Traditional homes can be challenging to decorate. The most talented designers and the savviest homeowners know that striking a balance between the edicts of tradition and the comforts of contemporary furnishings is the key to successful design. The trick is not to swing too much in either direction. The project must walk a fine line to keep your traditional home from looking like a timepiece or like your grandmother's place. The best traditional interiors include a mix of furnishings that read cohesively as one.

Antiques immediately come to mind when furnishing a traditional home. Of course, antiques are always a graceful and welcome addition to an interior design project. The number of antiques you incorporate will determine the flavor and level of sophistication of your project. I recommend using only a few antiques and choosing those that will resonate because of their beauty and quality. A jumble of old pieces will not allow your place to shine. Careful editing is crucial to traditional projects.

Traditional interiors can be furnished with upholstered goods with clean lines that read almost contemporary, while at the same time using traditional fabrics such as damasks, jacquards and velvets to soften their impact. Never be afraid of making a bold statement. Every room needs a dose of the unexpected. Mixing your prints and patterns could be a way to breathe new life into traditional furniture and interiors. I have rarely seen a traditional chair that couldn't carry off a leopard print or zebra stripe.

Another approach to decorating a traditional room or home is to select fresh, bold wall colors inspired by the fashion world's seasonal color. By the same token, wallpapers with an interesting pattern or motif are viable ways to freshen up a staid interior. Accessories and art can blast a traditional interior with a fresh, transitional feel.

Window treatments needn't be heavy swaths and layer after layer of fabric. Instead, luxurious fabrics such as silks, taffetas, wools and cashmeres can be simply applied as side panels for a tailored, up-to-date approach. This simpler design allows the architecture of the room and the windows to shine on their own.

Applause goes out to those who mix contemporary art within traditional interiors. No, your art does not need to match your sofa, and art objects don't need to be of the same period as your house. There are no rules for selecting art. Art should be purchased for either the enjoyment it brings you or the message it communicates. Art, although a decorative feature of any room, is above all a form of expression and a cultural language that exposes a thought, emotion or statement for contemplation.

Finally, my best advice and recommendation for designing traditional rooms that are current and full of life is to not be afraid to mix the sublime with the ordinary, the expensive with the bargain. It is in the encounter of extreme items, regardless of value, that complement each other that the true art of design is created.

Joseph Pubillones is the owner of Joseph Pubillones Interiors, an award-winning interior design firm based in Palm Beach, Florida. To find out more about Joseph Pubillones, or to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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