Bloody Marys, Antiques and Decorating New Orleans Style
Decorating New Orleans Style
Mixing the Old With the New! This may seem like a funny way to start talking about luxury interior design ideas but it will make sense in a minute!
Well especially during this time of year we all know the meaning of ‘mixing it up’. Recently I tried a bloody Mary from Le Petite Grocery that was so delicious and tasty mainly because it was filled with crabmeat, then headed over to one of my favorite margarita spots.
That was definitely mixing it up New Orleans Style. We’ve all been there, but I’m talking about mixing it up as far as decorating New Orleans Style.
I have a serious passion for the New Orleans Decorating Style possibly because of my family’s long history here… I was once royalty, really, but that's a long story for another time, then during the war we lost it all. Hummm… that explains a lot. Anyway back to luxury interior design!
Here in New Orleans with our fabulous antiques, I love working with clients who are willing to “mix it up”. They are treasuring their time honored, heirloom antiques but are not afraid to add new, contemporary pieces to their space!
Nothing exemplifies our New Orleans Decorating Style like the beauty of walking into an old revival home in the garden district that is filled with charming antiques – some may be family heirlooms, some maybe not so much, combined with new comfortable and cozy upholstered sofas and chairs! The true skill of a designer is evident when that combination is executed just perfectly!
You may see a baroque secretary adorning the same space as a gorgeous new Vanguard Sofa. Blending pieces in seating and maybe new chairs with beautiful drapery in a traditional style or maybe using a very modern window covering gives the home a fresh new outlook. It takes a keen eye, design skill, and some work blending styles and it shouldn't be done lightly and without caution, but it can definitely be done with success.
Vanguard
A favorite tip I will share, which I learned a long time ago, was never to have one room filled with all of the same style or the same types of things – for instance I've had clients who, if left to their own devices, would fill their rooms and even their entire homes with nothing but antiques – everywhere! Loving antiques like I do, I hate to object to their preferences, as they are all beautiful pieces on their own, but in 2016 you don't want to feel like you are living in your great-grandmothers formal sitting room, all day, every day.
Our relaxed style of living involves a lot of relaxing at night and lounging around--- we now sit on our sofas and cuddle in our chairs with our hubby or our kids and love to have an abundance of comfortable seating. We enjoy entertaining our friends to have a Downton Abbey viewing, or throwing a barbeque or to watch the game…comfort is king! Who's going to sit and watch the Saints game on a Baroque style sofa – no one. So I've always enjoyed combining the antiques that I love and that my clients love with newer pieces for function and comfort.
One of my favorite spaces for combining the New Orleans Decorating Style with something new is in your powder room or your master bathroom. It’s such a perfect and beautiful place to be able to marry the old with the new in the New Orleans design style. We have so many claw foot tub's in our homes, and my client’s bathrooms look stunning when a claw foot tub is blended with a luxurious new vanity.
For bathroom storage in a new home, I love using a new soaking tub and adding an antique secretary or cabinet as storage in your bathroom. Nothing says classic beauty more than that.
Another favorite tip is to avoid matchy-matchy anything! This is not stylish and a huge interior design faux pas. What I mean here is you don't want the same exact sofa or two with matching chairs and the same exact case good piece like the media stand, the matching coffee table and matching end tables, that you saw at the showroom.
Seek out your favorite interior designer, hint, hint, and they will create a wonderful blend of your newly acquired sectional with a great antique media cabinet.
When you're mixing styles it's always best to keep in mind your contrast. If you use contrasting pieces and elements your mixing of styles will work. Mixing hard surfaces with soft surfaces of different styles and mixing square items and pieces with round items and pieces always add interest to any room.
Another tip with mixing the old with the new is placing opposites in a room. Possibly a soft feminine chair and sofa along with a very rustic chandelier. Remember the old saying; “opposites attract”. Well the same holds true in design.
Many New Orleanians seem to have possession of antiques combined with a vintage piece of furniture here and there. Vintage furniture combined with antiques and a modern piece of furniture carefully curated is always something that I love doing as well and it's very pretty. Vintage pieces are easy to find at a state sales and thrift sales and flea market and can be easily repurposed into a beautiful long-lasting piece of furniture that you will love for years to come. It would be nice mixing a vintage stereo cabinet with a modern piece of upholstered seating sofa or sectional.
All of these combinations create a UNIQUE and ‘statement’ space in your home that your friends and neighbors will envy!
If you like the idea of marrying your antiques with new pieces, give us a call and we can design the perfect home for you.
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Have A BEAUTIFULLY Designed Day!
KHB Interiors