If you're concerned that a modern chair or sofa may be too cold or contemporary for your style, a simple accent of modern may be just what you need. This nook at HGTV Smart Home 2016 is traditional overall, but its floor lamp adds the perfect modern-industrial touch to make it new, fresh and current.

Modern style is not always about lines and materials; it can simply relate to an updated finish on a tried and true traditional piece. This classic occasional table next to the bed in the teen room is classic in style, but modern in finish thanks to its greige-painted wood.

Here's a trick interior designers use to make any traditional piece feel more modern: update it with white paint. The desk in the teen bedroom at HGTV Smart Home 2016 feels current and clean even though its overall style is classic and cottage-like.

One of the quickest and most cost-effective ways to put a modern spin on any form of seating in your home is to reupholster a classic or traditional chair with a modern or transitional fabric. This navy blue desk chair is covered in a small scale leopard print fabric in shades of navy, steel blue and greige.