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Modern Interiors With Modern Vintage And Antique Area Rugs

Vintage and Antique Area Rugs Add Sophistication to Sleek Modern Interior Designs

Can you create a modern interior design with antique rugs?

Of course! You can absolutely create a magnificent modern interior design look in a room that has magnificent antique rugs! In fact, incorporating antique rugs into a modern interior can add character, depth, warmth and an unexpected juxtaposition to your space.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when designing a modern interior design space with vintage and antique rugs:

  • Use neutral colors: Choosing rugs with a neutral color palettes can make it easy to find antique and vintage rugs that will complement your sleek modern furnishings.
  • Keep it simple: Use the older rug as the focal point in your space and keep the other elements of your decor simple and understated. This will allow the rug to shine and add character to the room without overwhelming it. Alternatively, you can take the exact opposite approach to create a facinating modern interior as well.
  • Layer the area rugs: Consider layering the older rug on-top of a more modern neutral rug or carpet to add texture and depth to your space.
  • Mix textures: Mix and match different textures in your space to add interest and depth. For example, you might pair an intricate more traditional designed older Oriental rug, even a more weathered one, with a sleek modern leather sofa or a modern glass coffee table.
  • Don’t be afraid to embrace contrast in your space. Mixing older and newer elements can create a visually striking juxtaposition and interesting look.
Modern Interior Design With Antique Area Rugs - By Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Interior Design With Antique Area Rugs

Incorporating older looking area rugs into a sleek modern interior design requires balance and attention to detail. By using more neutral colors, layering rugs, mixing textures, and embracing contrast, you can create a real modern decor that is offset by the warmth and character of older area rugs.

Lets explore how to incorporate antique and oriental rugs in modern interiors

You may think that beautiful antique rugs have no place in modern interior design. Maybe you found the perfect rug online that you simply fell in love with, but you are afraid that it may not have a place in your contemporary room. The good news is that there are no rules that say all of the furniture in your home must be from the same time period. Now, there are many opportunities to incorporate decorative rugs and older pieces for the sake of interest and to help break up the clean lines of modern interior designs and create warmth in the room.

Can you mix modern and vintage rugs in the same space?

The simple answer is – of course you can mix modern area rugs with vintage rugs and even antique rugs. The truth of the matter is that when done right, mixing different types of area rugs and other area rugs from different eras can create visual interest and a unique eclectic look in your home.

Layered Rug Look Interior Design - Mixing Antique Rugs With Modern Rugs by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Layered Rug Look Interior Design – Mixing Antique Rugs With Modern Rugs

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when mixing modern and vintage rugs:

  • Look for area rug styles that have complementary colors and do not try to match them too much. This will help tie the different rugs together in the room and create a cohesive look.
  • Pay attention to rug patterns and designs: Mix patterns carefully so they don’t clash with each other. If one rug has a bold geometric pattern, you might want to pair it with a more subdued rug that has a simpler pattern. That weas the rugs will not compete for attention with each other and in the space.
  • Vary the textures of the rugs: Mix rugs with different textures to add depth and interest. For example, you might pair a plush, vintage shag rug with a sleek, modern flatweave rug to create more interest.
  • Consider the scale and size: Mix different rug sizes with different design scales carefully. For example, if you have a large size antique rug with large scale design, you might want to off set it with a smaller size rug that has a subtler pattern to balance out the room.

Overall, the key is to have fun with different combinations of modern, antique and vintage rugs. You should keep an open mind and experiment until you find that magical combination that just feels right and creates a more cohesive and visually appealing look that you want.

Can more traditional Oriental rugs go with modern furniture designs?

Yes, Oriental rugs can definitely go with modern and even mid century modern furniture! In fact, mixing more traditional area rugs with sleek modern furniture designs can create an interesting juxtaposition and a visually appealing contrast in your space.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when pairing Oriental rugs with more modern furniture designs:

  • Consider the colors: Look for an Oriental rug with colors that complement and play off the colors in your modern furniture. For example, if you have a neutral-colored sofa, a bold, colorful Oriental rug that also has similar neutral-colored secondary colors can create quite the striking combination.
  • Pay attention to patterns: Choose an Oriental rug with a pattern that complements or that completely contrasts the lines and shapes in your modern furniture.
    • The contrasty look: If you have a modern sofa with clean lines, a geometric traditional Oriental rug with intricate floral or geometric patterns can add depth and visual interest.
    • The complimentary look: If you have mid century modern furniture geometric with clean straight lines, you can play off that look with an antique rug that has a geometric approach to the design.
  • Vary the textures: Mix rugs with different textures to add depth and interest to your space. For example, you might pair a plush, more traditional and classic wool rug with a sleek, leather sofa. On the flip side, you may want to pair clean sleek modern furniture with an antique distressed worn shabby chic rug for a facinating and unexpected juxtaposition.
  • Consider the size of both the furniture and rug: For example, if you have a large size sectional sofa, you may want to place a large Oriental rug to help anchor the space.
Modern Interior With Antique Shabby Chic Oriental Rug by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Interior With Antique Shabby Chic Oriental Rug

Overall, the key to pairing more traditional looking Oriental rugs with more sleek modern furniture designs is to create a balance between the traditional and the contemporary. By paying attention to colors, patterns, textures, and scale, you can create a cohesive and visually interesting space that plays off of and combines the best of both worlds.

Express Your Individuality Through Antique Rugs In A Modern Decor

Gone are the days of cookie cutter interior design where all the pieces must match. Modern interior design trends favor mixing colors and shapes to create a fresh look. The idea of adding texture to contemporary designs has been around for quite some time, and the trend does not seem to be going away any time soon. Instead, these interior design trends seem to be growing, and using interest pieces to add depth and warmth to the space is now considered the norm.

Modern Interior Design With Antique Persian Rug by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Interior Design With Antique Persian Rug

This means that even if your style is modern, contemporary, Swedish modern, minimalist, or industrial, you can still add that charming antique rug to give a bit of character to the space. When used in this way, antique and more traditional Oriental rugs can add a sense of the unexpected and excitement to the decor. However, in order to make it work, you should probably stick to at least a few general rules.

Using Antique Rugs to Achieve The Modern Decor Look You Want

The idea of incorporating an antique rug into modern interior design is to add interest, but not allow the room to lose its theme and appear to be a mish-mash of artifacts from Grandma’s attic. You need to create a plan and know what your design goals are before you begin. Otherwise, the room may end up looking like a bohemian flea market. Here are a few tips to make it work and avoid this pitfall.

Stick with a theme, and use a rug that follows the color scheme, has repeated shapes, or that fits with other elements of the overall design.

Rather than focusing on individual decor pieces, look at the overall feel of the room before adding an antique carpet. There may be a place where a traditional rug is just the right touch.

Consider scale, balance, and proportion when choosing your antique rug. You should then consider how it will contribute to the overall look of the room. It is good to have at least some elements of the antique rug reflected in the contemporary items that are paired with it.

Antique Bidjar rug in a modern interior design - Nazmiyal Antique Rugs in NYC
An antique Persian Bidjar carpet perfectly complements the modern elements in this room.

Ideas for Incorporating Antique Rugs into Modern Interior Design

Although adding an antique rug to modern interior design may seem like breaking the rules, if you apply only a few basic principles, it can work quite well. Here are a few ideas that may spark your creativity.

Try adding an antique rug under a modern coffee table. This works especially well if the coffee table has a glass top so that full design of the rug can be appreciated. The clean lines of the modern coffee table will not compete with an antique rug that is filled with color and complex lines.

You might try using the antique carpet to help define a space within an open-plan loft or studio. If you love the openness and spacious feel of your open plan apartment, but you need to define a space, an older antique or vintage rug can be the perfect way to achieve your goals. It will add interest and can be used to define spaces for entertaining, office space, or a bedroom without adding walls that break up the space.

Sleek Bedroom Interior With Antique Persian Kerman Rug by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Sleek Bedroom Interior With Antique Persian Kerman Rug

A contemporary old rug can be the perfect way to tie the room together include groups of items built around a contemporary theme. They are also a great way to showcase a special piece of furniture. A grouping of plants placed on an antique rug can add an organic feel to the room without destroying the theme of the contemporary design. An effective technique is to use antique rugs in a collection of antiques placed in one spot. This gives the collection cohesion and makes it look carefully curated.

One of the main rules to consider is the weight of the room in terms of style. If the room is mostly contemporary, an antique rug will look like the perfect accessory. The other way to go is to add contemporary accessories to an antique themed room. You may want to avoid having an equal mix of contemporary and antique pieces, otherwise the theme may be lost, and it may drift towards that flea market look that you want to avoid. A good rule of thumb is to use the 80/20 rule when it comes to mixing styles.

Define Space by Nazmiyal NYC
A rug can help define a space in a large room.

Using rugs as art pieces for the wall can add texture, color, and interest to sharp geometric lines. Consider a colorful runner rug to brighten a narrow kitchen or darker hallway. This is especially effective in otherwise monotone or white color palettes. It can add warmth and a feeling of coziness. This can work particularly well in a room that features hardwoods and geometric shapes. It can be used in the same way you would use any large scale piece of art / tapestry for the wall

Modern Interior Design by Nazmiyal
Adding an antique rug can add warmth to a space.

The most important rule is to have fun creating your own space that reflects your personal style and individuality. The best part is knowing that you do not have to give up on that antique rug that you absolutely adore just because you have a contemporary style. Not only can it have a place in the design, it can be the piece that pulls the room together, gives it interest or creates a sense of timelessness and sophistication.

If your style is modern, feel free to browse our selection of antique rugs from the 19th century to mid-century modern and find the perfect piece to let your individual personality shine.

Check out some of our antique, vintage and even modern area rugs for your sleek modern interior design:

Antique Persian Silk Heriz Rug #71939 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Antique Persian Silk Heriz Rug #71939
Modern Persian Sultanabad Rug #72160 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Persian Sultanabad Rug #72160
Antique Turkish Oushak Rug #71595 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Antique Turkish Oushak Rug #71595
Vintage Rya Rug #71993 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Vintage Rya Rug #71993
Modern Turkish Oushak Rug #72159 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Turkish Oushak Rug #72159
Vintage Scandinavian Rug #46239 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Vintage Scandinavian Rug #46239
Modern Indian Agra Rug #72158 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Indian Agra Rug #72158
Vintage Scandinavian Rug #48891 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Vintage Scandinavian Rug #48891
Antique Persian Khorassan Rug #72163 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Antique Persian Khorassan Rug #72163
Antique Turkish Oushak Rug #71853 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Antique Turkish Oushak Rug #71853
Modern Silk Khotan Rug #72157 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Silk Khotan Rug #72157
Antique Khotan Rug #71906 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Antique Khotan Rug #71906
Modern Khotan Rug #72156 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Modern Khotan Rug #72156
Antique Persian Mohtasham Kashan Rug #72096 by Nazmiyal Antique Rugs
Antique Persian Mohtasham Kashan Rug #72096

This interior design blog about modern interiors and using antique rugs was published by Nazmiyal Antique Rug Gallery in NYC.