How to mix vintage with a modern room

Start with one piece that has real character, then let simple, modern surroundings give it room to breathe.

The easiest way to bring vintage into a modern home is to let one piece lead. A rattan mirror, a woven chair or an old storage trunk will carry a room on its own when the things around it are calm and simple.

Keep walls light and surfaces uncluttered, then repeat the material somewhere else in the room: a small basket on a shelf, a linen cushion in the same honeyed tone. The repetition makes the old piece look chosen rather than accidental.

Finally, mix textures more than colours. Rough seagrass beside smooth ceramics, soft linen against worn wood. Natural materials sit together happily, so the room feels collected rather than matched.

Olivia Andrews, The Chestnut Studio