Florida apartment decorated by Vicente Wolf. Photo by Björn Wallander.
One of my favorite approaches to decorating a room is mixing classic and modern design elements. Modern paintings, or perhaps a gleaming Claude Lalanne chair, in a predominantly traditional room adds verve and prevents the room from becoming staid. Conversely, a predominantly contemporary, or even modern, space is heightened by an occasional classic flourish – a bust on a pedestal, a tabletop tableau, or perhaps an antique carved chair as sculpture. Their visual success lies in not only the selection of items, but in their strategic placement and final editing. The results should produce a feeling of heightened sensory delight and rooms that will look as relevant tomorrow as they do today. David Hicks was one of the first, along with Billy Baldwin, to mix classic, traditional furniture with modern art, pull-up tables, chairs, lighting and accessories. In the right hands the look proves opposites attract. Add some vitality and personality to your rooms today. It’s all in the mix – Here is how the masters do it!
A vignette decorated by David Hicks.
A showhouse dining room designed by Haynes-Roberts.
A Manhattan living room designed by Sills-Huniford. Photo by Thibault Jeanson.
A living room vignette designed by Sills-Huniford. Photo by Mary E. Nichols.
Jean-Louis Deniot’s Paris apartment. Photo by Simon Upton.
A Paris townhouse designed by Jean-Louis Deniot.
A Berlin residence designed by Michel Bonan. Photo by Massimo Listri.
A Manhattan dining room designed by Jacques Grange. Photo by François Halard,
A living room designed by Jed Johnson. Photo by François Halard.
A living room designed by Markham-Roberts.
A living room vignette designed by Eric Cohler. Photo by Jeff McNamara.
Steven Gambrel’s Sag Harbor home. Photo by William Waldron.
A Manhattan living room designed by Randall Ridless. Photo by Simon Upton.
A living room designed by Arthur Smith, from the July, 1989, issue of Architectural Digest.
A London dining room designed by Steven Volpe. Photo by Simon Upton.
A 1920’s townhouse decorated by Andrew Flesher.
An apartment decorated by Andrew Flesher; via Metropolitan Home.
Love every single room! I have been imagining a post called Art and the Interior, which would highlight the mix of modern art in classically inspired interiors so you beat me to it! In fact some of my favorites were ones that you have featured. Gorgeous post as always Christopher.
Michael
Thank you Michael! I could say the same for so many of your posts (your gorgeous “Vignettes” comes to mind)! I think you should go forward with your post Art and the Interior. There’s rooms for all of us, and I look forward to seeing more of what we both, apparently, love!
CW