Modern vintage is more than just a 'œstyle.' It's about cherry-picking pieces from the past and seamlessly blending them with things from today to create a look that takes ordinary homes into the extraordinary. Think antique and brand new, machine-made and handcrafted, shiny smooth and distressed, plastic and porcelain all mixed up in a fresh, original way. With this style, there is no this-must-go-with-that. It's about trusting your instincts, your tastes and discovering the things you love to live with, whatever their past. For when you throw out the rulebook, something truly magical happens. Without a little vintage, chic modern interiors lack a sense of integrity. If everything is shiny, new, and modern, an interior simplylacks soul. Homes need history. They need wit, humor, and emotion to make them vibrate with life. And, at the same time, without a little modern, vintage pieces can seem fusty and staid. They need a contemporary context to make them relevant again. The first section of this book, Inspirations does just that. Bestselling stylist and author, Emily Chalmers, brings you examples of Furniture, Lighting, Textiles, Decorating, and Collections & Display to truly inspire you, then shows you how to pull it all together in Style, applying the modern vintageethos to Cook & Eat, Live, Sleep, and Bathe.'¢ Emily Chalmers' previous books for Ryland Peters & Small have combined sales of more than 200,000 copies.'¢ Stunning photography by Debi Treloar.