Mesmerizing Transitional Design: 5 Tweaks to Pull It Off

Transitional style – like its name suggests, is a transition, a bridge – the merging of two styles – traditional and modern. Its root is in the classic, timeless elements and the contemporary, trendier pieces are incorporated as a breath of fresh air.

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No wonder transitional style is one of the most requested styles when it comes to interior design – it’s a popular choice due to its practicality and ability to adapt to new and modern and mix it with something traditional. In order for you to get acquainted with this style and to understand how to apply it successfully, we are presenting you with five tips on transitional style.

Use a neutral colour palette to get a sophisticated look

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You can often find neutrals in contemporary spaces – it’s a popular colour choice of many homeowners since it brings a sense of calmness, elegance, and sophistication. Walls painted in neutral colours such as beige, taupe, gray, and ivory will go well with everything and will serve as a base for the furniture and accessories.

Your floors should also be neutral – light tiles and hardwood are always a good choice. Add some layers with rugs in neutral colours and quiet prints – geometrical or clear ones will work best with transitional style. You can even go with the animal print rug to add some interest and spice things up. The rug will serve as a base for your room, so make sure it mixes well with the colour scheme of the room.

Introduce simple and sophisticated furniture

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When it comes to furniture in transitional style, it’s best to find the golden mean that incorporates the elements of both traditional and modern. Mixing them properly is what transitional style is all about, and we need equal amounts of each. Proportion plays a big role here – the room and the furniture should meet in the middle in terms of scale.

Go with medium-sized furniture and choose traditional elements that have clean lines and are simple in design.  Introduce both masculine and feminine elements – combine strong and soft for a sense of balance. Use furniture that is comfortable and casual, and opt for rectangular tables with straight lines. Marry them with soft, accent chairs with curves and rounded ottomans that will complement the rectangular shapes to create harmony in your living space.

Accessorize with colourful pieces and metallics

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Colourful accessories will spice up your living space – introduce colourful pillows, accent chairs and ottomans into the living room, and add metallic vases and mirrors with silver frames to make it modern.

To accessorize in the kitchen, replace the hardware – go for door handles in dark metals to get a contemporary look. Some interesting artwork on the wall or a vase with flowers on the countertops will introduce colours into your kitchen space.

To modernize your bathroom, opt for metallic-hued faucets from Phoenix tapware – there’s a wide range of beautiful contemporary tapware that is sure to give your bathroom a modern vibe. When paired with a classic vanity cabinet and colourful towels, you get the perfect transitional bathroom.

Textures and materials

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When designing a room in transitional style, you want to retain the colour scheme but still add some depth and texture to your living space. That is easily achieved by incorporating different materials in neutral colours. Many interior designers would suggest that you combine materials such as wood, stone, and leather.

You can mix a leather sofa with a wooden table and a stone table lamp to get the modern, elegant look. Play with the textures of the smaller pieces, too. Faux fur pillows and rugs are a must for a contemporary room, while glass, chrome, and gold are sure to add the edginess to your living space. Make sure to pair every modern item with a traditional piece in order to pull off transitional style.

Incorporate artwork and antiques

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Lack of decor and ornamental elements is the key feature of transitional style. No clutter means more space and a clean, polished look. However, a few objects need to be incorporated in a room to give it a character – you can go with artwork on a wall as a way of introducing a focal point. Opt for a big, abstract painting and pair it with an antique, rustic object, mixing modern and traditional style. The rule is simple – when you put something traditional in your room, something modern must be added to even the scales – there needs to be a correspondence between the elements to pull transitional style off.

It is easy to see why so many homeowners opt for transitional design of their homes – it’s the perfect balance between old and new, classic and modern. By following our tips for introducing transitional style to your living space, you are sure to get the home that’s the epitome of balance, sophistication, and elegance.

Author’s Bio: Lana Hawkins is an architecture student and the editor-in-chief on Smooth Decorator.  She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that’s where she gets most of her inspiration.