Who’s your granny?

Looking old is looking good these days. Open any design publication and one noticeable trend is the way antique-looking pieces are juxtaposed with more recently produced furniture in contemporary homes. One may live in a modernist white box, but the love for all things old asserts itself in the unique placements of accent pieces from times past. Note how walls have again embraced wallpaper. Once considered dated, they have resurfaced to chic-ness and range from vintage re-editions in all their flocked glory to classic document prints in the hippest homes. The recent (albeit what I consider overused and overdone) trend of using old-style chandeliers is another indicator of how we can play with tradition in today’s interiors. The key to achieving this look without making a room seem stuffy or confused is to use the old items sparingly. Create focal points where the eye can be drawn to the unique qualities of the piece so it can stand out and tell its story. Look for items that have presence and playfulness, not just pedigree and price. Go for furniture or accessories that have a unique edge, and avoid the typical. Use irony and contrast to create dynamic interiors that pulsate with energy. For example, I would place a pair of well-detailed 19th-century candelabras on Patricia Urquiola’s exquisitely minimal Diamond Table, or use the latest printing technology and blow up a large Dutch old master hunt scene to obscene proportions, frame it in a traditional gilt frame, and hang it behind the latest low slung sofa from Minotti.

Perhaps the reason we are again embracing the past is because we are in a nostalgic moment. We crave for stability and comfort in these troubled times, and by living with pieces that are familiar to us and that perhaps remind us of family and the environments we grew up in, we achieve this somehow. Or perhaps it’s a reaction and a search for quality, craftsmanship and individuality in a world full of mass-produced muebles that are devoid of personality? So go ahead, have fun with your hand-me-downs, create a cabinet of curiosities using your flea market finds, and brush off the dust from your bodega’s bounty. Any way you look at it — really — old school is the new cool.