Doing Both

Antique+Modern= Antern?

Last week I was back in Richmond and had the chance to walk around one of my favorite furniture stores, La Diff. As someone who has already inherited some beautiful antique pieces, I have not always been in the market for extremely modern pieces.

I love antiques-- the history, the test of time, the character. But then there is this understated, humble elegance to modern that I have really come to admire.

So lately, I have been wanting to figure out how to add those modern pieces in when the time for new furniture comes. I want to avoid separating room by room, and really figure out a way for the beauty of each piece to work together.

Add in my new obsession, TheSelby.com, and the good news is, I have lots of ideas.

1. Identify where the art of simplifying would shine.

Edward Leida's bathroom. I know that men average something like 5 bathroom items where as women average something in the hundreds...but let's start with TOWELS. Should I, at any given time, need more than 4 towels in my bathroom? Short answer: No. These shelves are so clean lined and amazing, while also so tempting for piling up every towel, wash cloth, and shampoo that I own. But if I could store everything else under the sink...voila. This could work with a lot of modern shelving...but leads in to my next point.

2. Architecture.

The doors in Sarah Cottier and Ashley Barber's home. Incorporating the modern in to architecture is definitely a more committed route (not to mention the costs and inconveniences of remodeling), but what if you could just start with the front door. I have always been a fan of antique, solid front doors...but there is something timeless and stylish here.

Or going back to the bathroom example, start with a door to something even less important? Like...the shower?

Enough for now, more tomorrow.