| p>It almost seems cliché these days to say | | | | different design elements is to play with scale. A |
| that "Men are from Mars and Women are from | | | | damask fabric is very traditional, but done in an |
| Venus" but trust me; I see it nearly everyday when I'm | | | | over-sized scale it becomes much more modern. So, |
| working with couples as they strive to come to a | | | | you have a traditional room that you're trying to make |
| consensus on how they want their home to look. | | | | more modern, pick a traditional motif and increase the |
| Inevitably, one of the two loves a very traditional look | | | | scale. I've been seeing this all over in the area rugs I've |
| and the other a very contemporary. Or one likes | | | | been choosing for my website Traditional patterns, |
| French Country and the other Danish Modern. Design | | | | large scale = very popular and simple design choice. |
| dilemmas like this seem overwhelming to my clients, | | | | The next easiest way to work with these two odd |
| but to me they are the day to day and the part of my | | | | fellows is with color. To make a traditional room seem |
| job that is the most fun. | | | | more modern, try going mono-chromatic. Leave the |
| Fun, you say?? Oh yes, very fun. I really enjoy taking | | | | traditional furniture and architecture, but use all white, |
| two competing views, two opposites and making them | | | | grey or taupe for the upholstery, walls, or area rugs. |
| both work and ending up with two happy and satisfied | | | | When you do something like this you tone down the |
| clients. Marriage counseling and interior design, who | | | | traditional feel of the "bones" and while not making the |
| knew the two, went together so well? | | | | whole room feel stark or sterile. |
| I thought I'd share a few of the ideas I've come up with | | | | A third way to bring things together is the use of a |
| over the years in hopes that you can do your own | | | | unique piece that juxtaposes the two styles. Traditional |
| marriage counseling and make some of your own | | | | room? Add a very modern rug as the one stand out |
| interior design decisions. I'll start with one of my most | | | | piece in the room. Modern room? Add a traditional |
| frequently heard dilemmas, traditional vs. modern. | | | | occasional piece to bring flair. Now, don't go over |
| To begin with, you need to work with the bones of | | | | board with this technique; you should only use one or |
| your room. The architectural features and your | | | | at the most two unique pieces in a room otherwise |
| furniture; these will help set the basic design theme for | | | | you start to get a look that's jumbled and not put |
| your room. If you have traditional features and furniture, | | | | together. But this is an easy way to bring two very |
| your bones are essentially traditional and this is your | | | | different personalities into a room and still make it flow. |
| jumping off point. Now, if you both like traditional, your | | | | Okay, now you have three simple ways to take |
| task is easy, fill in around these bones with fabrics, | | | | traditional and make it more modern, or as I like to say, |
| accessories, area rugs and the like and you're done. | | | | "save a relationship" - Obviously, there are many more |
| But, if you're modern and he's traditional, here is where | | | | ways and styles that you can combine, but this should |
| the fun begins. You need to start combining elements | | | | give you a taste for what is possible and even more |
| that pull these two seemingly disparate thoughts | | | | importantly that it isn't all that hard to accomplish your |
| together. | | | | design goals. |
| One of the easiest ways to combine two very | | | | |