Interior design lesson: A guide to mixing and matching furniture styles

When doing any sort of re-decorating, rarely anybody opts for splurging on entirely new sets of furniture. And, unless your old furniture is completely worn out and ruined, there’s really no need to bust your wallet for the sake of sprucing up your space. You can just as well work with what you’ve got and just add a few new pieces to ennoble the space. Combining of different styled pieces of furniture can either make or break the entire room – it all depends on how you style it. We are giving you some advice for your mixing and matching decorating process.

1. Know your way

For you to successfully re-decorate your space you need to set the directing of decorating. If you are scattered with ideas all over the place, your space will end up being overwhelmed with colors, styles and patters and it will more resemble a circus than a homogeneous set of carefully picked out pieces. The fact you are mixing and matching doesn’t mean you should go for absolutely everything that catches your eye. It means you are allowed to combine varieties but still with taste and class.

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We would suggest you go with eclectic style. Eclectic style is not committing to any single way of decorating yet it leans towards a single style.

2. Distinguishing Features

For your space to look stunning and luxurious yet interesting, you should consider a mix of old and new. Also, don’t neglect the personal items as they are the elements that give warmth to your home. The important thing to do when decorating is to step back and survey. Make sure all furniture is and looks like it’s there with a thought. And, be brave and bold! Play with combinations you thought were impossible to put together and see where it leads you!

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3. Mix it up with love

Creating a well thought out mix is one of the main features of an eclectic style. If you feel like combining styles from different cultures, periods and shapes, go for it. But, to avoid it looking just thrown together, make sure you find a thread that puts it all together. This can be a color, a texture or even a shape.

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Make sure you explore relationships of items and elements you combine. If you want the pieces to coexist peacefully you need them to “act and appear” that way. Size of furniture is really important too, so make sure the furniture pieces you bring in relate well.

4. Don’t fear Contrasts

Contrast is an important feature of any space. If everything is in one tone, there is no excitement to the ambiance. Strong patterns look amazing against plain areas, dark combines great with light, metal goes really good with wood… Contrast will give a charming vibe to your space. If you are looking to have a dominant piece, you can position it center stage or in a corner and it can be something completely opposite of the rest of the furniture. For instance, if your place is designed in modern style, choose a rustic armchair as a centre piece of the room. Place it in one corner and in such a way it draws attention. Just, make sure there are no other similar elements around the place, competing for that armchair’s attention.

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5. Remember to balance

For a space to look good despite several styles combined, it’s important those styles are balanced out. To prevent pieces of furniture, accessorize and other elements from feeling disjointed, give them a sense of balance.

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In balancing things, using neutrals will be of great help. Neutrals help unify the space and provide it to breathe. What best helps anchor the room is a neutral colored wall or big piece of furniture. This too creates a background for striking colors or strongly patterned pieces. It is important to create a unified cohesive look.

6. Create a Mix of Colors and Patterns

Color can play a huge part in unifying a space. This goes for both small details and important pieces in the room.

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Pillows in a certain color or pattern can be the linking thread throughout the room so that it looks put together. To give your place a cohesive look, repeat a shape, or color, or pattern throughout the room. You can also use a rug as a connective tissue for all the pieces in the room. Brows through rugs online, you’ll be surprised what great options you may find for your space. Re-decorating the space we live in is a great way to break the tranquility and monotony of it, and make it an interesting environment to spend time in! Good luck!