‘Newstalgia’ Creates a Home with a Heart
Thoughtful combinations of new and vintage décor give your space grounded timelessness
Photo Kylie Fitts Photography
As creatures of comfort, we embrace familiar things holding special meaning. ‘Newstalgia’ is a soulful interior design style that incorporates new items with vintage pieces and family heirlooms. Running counter to the less-is-more aesthetic, the nostalgic trend imbues patina with the warmth and stability of tradition built over time.
Vineyard Views Powder. | Photo Chad Davies, Davies Imaging Group
As with any design style, it takes deliberation to combine old and new to achieve a thoughtful, curated look. Nikki Holt, luxury residential studio design director at Kimberly Timmons Interiors, points out that sometimes the mix may necessarily include architectural details that cannot be altered due to their function as structural support. “Walls, fireplaces and other original architectural features can be combined with new layers of finishes and textures to create a successful mix,” she points out. “Homeowners often want their abode to feel like a generational compound. Materials can be used to creatively blend old and new features and accessories to attain the beauty of legacy.”
Vineyard Views Chandelier. | Photo Chad Davies, Davies Imaging Group
Holt says that the return of traditional interiors is experiencing a resurgence as people look to include heirlooms in their interior design. Collections of items are often passed down through generations and can be displayed in any home by considering the arrangement with new pieces alongside the old. Referred to as an “eclectic hodge-podge” by Holt, she cites co-mingling as an example of what this trend is all about. “Subtle touches can provide and enhance the client’s connection to belongings of significance and brings a true sense of home to a residential space.”
Funk it Up Fireplace. | Photo Kylie Fitts Photography
Allowing heirlooms to provide pops of color in a room is another trick to favorable consolidation. Holt notes that this gives older items the opportunity to shine as stand-alone features. “For example, an eclectic way to display legacy art is to create a collage wall, mixing different frames, sizes and types of art together to compose a gallery,” she shares.
Photo Kylie Fitts Photography
The use of old stone, reclaimed wood, and items found in nature styled against a neutral color palette, simplicity, and sleek lines is an effective way to create a home with a traditional feel. “The trick,” Holt says, “is to allow the beauty of an heirloom or legacy item to shine on its own, contrasting it against a background that won’t overshadow it. Creating a traditional interior is about finding ways to keep things less sterile and more welcoming.”
