Mixing antique furniture with a modern interior

The usual objection to old furniture is that it will not suit a modern flat. What actually clashes is not the age but a decision made halfway: a room where everything is nearly the same, and one old thing standing to the side like a mistake. The simplest fix is to decide on the proportion.

One strong piece, not five small ones

A single expressive antique works best in one room: a chest of drawers, a display cabinet, a bureau or a mirror. It becomes the thing you look at, and everything else can stay plain. Five small old objects in different styles read as clutter; one large one reads as intent.

Connect through colour, not through period

Do not hunt for furniture from one century. Look for a shared tone instead. If the flat has warm oak floors, a dark walnut chest sits better than a white lacquered one. If the room is cool and grey, paler wood or a painted surface works better. One repeated colour - a wood tone, a metal fitting, a fabric shade - ties a room together more effectively than any style.

Leave air around it

• Do not wedge an antique tightly between two modern pieces; it will look trapped.
• An empty wall above a chest works better than a full shelving unit beside it.
• In a small room choose a piece on legs rather than one that meets the floor - visible floor beneath makes the room feel larger.

Mix deliberately, not halfway

A clear contrast looks best: a very plain modern sofa with a distinctly old wooden side table next to it. What looks awkward is 'almost old' against 'almost new' - a nineties piece beside a two-thousands piece, for instance. If you are going to choose the old thing, let it be properly old.

What to change and what to leave

Two small changes are often enough to make an old piece fit: swap the handles and strip a yellowed finish. Handles are the fastest way to bring furniture closer to the present, and they can always go back on. Leave the shape, the proportions and the timber alone - those are exactly the value you cannot buy in new furniture.

A practical check before buying

• Measure the space, and measure your doorways and stairwell too.
• Think about what will go inside - a handsome cabinet with nothing in it stays empty.
• Consider the height: old chests are often lower than modern ones, which changes how they sit next to a sofa.

If you are unsure, send us a photo of the room. It is often easier to say what will work once we can see the space.