Ask Joshua - Style Clash

Hi Joshua,

I’ve recently moved into an older home. The only room in the house I can use for my office has a lot of wood built-ins with a dark stain. It’s pretty old fashioned looking. My style though is definitely more modern and I really don’t know how to make this room work for me. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom, Hartford, CT

Modern rustic style home office. Image created using AI via Canva

Hi Tom,

You’ve got a classic problem that is often one of the most difficult to wrap your head around….mixing disparate styles. This is more than just what’s often called Eclectic, which is mixing and matching different style pieces together. You’ve got the room itself to contend with, as it’s in seeming opposition to what you want to achieve.

One option is to paint over all that woodwork. It’s a drastic step. A lot of people love naturally stained old built-ins, but this is your home. If you’re going to be staying in this home for a while and you don’t have an issue with it, painting them could instantly change the entire vibe of the space that will work seamlessly with the more modern furniture you have in mind.

The other option is to work with what you’ve got. You can incorporate modern furniture into this space. I’d recommend doing so with a minimalist approach. A couple of choice pieces; likely your desk and chair, with perhaps a light fixture. Then add a few modern decor or art pieces. Don’t try to cover up the nature of the room, which might be the first inclination, but allow the two styles to coexist and celebrate one another. A really great example is the picture above from CB2.

I hope this helps a bit and whatever decision you make, I wish you good luck on transforming your space.

Joshua Jones

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