Rule #4 Ignore those design books-You CAN Blend styles!

Tufted upholstery is signature traditional. Paired with modern
 built-ins and a monochromatic color scheme create harmony

A home I visited recently started me thinking about one of the number one questions I am asked "Is it okay to use modern furniture in a traditional home?" In this situation the couple live in a ranch-style home with mid-century attributes which he loves. She, on the other hand grew up in a very traditional home with antiques. So is blending allowed? Many, many design books will say no. I totally disagree. When you mix traditional and modern styles you can create an individualized, multi layered living space. Furnishing your home should be more about developing your own personal style rather than adhering to any single style unless you are truly passionate about it.
That said, combining modern furniture and accessories with traditional ones can result in chaos if not planned in advance. There are some considerations to make before you decide to mix modern and traditional styles. There needs to be a common denominator like color.

This is a great example of beautiful antique and primitive pieces in an obvious  modern spacewith a cohesive color palette that blends

Modern or Traditional?

First of all you need to figure out if you want your space to be primarily modern or primarily traditional. Decide which style should dominate. It can be a modern space with antique accents or a traditional space with contemporary accents. Letting one style dominate is crucial, because you don’t want to create a space where everything is fighting for equal attention.

domino

Traditional upholstered slipper chairs and chandelier paired with a mid century banquet and Saarinen table

Why Do You Love it?
Once you’ve figured out where your loyalties lie, find out why either style appeals to you. Look at the visual attributes of a piece of furniture. When you find yourself attracted to a piece is it because of its shape and lines, or do you admire it for its color and texture?There is no wrong answer, so spend as much time as you need to. Whenever you see some furniture you like, note it down. Notice how you describe it to some one else. Do you talk about its sleek lines or rich texture? If you collect pictures or pin furniture you like, you will begin to see a pattern. You can then begin to tie in pieces of different styles through their shapes, or material or color and texture.
 
west elm catalog
offers a great variety of modern furnishings that can  add energy and interest to a very traditional rooms