Are you aware of the fragrance you feel upon entering an antique shop ? It tastes of luxury and elegance, of fragrant wood and yellowed paper. To anyone who enters it, it happens to linger for a while in front of an object that refreshes distant memories and images that for a long time were not in our thoughts.
And then, there are those articles that talk about old trades and antiquated scenes of everyday life. They are the ones who tell of how people lived and what they did a long time ago. Curiosity and nostalgia convince us to place an antique piece of furniture in our house. We fall in love with an antique piece of furniture to the point of wanting it at all costs, without worrying about whether or not it can be comfortable with the rest of the house.
Actually, often a piece of antiquity can be challenging to match , perhaps due to the color of the wood finish, the excessive size or the obsolete shapes. Modifying it in favor of the style of the house is possible, but risky and in many cases not recommended: it could lose the most precious and enchanting characteristics.
There is a universal and infallible solution to furnish with antique furniture without weighing down an environment and it is: combine them with the black and white ! Black and white, shadow and light, positive and negative. A contrast between the two non-colors that smacks of innovation.
Designers and architects from all over the world have always chosen this combination to derive a double advantage: the environment is refreshed and the antique is not penalized but rather highlighted. At the same time, the salt and pepper effect improves the aesthetics of the space, in this way:
- Visually attaches: the gaze does not settle on a single dominant element; on the contrary, the absence of color allows it to move freely in the space, fully capturing its architecture and home decòr.
- It translates into exclusivity : the black and white is always in vogue because it is a game of light and dark with great effect and easy to make. It is very refined and sophisticated as long as it is accompanied by good taste and the right sense of proportion.
Combine an antique piece of furniture with black and white: practical tips
- Do you own an antique table ? Combine white chairs and black chairs or choose a flat weave rug with a black and white pattern to place under the dining area.
- If it is a sideboard, a chest of drawers or another half-height piece of furniture, surround it with a small art gallery in black and white. Color the back wall white and choose black frames for the paintings. You can display black and white prints, illustrations or photos.
- Is your furniture very large? Whether it’s a sideboard , a bookcase or an entire wall, you can lighten its majesty by covering the inside of the furniture with a removable paper or fabric, obviously with a black and white pattern.
- If you are lucky enough to own an antique sofa , you can evaluate the hypothesis of re-covering it with a black and white fabric . Alternatively, decorate it using salt and pepper pillows.
