Traditional design is well-known and pretty popular, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add a bit of modern air to it. While some may argue that modern and traditional design are mutually exclusive, others know better. By simply carefully picking furniture, colour palette and the materials you use in your house, you can give your boring old home a new life and make it look more inviting and contemporary. We give you a few easy tips to modernize your traditional home.
Integrated appliances
Kitchens are usually rooms with the most outdated designs and they full of ancient furniture and appliances alike. To modernize your kitchen, you can simply ‘hide’ your appliances in unexpected places such as cabinetry.
Choosing to have integrated appliances means you’ll have more space and that your surfaces will be better used. Your dishwasher and fridge won’t be visible so it doesn’t matter what design and colour they are in the first place.
Updated cabinetry
Your kitchen and bathroom will look completely different if only you decide to update your boring old cabinetry. Handle pulls are the first thing that gets worn out on cabinets, and they are often outdated and overlooked, so why not give them a new life and replace them with something modern? Choose a contemporary finish such as shiny stainless or even brushed nickel, but even aged copper and good old bronze will look good. If your kitchen and bathroom are more traditional and country-style, you can update them with a few stainless knobs, but you can also pick vintage-style knobs which will look great in a modern room.
Gorgeous dressed windows
An incredibly easy way to decorate your home without spending a fortune is by dressing your windows. Bare windows are boring, and a simple trick such as picking new, stylish curtain panels to frame your windows will add a nice touch to your home’s décor. Geometric curtain panels will look bold and draw everyone’s attention, while those who enjoy a more delicate design will do well to pick gauzy white sheers or even some minimalist bamboo shades.
Energy efficient home
One thing that old homes couldn’t possibly have and you have now is the opportunity to save energy and money by using energy-efficient appliances and environmentally-friendly materials. Majority of modern homes are already equipped with solar panels and water filters which allows them to save money on electricity and water in the long run, even if it means spending a bit more to have them installed in the first place. You can also replace your old incandescent bulbs with LED ones – not only are LED lights more energy-efficient and last longer, but they also have no toxic elements and give off more light in the first place.
Outstanding minimalist bedroom
Modern usually means minimalistic – those Spartan rooms with few useful furniture pieces look more spacious and inviting than those old Victorian ones stuffed with trinkets and furniture. The bedroom is for sleeping and relaxing, which means that you only need a few crucial pieces in it – a good bed and a spacious closet. When you choose to have only the basics, you can spend a bit more and get high-quality pieces too: organic cotton bed sheets, memory foam mattress, as well as a few bamboo pillows. Start by taking the furniture out of your room and bring back one piece at the time to see what you really need, and keep in mind the old saying: “less is more”.
Lavish new lighting
Modern homes are full of natural light because technology improvements have allowed us to have bigger and better windows and skylights. When a room is poorly lit, not only does it look dark, but it also feels cramped and smaller than it actually is. Brighten up your home by allowing more natural light in, but also by upgrading your old lighting. Lamps are a great solution because they fit in well in every room, whether you decide to put them on tables or the floor. If you’re feeling adventurous you can actually replace your old ceiling fixtures with pendant lighting or modern chandeliers.
Traditional design has been so popular and prominent these past couple of decades that people have a hard time adjusting to a more modern décor. On the other hand, once you give this clutter-free and carefully edited modern design a chance, you will most certainly fall in love with it and wonder how you managed to live without it for so long. Forget about tradition for a while and give modern simplicity a chance to sweep you off your feet.
About the author: Chloe is an interior design consultant from Adelaide and a regular contributor to Smooth Decorator. She loves everything related to decor, aesthetic and lifestyle topics. She is also passionate about photography. Her biggest dream is to travel the whole world and take some stunning photographs of beautiful places. Beside all this, she enjoys drinking coffee and reading a beautiful book from time to time. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter.