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Dear Cristina,
I have some antiques
from my abuelos that
have a lot of
sentimental value. I
want to put them in my
living room with my new
furniture, but I’m not
sure how to get the
antiques and my new
things to look good
together. Can you help
with some ideas that
will make my living-room
furnishings look
eclectic instead of just
mismatched?
—T. Roybal
When a piece has
sentimental value, it
connects directly with
your heart. By taking
the loving care and
attention to display
these pieces well, you
are not only honoring
your ancestors, you are
honoring the heart and
soul of your family.
Making the connection
between your emotional
and spiritual feelings
and the design of your
living space takes more
than good intentions:
You need to get
organized. |
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Everything here
is unified by
color. The
ginger-colored
wall repeats the
warm golds of
the vintage
Heywood-Wakefield
“modern” (1950s)
sideboard and
creates a warm
background for
the Navajo
wedding basket,
rustic antique
Mexican pottery
and books. All
of the items
share similar
earth colors.
The green palm
frond is a
natural accent
color. |
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The
difference between an eclectic
collection of beautiful things
and a chaotic mishmash of stuff
is how you’ve organized it.
Figuring out how to blend
together a variety of styles
into a great look can be a
challenge. Begin by looking at
all of your furnishings and
accessories for similarities
that the new and the antique
share. Ask yourself a few
questions:
What themes are present? See if
you can find common design
themes that the antiques and
your new furnishings share, such
as elegance, simplicity,
spirituality or rusticity.
Can you find common colors
between your new things and the
antiques? What are the overall
colors of the pieces? One of the
easiest ways to unify a variety
of decorative items and
furnishings is with color. If
you have a set of shelves lined
with baskets, painting the wall
behind the shelves a rich,
vibrant accent color that is
present in the baskets, like
terracotta red or gold, will
visually organize a variety of
objects into a fascinating
collection.
Do you have a variety of sizes
and shapes? Group small items,
such as a collection of antique
pottery and household tools,
together to create an attractive
still life. Put a large piece of
furniture in a prominent
location to show it off. A
fabulous antique mirror teamed
with a modern side table in the
entry hall is both practical and
beautiful.
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Group small objects
around a large piece to
create a strong focal
point in a room. The
objects above share the
common theme of having
spiritual and personal
significance. The blue
of the wall repeats the
blues in the large image
of the Madonna.
Retablo of The Maria
Madonna by Cristina
Acosta, wood carving of
the Madonna of the
Forest by Chris Ortiz,
Painted Crucifix by Pam
Brunschweyler. |
Cristina Acosta
Cristina Acosta is a
color consultant, home
décor designer, artist,
the author of Paint
Happy! (Northlight
Books) and a contributor
to a variety of home
décor magazines. See
more of Cristina’s work
at
www.CristinaAcosta.com |
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