Modern Lighting Gives a Twist to Traditional Homes

Updating a traditional inside doesn’t have to involve a significant building job. You don’t have to tear up the floors or tear a lot of walls. Occasionally a little paint may change the whole feel of a space. Occasionally adding some diverse furniture from other eras will do the trick.

But if you want to actually shake things up, simply replace that old colonial or Victorian-era chandelier for something contemporary or handmade. A new bubble chandelier, oversize drum color or contemporary pendant can help you see your house in a whole new light.

CWB Architects

This playful bubble glass chandelier adds a very contemporary detail to an otherwise very traditional area — from the old marble fireplace mantel into the thick and detailed window and door trim, into the pressed-tin ceiling and cove details. And it really works. Together with the bamboo, Asian-style mirror along with the midcentury bench and chair, the light contributes to a very diverse and current interior layout.

Design Line Construction, Inc..

The very modern bubble chandelier used here is a standout design element since it’s modern yet rustic using its raw, approximately shaped glass, bronze and brass details. The warm and natural colors of the metallic arms contrast well with the white walls and trim, and work nicely with the warm herringbone floor.

Buckingham Interiors + Design LLC

Choosing a super-modern fixture similar to this Droog multi-bulb extravaganza is a daring option. You might enjoy it or hate it, but I believe that the form and size are well-matched into the foyer and the colors of the black cords and the warm bulbs are a good match for the dark woodwork.

This house includes incredible period details in the staircase and doorway and even in the ceiling cartouche to which the chandelier is connected. Going with a traditional fixture would inexorably anchor this house previously, while deciding upon a contemporary fixture jars the senses somewhat the moment you walk in — people immediately see this is a house for people living in the present.

The Last Inch

Perhaps one of my favorite spaces on , this loft-like kitchen appreciates stunning old brick and organic light-colored wood floors for a warm feeling. The rustic area has rich wood contemporary closets and oversized drum color pendants lined up over the long island.

The drum color necklace is a fixture which may be seen in most any dimension, diameter or color, but these black fittings make their existence known and their contemporary era clear. The option of black was spot on — introducing a brighter color would have overpowered the space and left them the focus of attention.

StudioLAB, LLC

Yet again, rustic brick and warm, wide-plank wood floors are treated to some contemporary companion, this time with this very trendy Modo chandelier by Roll & Hill. This chandelier is contemporary and clean-lined, but in precisely the same time speaks to the entire world shades of an earlier era, helping it surpass time and bridge stylistic eras.

Rozalynn Woods Interior Design

A contemporary pendant like this can quickly alter the character of a small space like a breakfast nook or kid’s bedroom.

Francis Dzikowski Photography Inc..

This Brooklyn townhouse makes use a pair of pendants (and there are many very affordable and awesome pendants like these) to both highlight and light the bookcases above the stairs, using varying heights and staggered ceiling climbing to create interest without drawing too much attention to the set (as could occur if they were all set in precisely the same height and in a row).

Shirley Meisels

The spare nature of this beautiful dining room is very well complemented with this pick-up-sticks chandelier. The fixture does a fantastic job of defining the space above the dining table without even being so heavy-looking the space feels cramped. It is open enough that the details of the box-beam ceiling along with the trim nevertheless contribute to and also have a presence in the area, but substantial enough to bring its character to the table and deliver a contemporary element into an otherwise traditional space.

Feldman Architecture, Inc..

The Bocci series of pendant balls really are a wonderful way to add a subtle contemporary touch to a space. Here, in a house redone by Feldman Architecture in San Francisco, a contemporary dining space light scheme with square-trimmed recessed lighting along with the multi-light Bocci fixture transitions to a kitchen using country-style cabinets plus a dim hewn hardwood flooring.

The Bocci lights appear to float like planets in space, developing a future-forward sense of exactly what era the space belongs to, yet the traditional window trimming and country cabinets bring you back into the traditional era when the house has been constructed.

Eco+Historical, Inc..

Made by a vendor on Etsy, this funky silverware pendant brings a contemporary design ethic (albeit using the traditional elements of salvaged silverware) into a traditional breakfast nook.

More transitional design ideas: Use Trim to Modernize a Traditional Residence — or Vice Versa

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Modern Meets Eclectic For Delicious Dining Rooms

I really like midcentury modern layout, but I strongly believe that it needs to be tempered with furniture from other eras and individual things to avoid looking like a set from Mad Men.

In fact, I think that all rooms should include personal products. Design is all about reflecting your personality and way of life. It needs to be beautiful and comfy above all other things.

All these 10 dining rooms contrast starkly with conventional, cushy dining areas which have matching upholstered chairs and clear color schemes. They’re a little wild (in an understated manner), a little mix and match, and totally relaxed and comfortable. Every one of these is made for lingering over meals and good conversation. Please pass the wine.

Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly

Elements of midcentury design (hello, lantern wallpaper) mix with the farmhouse sideboard, a contemporary light fixture and a lot of mismatched chairs. It should not go together, but it will — and superbly.

Holly Marder

This dining table, made from reclaimed timber, is the ideal complement to a menagerie of colorful chairs. It’s simple and contemporary, but additionally, it has a warm, inviting farmhouse cosmetic.

Croma Design Inc

Easy, clean and very contemporary, this distance is warmed up with its proximity to the living room. Nothing is more casual and friendly than a open floor plan. Also, check out that sculpture, which bring the ceiling down to a more intimate level.

Room & Board

Here’s another contemporary take on the farmhouse feel. The lines are clean and Danish, but the atmosphere is “everybody’s invited for cherry pie.”

Room & Board

The carpet adds so much heat to a beautiful (oh, that natural border table) but stark dining room. A little cozy goes a very long way with midcentury layout. And timber consistently helps with heat.

Dreamy Whites

Louis IVX matches Malibu. That is pretty traditional French nation, but with no frills. The walls and floor give this installment a more contemporary vibe.

This is diverse modern at its best. It features midcentury modern icons such as the Ghost Seat paired with conventional furniture, an eclectic display of art and dollops of color against white. Beautiful.

Emily McCall

A traditional farmhouse dining table and built-in china cupboard are paired with white Panton chairs plus a bare, contemporary appearance. It’s the best of both worlds: stylish and welcoming, casual and slick.

The nuclear age matches soft arches, dark walls and a classic pedestal dining table. It’s very modern without looking overly theme-y.

Watch the rest of the creative house in Omaha

Dufner Heighes Inc

The chinoiserie wallpaper is in stark contrast with the simple (almost Shaker) lines of this furniture. With no this room would appear unfinished.

More:

The Easiest Room to Decorate: The Dining Room

11 Vibrant and Colorful Dining Rooms

Design Chat: Eclectic vs. Collected

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