The style of a drawing room is most likely to be dictated by the period
or style of the building that houses it; occasionally, however, it can
be interesting to go against the architecture and so create drama by a
clashing of the centuries.
Antiques in a modem warehouse space or contemporary furnishings in a
classical Georgian interior are just two examples of the excitement that
you can create. Mixing periods within the same room is also a
possibility, but needs to be done with skill. The most successful
results are produced by combining contrasts: rough aged wood with smooth
tubular-steel; antique matt velvet with glossy chintz; polished marble
with rough medieval matting.
This is a room where many people choose to display their most precious
possessions - portraits of ancestors, family silver, collections - and
it is important to bear this in mind when deciding upon a scheme. It is
all too easy to go overboard and cover every surface with pattern, only
to find that when accessories are placed they disappear against a
dominant background.