How many shades of happy does this sofa and arrangement of things in general, make you? It makes my insides and my outsides tingle and smile and feel complete and utter bliss! The Dutch SO rock!

It's the right marriage of old and new, isn't it? It is truly an art to be able to mix periods and make it work - and it is not always as easy as one might think. You can learn it in design school but when it comes to having an eye for arranging things it really comes down to letting your instinct guide you and constant practice. When merging modern with vintage, you should start by looking for pieces that do not have competing shapes or patterns. This is good for beginners to remember, as you advance you can start to look for items that give tension but at first, keep it simple. For instance, if this sofa were very ornate with carved curvy legs, it would not sit quite as perfectly next to that shapely side table. If the side table were very plain though, it would still work but may be a bit boring. Decorating is totally subjective though, isn't it? I mean, it's 1/3 science but the rest is all art and how you see and interpret the world around you.

What do you think? Is decorating an art or science to you? Or both? It's definitely both to me but I believe more on the art side when I decorate because often I'll break rules simply to have what I want!

via: Yvestown via VTWonen