Jennifer Aniston's Worn Leather Armchair, Dark Wood Cabinet, and Antique Rug Blend Old and New to Perfection – They're Homely, Yet Elevated
The Friends star has a keen eye for interior design and has always injected her homes with eclectic style
Jennifer Aniston clearly has an eye for interior design, and has been quoted as saying: 'If I weren't an actress, I'd want to be a designer. I love the process,' something that's clearly evident in her stunning home renovations through the years.
For this living room, which has the feel of a boutique suite and incorporates some design secrets from luxury hotels, she worked with celebrated designer Stephen Shadley. Jennifer Aniston's combination of antique pieces – the beautifully aged leather club armchair and the lovingly worn rug – with the clean lines of the dark wooden console gives the space a welcoming, yet purposefully styled feel.
The secret to blending old and new pieces successfully lies in achieving the perfect balance – too much old can look dated, and too much new, starkly contemporary and lacking character.
Shop Jennifer Aniston's Homely Living Room Look
This vintage club armchair has a wonderful patina to the tan leather from wear, and boasts the same curved lines and square wooden feet seen on Jennifer Aniston's sitting room chair.
If you're looking for a new piece, this roll-arm chair brings together the traditional vintage style, while the leather will soften and change over time for the same naturally worn look.
This patterned rug has all the charm of a vintage piece but it's machine washable for convenience. The subtle beige and blue hues and border edge can also be spotted in Jennifer Aniston's rug.
While designed to be a shoe storage cabinet, this piece will be equally useful in a living room and shares the dark wood tone and textured door panels of Jennifer Aniston's living room cabinet.
This elegant table lamp brings a sense of fun with its eclectic hummingbird motif, while the dark shade and subtle metallic base will blend seamlessly into a homely scheme.
We love the way that Jennifer knows exactly how to mix wood tones like a designer. While her picture frames contrast with the dark wood of her living room cabinet, they pick out the tan shade in the armchair, holding the whole look together.
Head of Interiors, Hebe Hatton, explains how Jennifer Aniston has nailed how to style antique furniture in her living room. 'It's important to use antiques in moderation if you don't want the room to look intentionally dated. Jennifer Aniston has cleverly paired a well-worn armchair in an iconic style, and a vintage rug with more contemporary pieces, like the dark wood cabinet, which really brings the look up to date.'
The dark blue-grey living room paint color is another clever way to bring new life to old pieces, as it creates a lovely contrast with the warm tones in the leather chair, rug, and other wooden accessories. Shop Benjamin Moore's blue-grey paint colors to find the right shade for you.
I say this speaking from experience as I have a similar antique club chair to Jennifer Aniston's in my living room, and when the walls were painted white, it did little to highlight the storied beauty of the piece. However, painting an accent wall in my living room in Farrow & Ball's Preference Red instantly brought out the wonderfully warm tones of the leather, allowing the piece to really shine.
And when it comes to whether you should buy a vintage rug, you can trawl the flea markets to find the perfect piece, but there are also so many wonderful vintage-style options available now, many of which are washable and won't damage or warp like a vintage piece would, which is a big plus.
Jennifer Aniston has successfully brought together vintage and modern pieces in her living room to create a warm and inviting space that feels both collected and styled. It's a masterclass in how to how to mix old and new pieces without it feeling chaotic.
