Decor Arts Now

By Lynn Byrne. Polka dots can be contemporary.

Photo via eroomservice.com

Polka dots can be elegant.

Photo by Mark Bolton

Polka dots can be playful.  

Photo via Home Interior Design Themes; Aga designed by Emma Bridgewater

Polka dots can be fashionable!

Photo via Hola Design

At Christian Lacroix’s fashion house.

Photo via World of Interiors

Polka dots can be fantastical!

Photo via This is Glamorous blog

And they sure can be persistent!

How about this mid-century house first published in Life.

Photos via Design Wonderland

But it is certainly not the first house to feature polka dots (ok, ok maybe it is the first to feature them on the outside ).

Josef Hoffmann, the noted Wiener Werkstatte designer in the early 1900′s, loved polka dots also.  Here is a shot of the Neue Gallery entrance for an exhibition of his interiors.

Photo via MetropolisMag.com

And then there is the polka dot grand daddy of them all.  How about this room in the Peter Wentz farmhouse in Worcester, PA.  It is open to the public.  That bold graphic wall treatment was in place in the mid 1700s!

Are you dotty yet?

Photograph of the Peter Wentz farmhouse from American View by Waites, Martin and Skurka.  Unless otherwise identified, all other photos are linked to their sources.

By Lynn Byrne. Few want a period interior these days.  Eclectic is the mantra.  I love the juxtaposition of the modern staircase and antique table, textural basket and rustic blue picture frames in the above photo.

But how to mix different periods of furniture and architecture with flair?  In part, the old adage, “if you love it, it will work together” does hold true, but there are a few other tricks that can help you master the mix. Looking at a lot of pictures helps.  So does sticking to a primarily white palette, as seen above and in these  following photos.  White walls make the patina of antique furniture really pop.  Natural textures thrown in with modern furniture also work well (like the basket above and the cowhide rug and straw purse in the photos below).

Photographs by Catherine Gratwicke  for BBC Homes and Antiques

White walls also can be the perfect foil for bold pattern in art and fabrics.  I think the Victorian chair in the next photo looks super hip against the brightly colored art work.

Photograph by Michael Graydon for Canadian House and Home

And don’t forget the power of black.  In this next photo, the built-in hutch is original to the 100+ year old house.  Its black paint and hardware hide its uneven drawers and bring it into this century.  I adore the antique twig chandelier hanging above the Saarinen table and McGuire chairs.  The basket weave texture on the chairs go a long way towards marrying the modern dining set with the old, rustic chandelier.

Photography by Stacey Brandford for Canadian House and Home

It also pays to be mindful of form.  Notice how many round elements are in this next photo.  There is the antique round drop leaf table, the contemporary round artwork, plates in the hutch and interesting circles on the mantel, all in addition to the round features of the modern chandelier.

Finally, it almost always works when you mix the classics, whether they be on the old side or rather new.  This happens to be one of my personal favorite tricks.  Here, the Scandinavian chandelier is in an iconic contemporary style and for that reason pairs well with the classic form found in the  chairs and brass candlesticks and the neoclassical motifs in the fireplace.  The natural texture found in the rug also helps to tie things together.

Photograph from The English Home

Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve that help you master the mix?