Sproost Blog

Madame Et Monsieur, today for your viewing pleasure, we bring to you, Modern Elegance. This is the 6th segment in your design education course. (If you need a recap, click here). Also, remember to take our online quiz to see which style suits you best. Chances are, it’s a combination of a few different styles. As always, we are at your service. (Within reason. Sorry, we’re not available for baby sitting for V-day.)

So, before we get started, ladies go powder your pretty little noses, and you gents might want to grab a cocktail and throw on your very best smoking jacket.

Variety is the spice of life! And nowhere is this truer than in the design of your home. You either love contemporary but wish it wasn’t quite so cold and austere; or perhaps you’ve always been drawn to more traditional rooms but are now at a point in your life where you’d like to pare down a bit or want to create a less cluttered and busy space. And anytime you’re able to take advantage of built-in bookcases, do it.

Modern Elegance is here to marry those apparent contradicting designs. It’s actually the contradictions that make the mix of contemporary and traditional so successful. The result is an elegant room that appeals to young and old alike. This room below is from Apartment Therapy and is worthy of a nice cup of tea.

A sofa with modern lines will blend seamlessly with a pair of traditional chairs. And you can get a little creative with fabrics, too. New fabrics work so well on antique pieces and it’s a fun way to add your own personality. Coco + Kelly have done a nice job with this room here.

The material palette for Modern Elegance is a wonderful mix as well. Wood tones add warmth to the more modern finishes such as metal and glass. The best part about colorful accessories is that you can easily reinvent the space by simply changing the throw pillows to highlight your new favorite color of the month.

It turns out that modern art looks even more exciting above a collection of traditional pieces. The room feels simple and sophisticated, elegant and hip.

If you’d like to add deeper color choosing one accent wall is a nice way to do so. Or add depth by bringing color in at the accessory level.

Fabrics are usually neutral and focus more on texture rather than pattern or color. Because you are mixing two very different styles, simplicity is key. Here, they’ve used a woven jute rug for texture. Very subtle.  I like it, Cote de Texas.

Carpets are often Berber in natural tones, though area rugs can bring in color much like a modern piece of art would. Whites and creams are popular and grays, taupes, and tans are darker versions of neutrals that work very well. The simplicity in the color helps keep the space feeling light, airy and fresh.

Window treatments, when used, are simple in style as well as color and many times you will see natural roman shades or wood blinds used. Personally, there’s something about the glow of the sun coming through a fabric shade that just can’t be topped by plain old plastic or even wood shades.

Satin nickel, chrome and stainless are very popular and can modernize an otherwise traditional space. The chrome fireplace and sconces add that modern touch here.

On the flip side, when the room feels more contemporary, vintage golds and wrought iron will tame and add warmth to the space. This room has neither of those elements but the chandelier adds a modern look to the room.

For color think simple. Remember that you have set out to create an eclectic mix of two styles and the best way to avoid making the room overbearing is to stay subtle on the walls and ceiling. Let the color come out in your accessories and art pieces and you can’t go wrong.