How to Mix Modern Styles With Early American

Choose one style -- Early American or modern -- as the predominant style for the area you are decorating. Select the style that you feel will look the best in the room. Consider other factors such as which style is the most cost-effective for you, and which style you already have more usable examples of when selecting the predominant style.

Select a color from an Early American palette and a color from a modern palette. Early American colors tend toward rich tones of deep blues, greens and reds, while modern styles may feature black, metallic tones and brighter shades of red or blue. For example, select a deep blue for your Early American color and a bright blue for your modern color selection.

Select a unifying color that will tie both of your other colors together. The unifying color can be a neutral tone such as cream or beige.

Cut small pieces of sample fabric in the colors you chose, or select paint sample cards (obtain these at a local paint store or hardware store, or print them from online color palette examples).

Select the primary furniture using the color samples. If Early American is your chosen predominant style, use the Early American color sample that you chose to guide you when selecting furniture, while keeping the period style in mind. Early American furniture is often quite rustic in nature, such as pine tables, chairs and chests. Modern furnishings are generally more sleek and streamlined, such as metal chairs and glass-topped tables.

Select accent furniture pieces in the secondary style using the color samples. For example, if you have chosen Early American as your predominant style and already selected a table in a rustic pine, you might consider modern accents such as smaller side tables in a brushed metal style.

Choose decorative pieces, such as paintings, wall hangings, pillows and knick-knacks in both modern and Early American styles. Use the neutral tone for accents, as this can help unify the two decorating themes. Neutral tones such as beige and tan can be found in all types of decorative accents in both modern style, such as metal sculptures, and Early American style, such as copper plates.