A Guide to Modern Traditional Style (2024)

Modern Traditional styles mix classic elements that will never go out of style with a modern touch, making your home look relevant to current trends without having to mix things up constantly. If you're looking for some design inspiration, read on to learn how to incorporate modern traditional interior design into your home.

The Difference Between Modern and Traditional Styles

The main difference between traditional and modern styles is how they frame the room in an entirely different light. Traditional styles can be considered more similar to maximalist styles, as traditional design focuses on rich, dark colors, floral patterns, and lots of details around the home. Modern styles focus on appealing to minimalism by emphasizing muted light colors, open spaces, and fewer details.

Both modern and traditional styles can help create a sense of a cozy home in different ways. Modern techniques create a clean space free of elements that may be considered distracting. This can create a relaxing environment for some but has been described as looking "sterile." Traditional styles can create a comfy "lived-in" feel but can also feel cluttered and overwhelming. Which style you lean more towards depends on what type of design makes you feel more at home.

Can You Mix Modern with Traditional?

If you're wondering if you can mix modern and traditional interior design elements, the answer is yes! Mixing modern and traditional styles can help you find a balance between the minimalist, relaxed, and open feel of modern decor and the patterned, bold, and warm feel of traditional design.

This could involve creating a room with a traditional structural design and adding modern furniture, taking a modern home and furnishing it with elements of traditional design, or a combination of the two. Modern Traditional design aims to create a timeless space that has touches of vintage and rustic looks with elements of the modern age.

The Modern Traditional Home

A Modern Traditional home uses traditional elements throughout with a twist of modern. This style feels welcoming, open, and warm. It can be both bold and modest at the same time, depending on what elements you choose to mix in. A Modern Traditional home has a timeless design that allows it to feel both cozy and classic at the same time.

Entryway

Light, muted wall colors (such as gray, tan, or cream) with classic molding and wainscoting can create a modern base with traditional structural elements. The entryway should be simple, but bringing in traditional and antique pieces such as unique overhead lighting and classic wood furniture can help to combine modern and traditional aesthetics. For a more modern appearance, choose simple, modest elements for lighting and decor.

Kitchen

The kitchen and dining space is a major focal point of the Modern Traditional home. It is a place of comfort, creating a space for the family to gather. Large, natural wood tables with simple chairs give a hint of a farmhouse aesthetic to the space.

The table can be left as a bare wood option for a more traditional home but can also be painted or stained to create a more modern look overall. Light color schemes can create an open kitchen space, with wood and metal elements striking a balance between traditional and modern design. Simple paneling, such as shiplap, can add texture to the space without being too overwhelming.

Bedrooms

The bedroom should be a relaxing space, allowing you to fall asleep in comfort every night. Avoid bright or dark coloring on the walls, and instead opt for muted colors such as sage, baby blue, cream, lavender, and gray.

Go for comfortable textures and patterns for bedding, mixing, and matching throw pillows with your comforter. Darker wood furniture like bed frames, dressers, and desks can give the bedroom a cozy feel, while the light muted tones of the walls and bedding keep it from being too overwhelming.

Bathrooms

In a Modern Traditional home, the bathroom is a luxurious sanctuary. You should be able to feel like you are about to receive a 5-star spa treatment every time you enter. Go for a muted wall color or a beautiful floral wallpaper.

Marble countertops can add a more traditional style, while modern metal fixtures can bring in a touch of modern. While traditional styles usually involve making a room cozier, you should opt for a lighter color scheme in the bathroom to open up the space, as bathrooms are often smaller and have fewer windows than other rooms.

Home Offices

Your home office should tie into the rest of the house while still feeling different enough that it really feels like a space you can get down to business in. You can accomplish this in one of two ways. The first way is to lean into the traditional style elements and create a cozy study fit for a professor.

Bring in darker bookshelves and an antique-looking desk with traditional-looking fixtures. The second way to style your office is to bring in bright lighting and modern-looking furniture, but keep the traditional-looking fixtures and structural design. Office designs should give you a work mindset, so it is essential to think about what kind of aesthetic would help you feel most productive.

City Home Furniture and Design

Are you looking to transform your interior to the modern traditional style? City Home is a unique, immersive furniture store experience that blends traditional furniture shopping with optional help from our design specialists. If you would like to visit us in person, take a look at our list of locations to find the one nearest to you.