PAST & PRESENT

from Details : November 2020

GIVING THANKS

RESENT&PPastLocal designers give tips for mixing vintage and modern pieces

By KAYLEE POCHE

Photos by CHRIS GRANGER

The pandemic has led to many of us spending a lot more time at home than usual, and in turn, some locals are using this time to revamp their living spaces in all kinds of ways. In fact, interior designer Whitney Jones of Whitney J Decor (847 Third St., Gretna, 504-300-9698; whitneyjdecor.com) says she’s the busiest now that she’s been in her nearly decade-long career. Before we even begin planning a space, we sometimes ask ourselves what era we’re trying to channel. Do we want to collect the perfect vintage furnishings or do we want to fill the room with sleek modern pieces? But the real question is: Why not do a little of both? Interior designer Chad Graci of Graci Interiors (902 Jefferson Ave., Suite 3, 504-452-0051; graciinteriors.com) and Jones offer tips on how to mix vintage and modern furnishings without them clashing. START WITH A vintage STATEMENT PIECE. If you see a piece you absolutely love while scouring a yard sale or local vintage shop, scoop it up while you can. You can worry about matching later. Big pieces like tables and dressers are often some of the priciest, so purchasing them second-hand can be cost efficient. From there, you can build the room out and start mixing and matching modern pieces around your eye-drawing vintage piece.

“When you can find a big statement piece, it really makes the budget go much farther than trying to bring in small pieces that work with what you have,” Jones says, adding that vintage burlwood furniture is especially trendy right now. And when looking for walnut or oak, Graci says he prefers antique pieces for their color or finish.

According to Graci, a “knockout antique rug” can be a strong place to start a main room, like a formal living room or dining room. “The antique

Interior designer Whitney Jones recommends scouring yard sales and local vintage shops for statement pieces.

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rug can inspire anything from the color palette, to the style of furnishing to even the placement of furnishings in the room, depending on the pattern of the rug,” he says.

Multi-functional PIECES

CAN GO A LONG WAY.

When hunting for vintage finds, Jones says some older pieces can work in several ways in several rooms, depending on your need — making them a great investment. “One of the things that I’m noticing in trying to mix vintage with newer items is people are using their vintage pieces as multi-purpose pieces,” she says.

Take a dresser Jones has in her home that’s about 25 years old. Not only has she painted it just about every color in the book, from purple to gold to blue — and she’s painting it again soon — but she’s also used it as a bar cart, a media console and office storage at different points.

These evolving pieces can change with the times, and it’s comforting to know that even when you want to freshen up a room later or do a bit of rearranging, old faithful will be there for you.

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You can go bold, BUT LOOK

FOR COMMON THREADS.

Both Jones and Graci are seeing locals embrace color, patterns and cozier maximalist spaces recently. “Especially being at home, they’re kind of wanting to be surrounded by stuff and more stuff,” Jones says. “This is making them feel a little bit more comfortable.”

“I think — I hope — that people are steering away from this strange gray trend that has permeated the last five to six years,” Graci says. “I think people are excited about pattern wallpapers and bold colors. I love the return to strong jewel tones. I think those are colors that people want to live with now.”

But pulling off this look takes an eye for design. Once you have your first piece of furniture, you want to make sure that each additional piece has at last one aspect in common with another. It could be color, scale, style, material or another similar detail, but finding these common threads, Graci says, is essential to making sure pieces complement each other and tie the room together.

“It’s not just you putting a bunch of things in a room,” he says. “They all have to have some sort of language and work together and be there for a reason. … If something doesn’t feel right, then it’s probably not right.”

Find common threads, including colors, that tie rooms together.

An antique or vintage fixture against a minimalist backdrop is eye-catching without being over-the-top. Designers Whitney Jones and Chad Graci are noticing clients are embracing bright colors.

PHOTO BY BRITT SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY / PROVIDED BY WHITNEY JONES

Designer Chad Graci says a “knockout antique rug” can be a strong place to start a main room, like a living room or dining room.

Upholstered chairs and an antique table complement a dining area with classic cabinetry and sconces. The airy lighting adds a contemporary, fresh feel.

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USE sleek and simple MODERN PIECES TO SUPPORT

THE DETAILED VINTAGE FINDS.

Graci says locals are turning to French pieces from the 1930s to the 1950s, which he says aren’t “overly ornamented” like their predecessors and therefore work well with modern interiors. For modern trends, he says people are opting for acrylic, lucite and glass pieces to support the early 1900s pieces. For instance, you may see a set of vintage upholstered chairs paired with a clear table.

Then, for light fixtures, Jones recommends going modern, saying the latest options on the market are “just out-of-this-world amazing,” from beaded chandeliers to fixtures that remind her of the costume jewelry she used to wear.

AND BE SURE TO SHOW SOME local love WHEN LOOKING

FOR VINTAGE GOODS.

Jones prefers to visit local garage sales to score good prices on vintage items, while Graci’s go-tos are estate sales and local vintage shops, like Dop Antiques on Jefferson Highway and both Merchant House and Malachite on Magazine Street, which he recommends for “timeless pieces of all eras.” He especially loves Renaissance Interiors in Metairie, adding “it’s almost a 100% chance that I’ll find something I’m looking for there.”