Mixing Interior Design Styles – What You Need To Know First
Have you ever considered mixing interior design styles in your home? Sticking to a specific rigid decor style can look boring and feel uninspiring. Maybe it’s time for a change, and if so, we have some great advice to help inspire you!
Why Mixing Interior Design Styles Might Be Right For You
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As it seems, decorators choose eclectic elements to create new and unique home decor styles. Doing so gives a home a look of its own and unifies personalities with home decor.
Personally, my decorating style has always consisted of mixing decor elements, even though I lean towards traditional pieces. I love the look and feel of eclectic pieces in my home. Globally, they create a very warm and cozy vibe and allow my personality to shine through.
Today, we will discuss some excellent tips to help you determine if mixing interior design styles is right for you. This trend seems to be gaining popularity and has been featured in many home decor books and magazines.
Regarding design and interior decor, your house is your canvas. If its design and features are restrictive, you may not have as much design freedom.
In this article, you’ll find creative tips on how to mix furniture styles and other design elements. You can have everything from the Victorian to the Modern Era when mixing interior design styles. With these tips, you can create a uniquely breathtaking design to call your own!
1 – Choose A Constant Color Palette
Different decorating styles have varying color recommendations. Some prefer bold, shouting colors, whereas others need subtle colors.
Above all, the first step of using a mixed styles approach to mixing interior design styles is selecting a base color palette. This palette will act as a guide for the whole design.
If you use too many colors, each design will stand out on its own and make the design look random and distorted. A neutral base color palette ensures that your designs will blend seamlessly.
2 – Mixing Interior Design Styles Means Choose a Pattern
Typically, no more than three designs per room work well together when mixing interior design styles. Doing so will avoid pattern clashing and add depth to the room as well.
Additionally, you can use textures as a way to bring your design elements into a room cohesively. Be sure to remember to stick to your color palette as well. You can start by adding a textured patterned area rug to your decor.
3 – Let The Unique Pieces Stand Out
Let it shine if you plan on purchasing a unique piece of furniture for your room! This is the main concept when mixing interior design styles. You want that piece to be the focal point in your room’s decor. All the other pieces in your room complement this unique piece of furniture or accessory.
For example, rather than hide it, make it clear for all to see and use it as the focal point of your design. Building your design around it will add a touch of elegance and charm to your interior decor.
4 – Match The Moods & Ambience
The goal of mixing interior design styles is to add comfort and, more importantly, personality to your home. As such, the design should create a specific ambiance and inspire a certain mood in people.
Do I want the room to be formal, relaxed, or lively? Whichever tone you wish to set, ensure that all styles you incorporate match your mood.
5 – Use Matching Shapes When Mixing Interior Design Styles
Using different furniture is a key element of mixed design. However, even as you incorporate varying types of furniture, it’s essential that they do not boldly appear to be individual pieces.
Moreover, selecting furniture with matching shapes and lines is the best way to avoid this. If you use boxy floral chairs or sofas, stick to them and avoid other types.
6 – The Use Of Repetition In Design
Randomness can feel like risk-taking when implementing mixed-style design—and rightfully so! It’s important to understand rhythm and repetition in decor elements.
More so, to achieve repetition, you don’t need to repeat color as well. You should incorporate a balance of similar and yet different elements. This will ensure you keep your space interesting while maintaining balance and cohesion.
However, repeating certain patterns or themes incorporated in each style will make the design look more deliberate and polished.
7 – Feature Similar Items Together
Are there any items that are not exactly the same but fall into one category? This could be items such as cups, vases, or hats. Even if they do not match, find a way to display them on a shelf or a dresser.
Therefore, such items can be grouped by color, texture, and size. Plus, these carefully placed decor elements can add a bit of charm to a room. When grouping things, it’s best to go with smaller items.
Also, using decorative vases and grouping them in sets of three always creates a unified decorative look, especially when paired with a large mirror.
8 – Begin With The Furniture You Already Own
As we know, furniture plays a prominent role in almost every interior decor design. To avoid distortions and randomness, it’s best to begin your decor with furniture and work your way out.
First, start positioning the largest pieces and move on to the smaller ones. Always be conscious of scale and visual weight. Try to create a visual balance when positioning your pieces. Donate or sell any large furniture you truly don’t need, as well.
For instance, when redecorating, if you use two different types of sofas on opposite sides, they should be of similar size and shape. Use layering to mix your pieces, and remember to use at least two traditional furnishings to keep the look grounded.
9 – Make Sure Wood Types Are Similar And Blend Well
We all love furniture with rich wood tones in our homes. Since wood tones vary, it’s a good rule of thumb to try and keep similar tones consistent.
Wood tones add depth and dimension to our interior design style. However, try to keep wood tones in the same family to do so successfully. Plus, when wood tones remain consistent, adding furniture from different periods will be easy.
In my home, I have some rooms with varying wood tones, but the pieces stand alone and intentionally stand out for attention. It depends on the look you want and how to feature the pieces.
10 – Mixing Interior Design Styles From Different Eras
I absolutely adore blending decor from different eras. I think pieces from different eras add your own personality to every room in your home. If you are fortunate enough to have some pieces handed down from your family, make the best use possible of them.
Almost every room in my home has at least one unique piece from a different era. If you don’t like the way a piece looks, you can always bring it back to life by restoring it.
You can also try adding a traditional piece of furniture like an Antoinette Classic French Accent Chair to the living room. A piece like this can really bring out your entire living room and create a cozy, warm look for everyone to enjoy.
Remember, if you feel you can’t achieve this look on your own, you can always hire an interior decorator to help you with your transformation.
Also, don’t forget to read 9 Easy Kitchen Decor Ideas You Need To Know too!
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