If you want a home that truly stands out you need to achieve the ideal balance. Fortunately for you, it is easily done through a pretty affordable and easily accessible tool, paint. The power of color within your home cannot be overlooked. It is the easiest way to connect two seemingly opposite styles without replacing all your furniture or remodelling.
If you address this with the right approach, the color and the finishing can soften the rough edges of your home. It can also highlight the existing character of a room and pull together the entire look.
Here are five creative ways you can use paints to bring modern and classical designs together;
The Power of Neutrals
There is balance in the very definition of neutrals. They are in fact the easiest and safest options to utilize. They act like a canvas against which you can place furniture and accents without worrying about the color taking over the look and feel of the place.
Go for soft whites and warm creams if you love classic design. These have been staples for a long time. Remember that you can also use a combination of colors to achieve the blend you want. Imagine pairing up the whites with grays and off-blacks (signs of modern interior). This combination will uplift the look and feel of the room.
If you are looking to remodel a living room with heavy wood furniture, instead of investing in drastic changes, consider painting the walls a light, neutral gray. It is instantly going to freshen up the space. On the other hand, if you have a crisp white wall you can place an angular, modern sofa in front of it to soften the minimalism. That’s going to make the place look much more inviting.
Trim, Moldings, and Millwork
If your home has certain classical features that can’t be overlooked, such as crown moldings, wainscoting, or paneled doors, paint is the best way to highlight these characteristics or to make them disappear in the background.
Certain homeowners might feel intimidated by these classical features and like a modern look. That’s definitely something you can achieve through colors. For instance, painting the walls and trim in the same shade can modernize the classical details instead of completely erasing them.
If you want to embrace this vintage craftsmanship you can choose a contrasting trim color, like white walls with dark charcoal moldings. This puts together classical design and modern dramatic elements creating an absolutely masterpiece.
Accent Walls or Unexpected Colors
Accent walls allow you to experiment even more boldly with the layout of the room. You can add bold shades and keep the furniture neutral, giving minimalist spaces a whole new energy.
Close your eyes and picture this: a dining room with traditional wainscoting that has been painted in a crisp white, contrasted against a deep emerald accent wall above. The rich, green color feels virtually timeless and the contrast packs a modern punch. Conversely, you can put up a burgundy or navy wall up in a modern loft and achieve both warmth and tradition.
Accent walls can be a solid choice not just for their color but also their placement. You can lean on professional painters for advice and add these in interesting spaces like behind a fireplace, a bed, or around a dining table.
Time for the Finish
Color isn’t the only winner here. The finish matters just as much and goes a long way into making a room feel both modern and classy. Glossy surfaces are often associated with formality and grandeur while a matte finish is a modern choice. Let’s bring those two together.
Contrasts aren’t always bad. Matte walls paired with glossy trims, yet again, achieve that middle ground between the modern world and classy old traditions.
If you paint a paneled door in a satin finish against flat walls you achieve a layered effect that is luxurious in its own regard, without being overwhelming. That is exactly what we are talking about. A finish like this bridges the gap between old-fashioned design and a contemporary touch. It creates depth through the contrast.
These sorts of finishes also affect how light plays out in a room. Gloss bounces light and adds energy. Matte paint is going to absorb it, creating intimacy. If you combine both you shape the mood perfectly!
Going Beyond the Walls
Bring together modern and classical styles by all means, but ensure that it also extends beyond the four walls of the interior. Surfaces like the ceiling, doors, and even your roofing are opportunities to extend that paint palette and bring together the entire aesthetic.
Let’s start with the ceiling. You want your guests to look up and see something that surprises them. This could be a soft blue ceiling that they would relate to historic architecture or a deeper charcoal that is a modern touch. Just make sure the rest of the room contrasts against it for the additional element of surprise.
Doors are another underrated canvas. You can choose to paint the doors of the interior in glossy black or a deep navy. This looks timeless!
You might not have thought of this but you can also get the help of residential roofers and transform that home. A roof isn’t just functional, although that is mostly what it is used for. But you can also play around with its color and finish. You take a slate-gray or matte black roof and then add a coat of white to the siding. Voila! You have a story!
Final Thoughts
It isn’t difficult to blend modern and classic styles. But doing it in a way that doesn’t take away from the beauty of the home requires skill and experience. You can either take that task upon yourself or hire an expert painting contractor to do it for you. Just ensure you speak with them in advance and ask them if they can achieve your vision.
In the end, paint is a lot more than color on the wall. You can use it to tell stories and each brushstroke can be used to create a contrast your guests wouldn’t have ever dreamed of. If that’s what you want to achieve, give it a try!
