Inspiration/Guides & advice/How to mix old and new
Guide

How to mix old and new

Inherited pieces, flea-market finds and new furniture in the same room. The palette holds the mix together — not the period.

Sekelskiftesrum med vintagefåtölj, bouclé och svart marmorspis

An inherited cabinet, a flea-market armchair and a new sofa in the same room. The mix is what makes a home personal — but it needs something to hold it together.

The palette creates cohesion, not the period

It matters less that the furniture comes from different eras if the pieces share a colour family. Keep the base tones close and let the shapes differ.

Keep the old pieces in the minority

One or two older pieces in a room read as character. Six can start to read as a museum. Choose the pieces that genuinely mean something.

Give older pieces room around them

An inherited piece squeezed between new furniture disappears. Let it stand free, on its own wall or against a calm background.

Modernise one detail, not the whole piece

New upholstery in a simple fabric, new handles or even just a thorough clean can help an older piece work in a new room — without stripping away its age.

Mix old and new in every room

One room filled with old pieces and another filled with new ones can feel like two different homes. Let each room contain a little of both.

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