We all need a beautiful sideboard in our home. This antique piece of furniture with character is particularly useful for storing all our small items. Usually placed in a living room or dining room, a sideboard allows you to store your crockery, books, blankets and household linen out of sight in an elegant way, so how could you do without one? With so many styles, shapes and heights to choose from, it’s never easy to find that rare gem, a sideboard that will enhance your interior. What’s more, if your sideboard has a different style to the rest of your décor, the task becomes even more complex. Don’t worry, in this article, we’ll give you all our wonderful tips to ensure that your fabulous vintage sideboard fits in perfectly with the rest of your contemporary décor.
The importance of a sideboard in an interior
The sideboard, regardless of its style, is an essential piece of furniture in any interior, so it should be given pride of place in your décor. To show it off to its best advantage, we recommend placing it centre stage by positioning it in the middle of the room, so that it catches the eye as soon as you walk in.
Do not be afraid to show it off, as it will only enhance the rest of your décor.
Integrate vintage furniture into a contemporary décor may seem like mission impossible, but rest assured, it’s quite the opposite.
Mixing styles has become almost commonplace and is even a good way to enhance and bring more life and character to a living room, bedroom or dining room. The key is to know how to integrate it well and not overdo it.
Generally speaking, contemporary décor tends to be simple and minimalist. Colours are neutral and furniture is often white, with a classic yet elegant design. A vintage sideboard is usually made of wood and can really enhance the overall feel of a room. Why? Quite simply because this characterful piece of furniture breaks up the sometimes overly sleek look of a contemporary interior.
The whole will make your space warmer and more authentic, giving you an unusual and charming décor.
Here are our tips and tricks for incorporating a vintage sideboard into your décor.
Paint and accessorise the sideboard with more modern colours.
Rattan is very trendy and can look great on the doors of a vintage sideboard. Retro furniture is usually made of wood and can therefore be combined with cane, as these two materials form a very modern combination. In this case, all you need to do is accessorise your solid wood sideboard nicely; there’s no need to repaint it, as it’s already in line with current trends. Bright, modern colours will be your best friends! Don’t fall into the trap of placing a beige lamp and a white armchair next to the cabinet. What we want is to enhance the decor and make it a little more vintage while keeping that contemporary feel! To do this, choose vases with original shapes and patterns, and opt for a pop lampshade in yellow, blue or red! As for the armchair, cover it with a throw or cushions with retro patterns! You’ll see how this mix of styles will make your décor unique and super trendy. All you have to do is try it!
On the other hand, if you think your furniture is a little too plain and old-fashioned, then it’s time to get painting! There are now dozens of products on the market that allow you to repaint your furniture in no time at all. What’s more, it’s super easy to do. Of course, you’ll still need to follow a few simple steps beforehand, such as sanding the furniture, but don’t worry, it’s nothing too complicated. You can paint the entire piece of furniture in more contemporary colours and keep only the vintage shape, or paint only certain parts such as drawers, a door or two, or even just change the handles, opting for more modern metal ones, for example. The choice is yours. Don’t forget to look for inspiration and see what others are doing on interior design websites or Pinterest, for example. Let your creative spirit run wild, it’s time to have fun and do it in style!
Place the sideboard in a strategic place
Although we don’t necessarily think about it, a low, long sideboard can serve as a TV stand. Using your furniture in this way ensures that it will be subtly showcased. Your television will enhance its lines and allow it to be seen by everyone during your movie nights at home or video game parties with friends. The same principle applies in a bedroom: use it to install your television or to store your clothes and other belongings. When decorated well, it will add a warmer and cosier touch to the rest of the room.
Wood, which is generally used in vintage furniture, is soft and increasingly popular in homes because of its authentic look, which remains modern and, above all, timeless. So why not take advantage of this by showing everyone that you are up to date and following the latest decor trends? When it comes to the dining room, we can all agree that sideboards are more practical and functional than decorative, but that’s a shame. Yes, during family meals, this piece of furniture is very handy for keeping crockery and dishes close at hand, but it can also be very useful for adding the finishing touch to your décor. Next to your dining table, a vintage solid wood sideboard is the perfect way to create an urban-chic, modern-retro look. It’s the perfect combination to ensure that all your guests admire it and compliment you on it.
If you want to incorporate a vintage piece of furniture into your décor, but in a more subtle way, don’t worry, it’s not a problem. It’s entirely possible to mix styles while remaining discreet. Your vintage wooden piece of furniture does not necessarily have to be the centrepiece of the room; it can also serve as a secondary or accent piece in an interior. The key is to know how to decorate it so that it blends in well with the rest of the room.
Of course, as its design is different from the rest of the furniture, your sideboard will stand out, but much less so than if it were the centrepiece of your décor. To achieve this, you could place it behind another piece of furniture, your sofa or in a slightly secluded corner of the room. In any case, its usefulness will remain the same regardless of its location. You can still use it as storage furniture. Here, we are only talking about the aesthetic aspect of vintage furniture.
Use wallpaper to accentuate it
It’s no longer a secret that wallpaper is making a comeback in our interiors. Although it fell out of fashion for a while, its vibrant colours and wide range of patterns are once again appealing to homeowners. Now back in vogue, it not only embellishes and complements the vintage style of the sideboard, but also, and above all, maintains the contemporary style of the room.
To do this, nothing could be simpler: first choose the wall that your sideboard will adorn and cover it with colourful, bright wallpaper, preferably with original patterns. With this extra decorative touch, you can be sure that your vintage sideboard will enhance the décor while taking pride of place in the room. This mix of styles will therefore be subtle and natural, so as not to disrupt the overall atmosphere. This trendy yet retro combination is sure to make an impression, you can be sure of that!
Create a whole atmosphere around the sideboard
And yes, decoration doesn’t stop at the design of your furniture. To ensure your interiors are on trend, you need to know how to decorate them properly to show them off to their best advantage. Here are a few tips on how to do just that. First of all, we can all agree that a vintage sideboard is mainly used for storage, and we can also agree that you can never have enough storage space in your home, so why not add some shelves above the sideboard, or even a pretty mirror?
In addition to creating a whole new atmosphere in the room, the shelf will give you extra space to store your belongings or display your decorative items: frames, candles, books… They will find their place while adding extra contrast. As for the mirror, it will modernise the space and create a feeling of grandeur and a larger room. You can also install wall lights for more light and to enhance the warmth that the wood already brings.
It’s also a great way to add decorative elements and assert the style you want to give to the space. Choose more vintage wall lights to match the furniture, or more contemporary ones to mix styles to the maximum. Finally, have fun decorating the top of your furniture by placing your favourite holiday photos, works of art, scented and coloured candles or any other decorative objects on it.
Now you have everything you need to blend vintage and modern styles in your interior design. After all, your antique sideboard isn’t really that old and still has plenty of appeal, so it’s up to you to make the most of it in the most stylish and modern way possible with our advice.
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