make sure you have adequate storage so clothes and shoes can be organised and stored away. Take into consideration if you want a TV or whether you’d use a dressing table.
Find a piece of art or a photo that makes you smile every time you look at it and then style your room around this piece of happiness. Make it a room that embodies your character and personality, that is undoubtedly and unapologetically you.
After a long day when all that you want is a long soak and an early night make sure your bedroom feels like home.
Spare Bedroom:
Whilst your bedroom should be adorned with your personality, your spare bedroom should remain more neutral.
Take into consideration that you may have a range of different guests staying and you can’t cater to everyone's taste. By keeping things neutral and simple, and pairing traditional furniture with modern decor you’ll create a space that’s aesthetically pleasing for everyone.
When styling your spare bedroom it may help to think of classy hotel rooms you’ve had the privilege of visiting in the past. A room that is fresh and clean, as well as warm and inviting is always the best received.
If you’ve got guests visiting it’s always a nice touch to put a basket of toiletries as well as some fresh flowers or a scented candle for those with allergies into the room to ensure you’re the host with the most.Nursery:
Feel free to skip this section if you don’t have a young child and don’t plan on ever needing a nursery in your home. However, we want to ensure this blog is as inclusive as possible so here are our top tips.
Label clothes baskets so you can easily access clothes without searching through piles to find the right size. This makes it easy when it comes to donating too small items and moving up to the next size as well.
Have age-appropriate toys easily accessible for your child to play with whenever they wish. Ensure everything is baby safe, cover plugs, secure bookshelves to the wall, and keep locks on toy boxes that have heavy lids that could trap small fingers.
We recommend choosing a theme that will grow with your child. Children can be fickle and fall out of love with TV shows and characters quickly. Picking a theme that isn’t characterised may make your decor last longer.
Children's rooms are a great space where traditional and modern decor can marry harmoniously. There are so many beautiful traditional children's moral ideas such as old fairgrounds showcasing carousels, or old farm yards with animals in muted colours.
You can also have dark oak furniture with bright bedding and a fun rug. Beams and low windows make stunning features in nurseries. Adorn windows with light voiles and blackout curtains for a cosy feel.
Incorporating modern elements into a traditional home is a delicate dance, but when executed thoughtfully, it can result in a space that feels both timeless and fresh. If you have any further questions on interior design, decor, curtains, and home accessories make sure to contact a friendly member of our team on 01623 445480.
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