OPPOSITES ATTRACT

Perhaps surprisingly, one of the best combinations for a beautifully layered home is of the very old with the highly contemporary. “What to me works really well is if you have things on the opposite end of the spectrum,” says Cato. “In a modern house, you could opt for medieval or early walnut pieces, for example, which are simple in their design and execution.”

Conversely, period homes can look marvellous with carefully chosen modern furnishings, the latter’s spare aesthetic echoing Georgian design principles particularly well. A minimalist walnut-topped desk with an upholstered wing-back chair; a sculptural lamp on an eighteenthcentury chest of drawers – big contrasts are exciting and full of character. “Antiques have patina and resonance, and they ground an interior, which is why they work so well with just a few contemporary pieces of furniture,” says Tara Craig of Ensemblier. “They bring calmness and continuity to an environment.”

To achieve a contemporary look, allow plenty of space between items of furniture, advises Weaver. “If you have one important-looking antique and give it a lot of space, it will become a focal point, and you can have some much more restrained, modern pieces in the same room.”

Another way to make a statement is to introduce works of art that diverge dramatically in style from their surroundings. A large, modern painting or photograph can look wonderful as the focal point of a room filled with much older pieces or, conversely, a classic oil painting will stand out in a room in which everything else is sleek and modern.

A sleek, modern desk is teamed with a classic wing-back armchair in this interesting and elegant room by interior designer Rebekah Caudwell. Known as the Parlour, it was restored to be redolent of the past with nods to vintage and contemporary worlds. It is painted in Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue.

ABOVE LEFT Older pieces such as statues or carvings can possess an interesting patina and contrast wonderfully with mid-century modern or 21st-century furnishings. Here, an interesting range of antique and new items in a tone-on-tone scheme is given added depth and comfort by the layering of textiles from de Le Cuona.

LEFT Interior designer Tara Craig of Ensemblier has employed a mix of antiques, bespoke and contemporary furniture in this warm, modern apartment, the standout piece being a chest on a stand that dates to the 1660s.