Incorporating history into your modern home

[AD] Recently, more and more people are purchasing new homes with a modern look. While these places offer plenty of benefits, they can pose a challenge when incorporating a historical feel into their living space. With limited architectural features, adding vintage or traditional elements to your home can seem daunting, if not impossible. However, various creative ways exist to blend the past with the present. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the best ways to incorporate history into a modern home and strike a balance between old and new.

_{[Photo by Tomoko Deguchi on Unsplash]}

How To Incorporate History in a Modern Home

1. Hang real paintings

Before using machinery-manufactured prints, people made art by hand, and the brush strokes could be visible on the final product. When handmade, art can have a human touch that is unachievable through a machine, and displaying these paintings can help give your space an older feel.

You can choose from various paintings to add history to your home whilst keeping with your chosen style. For some, historical landscape paintings are superb decorations for your wall, whilst others prefer portraits to bring character to the room. Find the ideal paintings for your home to capture your personality and add charm to your living space.

2. Purchase historical furniture from different eras

Whilst purchasing all your furniture from a specific period can seem like a good idea, it can make your space seem more forced. An older home doesn’t just contain pieces from that era, but it also houses items from previous generations, which can make the room feel more timeless.

If you want antique furniture in your home, ensure it fits the space. Some pieces are more suited to larger areas with high ceilings, so find the furniture that works with your room best and balance it with the house’s modern architecture.

3. Display Antique Objects

Furniture isn’t the only thing you can add to a room to incorporate an older feel. Antique objects are a great way to combine the established with the new.

Whether large or small, adding antiques to a room can bring personality to a modern setting. If you don’t have any antiques, look at flea markets and antique shops to find what takes your fancy and encompasses your tastes.

4. Embrace vintage pottery

You don’t need to keep your pottery in a cupboard. Finding creative ways to display your pottery can help give your home a sense of character and history.

Ming Dynasty porcelain was owned by European aristocrats when exported along the silk route into Europe. Now, it’s used in modern homes to inject a historical sense into contemporary rooms. 

Other types of pottery can also bring life to your living space. For example, you can organise ceramic plates into a wall display and find designs to reflect your family heritage and past.

5. Use reclaimed materials

If you want to make your home appear older, reclaimed materials can reduce that new feel. For example, salvaged wood can work as accents, shelving, or any way that fits your home.

You don’t need to go overboard with these materials. Use them in a way that suits the room and adds charm to the space.

6. Replace modern hardware

Many alternatives can replace modern hardware, bringing character and history to your home. More historical pieces can be more ornate, so finding doorknobs and other more detailed hardware can offer a more timeless element to a room.

Make sure any hardware you introduce into your home fits the style you want to achieve to ensure they don’t appear out of place.

7. Add trim work to walls and ceilings

Modern architecture tends not to have trim work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add it yourself.

Incorporating these details into your home doesn’t have to be expensive, depending on the look you’re trying to gain, and there are various types you can include, such as coffered ceilings and crown moulding. These additions can bring that extra character to your home and charm to the room.

Modern housing doesn’t mean you must live without that historic sentiment you crave. By incorporating these additions into your home, you can create a place that combines antique timelessness with modern style, creating a living space that is uniquely yours.