If you live in a traditional home, or have traditional furniture, you may wish to update your style to give it a more contemporary or modern look without having to completely start over.
Here are a few ways to update a traditional home to give it a more modern feel without a complete remodel.
Research
Before any redecorating, you should have a plan.
Save photos of rooms that you love (Pinterest is a favorite way to save photos).
Let this image be your muse to redecorating your traditional room into a more modern style.
You might want to tackle a major decor change immediately, or you might want to do it a little bit at a time.
Remove Everything
The easiest way to modernize your traditional home, if want a quick refresh right now, is to remove everything and bring one item at a time back into the room thoughtfully.
Before bringing the item back into your room, make sure to think about whether to keep it or give it away.
Ask yourself several questions......
1) Is the item a high quality piece that looks like it was made by a craftsman or is it a lower quality mass produced piece that looks like a cheaper/smaller version of the item that you really wanted to buy but was too expensive?
2) Did you buy this item at a local big box store who sold hundreds or thousands of others that are identical or is it a more unique piece?
3) Does the wear and tear on this item look like charming distressing with tiny imperfections that happened over many years or does it have ugly damage that was caused by a single event (such as the dog chewing on the leg of the chair when stressed one night).
4) Is it a trendy piece that you have had for more than 5 years (trends typically only last 5 years and most people don't start incorporating a trend until year 2 or 3)?
5) Does it have sentimental value?
6) Most importantly, does it make you happy when you see it?
If you have decided to keep your item, place it in your room then analyze whether it is a great addition or if it clutters the room. It might work better in another room or it might work better in someone else's home.
Less is often more when it comes to modern design.
Do not have to put items on top of your kitchen cabinets or bookcase unless you need that area for storage.
Remember that you do not need accessories on every horizontal surface and fake plants/ivy/flowers are unnecessary.
Remove the Frill
If you have frilly things, such as tassels on your pillows, consider removing them and replacing with more streamlined items to modernize your home.
Don't be afraid to take out your scissors and cut the tassels off!
Also consider removing extra decorative elements off of your light fixtures.
You can also reframe art that has an ornate frame with a more simple frame.
Sometimes just removing some of your accessories will create a more minimalistic modern style that looks more up-to-date.
Break Up Furniture Sets
Furniture sets are very traditional and most interior designers would never design a room with a furniture set.
Identical pieces can match, such as nightstands or dining chairs, however other pieces should look collected and not look like they were purchased for one low price from the discount furniture store down the street.
Consider breaking up your furniture sets by taking a few pieces from one room and swapping them with a few pieces in another room.
Another option is to paint a few pieces a fun accent color.
Mismatched but coordinating furniture is much more modern.
Color
One of the most dramatic ways to modernize a traditional space is to change the color of the room and the items in the room.
Get rid of the basic builder beige and select bold colors instead.
You can even paint everything white for a clean aesthetic.
Add a splash of black and white for contrast.
Consider using a bold pop of color to liven up the place.
Color drenching is a popular way of decorating where the walls and trim (baseboards, crown molding, door/window trim, etc) are painted the same color. Eventhough they are the same color, the walls are often painted in a flat finish and the trim is often painted in an eggshell or semigloss finish.
Paint Items
Painting home decor is a very easy and quick way to give it a modern and unique look.
Make sure to select a color that complements your room's color scheme and is more sophisticated than the basic primary colors of red, yellow, and blue.
Opt for more unique and complex colors like emerald green, navy, plum, turquoise, lavender, and hot pink.
Black or white is also a good choice, as well as a metallic color.
You can even paint your lesser quality or damaged wood furniture for a more modern feel.
Black and white are popular choices, or you can paint it a fun bold color.
Metallic colored paint can add a fun modern touch to traditional furniture.
Also consider changing out the hardware on your furniture for something more artistic, vintage, unique, or handmade looking.
Printed Fabrics
If you would like more modern fabrics, you can trade out traditional floral and plaid or tartan fabrics with solids and bold graphic prints instead.
If using solid colored fabrics, select ones with texture for interest.
New Light Fixtures
Light fixtures are like jewelry for a room.
Basic light fixtures are boring. You might want boring light fixtures in some parts of your home, but other parts could benefit from having a focal point light fixture.
Also consider new light fixtures if your current ones were installed by the builder of your home who put the exact same light fixtures in everyone's home in your neighborhood.
If your light fixtures are a good shape but are a bit boring, consider spray painting them for a unique and modern look. Painting them a neutral or metallic color is nice, but spray painting them a bold color is extra unique and interesting.
If you only have one light fixture in the center of your room, consider adding more for interest. This includes table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces, uplighting, and art lights.
New Artwork
If your budget allows, replace your traditional artwork that has ornate frames with more modern artwork with simple frames.
You can even paint on top of your existing inexpensive artwork very easily with a bold modern abstract design.
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