We – as humans, designers, artists, lovers, people – will always compare the present to the past. For one, we do that because the past is all we have to go on. The past and the present are both real, that’s why we compare them – we cannot compare to a future which does not exist! Let’s look at your decorating style and decide are you more modern or traditional?
Past vs. Present
Regarding decorating style, this is important. Past and present can be found in design philosophy world-wide. Of course, you’ll get your interpretations of the future in your futurism, or even in your art-deco, but mainly we are either going to think about the here and now, or what’s come before. We can’t go on much else when it comes to interior decorating style.
When we think of the living room, we think of all the conventions that have come previously. We think of the things and items that define a living room – the couch, the coffee table and all sorts of other high quality living room furniture. We already know the items that are going to take pride of place in it, but we don’t know how exactly it is going to look. That’s why we use a design philosophy consciously or subconsciously to make it look great. Today we’ll group a lot of design into two brackets – traditional or modern – and see what you can bring into the living room to make it pop via the design trends that focus on these areas!
Brick
Firstly, what about exposed brick? It’s something that crosses both design ideas – it can be at once both modern and contemporary. For argument’s sake, we’ll say that an exposed brick wall is ‘rustic.’ It takes a lot to open up a room like that, and it might be a shock, but natural untreated walls look great and don’t require much upkeep or work on your part. Exposed brickwork can offer a real unique look to your living room that straddles modern design with traditional sensibilities.
You might not want exposed brick though – you might want those walls covered and what better way to do so than look to the past and bring vintage coverings into your living room! We don’t want tacky panels and overly-vibrant designs; we’re looking for sophistication here. See if you can cover your wall with delicate background designs in a vintage style. If you want to have a real traditional feel – why not plaster some old school maps to the walls?
Modern
A lot of modernism is emerging in furniture design. For one, furniture is becoming productive, multi-functional and efficient. Speakers are being built into coffee tables and couches, televisions sets are compatible with stands. There’s a lot to take in here. What’s more modern furniture is compact and reserved to complement a minimalist style – you can have a big couch, but it won’t be as ‘in the way’ as you’d think if you’re sticking to modern design.
Will you harken back to old-school designs, or will you bring the attitudes of the present into your living room? Either way is a great choice and CT interior designer, All About Interiors can help you achieve whatever look you are going for!
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