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So Your Style Is: Eclectic
This playful, personal home design style shakes up conventions and bridges the gap between other looks. Here's how to master the mix
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
What it is: Eclectic style is the great equalizer. It reshuffles the rule book, mixing and matching old and new, East and West, luxe and humble, showy and quiet. It invites you to fill a space with objects you love and unique finds that strike your fancy. Simply put, it's you, curated.
What it is not, however, is a free-for-all. If you toss a little of this, a little of that and a dash of the other into a room at random, it'll look like exactly what it is: a mess. The liberty and leeway that make eclectic style so appealing can also make it tricky — you'll need to be careful not to trip over the thin line between contrast and chaos.
Why it works: When it's done well, eclectic décor broadcasts your confidence in your own style yet still adheres to the fundamentals of good design. You don't have to choose between profiles or periods; there's room for a range of favorites. Plus, isn't it fun to feel like you're getting away with something?
You'll love it if... You can put together a smashing outfit from a jumble of sale-rack finds. Your iTunes mix skips from Bach to Bob Marley to the Black Keys. Matching furniture sets make you itchy. Friends tease you that you can never make up your mind. Purebreds are pretty, but mutts capture your heart.
More style guides
What it is not, however, is a free-for-all. If you toss a little of this, a little of that and a dash of the other into a room at random, it'll look like exactly what it is: a mess. The liberty and leeway that make eclectic style so appealing can also make it tricky — you'll need to be careful not to trip over the thin line between contrast and chaos.
Why it works: When it's done well, eclectic décor broadcasts your confidence in your own style yet still adheres to the fundamentals of good design. You don't have to choose between profiles or periods; there's room for a range of favorites. Plus, isn't it fun to feel like you're getting away with something?
You'll love it if... You can put together a smashing outfit from a jumble of sale-rack finds. Your iTunes mix skips from Bach to Bob Marley to the Black Keys. Matching furniture sets make you itchy. Friends tease you that you can never make up your mind. Purebreds are pretty, but mutts capture your heart.
More style guides
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Style Secret: Methodical Mismatching
Eclecticism wears its lack of pedigree proudly and draws its energy from contrast. The trick is to find enough common ground to make a space gel. The dining area shown here weaves together a narrow palette and subtle shine, from the table to the frames to the chandelier. No two chairs match, but all of them have strong silhouettes and roughly the same proportions.
Road-test it: The best way to master the medley: Dive in. Choose a few must-haves to anchor the space, then experiment with rugs, artwork, lighting, accents and other elements. Play light against dark, honed against glossy, rustic against elegant — but look for opportunities to create parallels. And be firm about editing; you can't stuff every piece you love into a single room.
When you find the right balance, you'll feel it instinctively. But if you have doubts, try this trick: Snap a photo of your space, wait awhile, then study it. What shouts at you? Winnow out any discordant elements and try again.
Eclecticism wears its lack of pedigree proudly and draws its energy from contrast. The trick is to find enough common ground to make a space gel. The dining area shown here weaves together a narrow palette and subtle shine, from the table to the frames to the chandelier. No two chairs match, but all of them have strong silhouettes and roughly the same proportions.
Road-test it: The best way to master the medley: Dive in. Choose a few must-haves to anchor the space, then experiment with rugs, artwork, lighting, accents and other elements. Play light against dark, honed against glossy, rustic against elegant — but look for opportunities to create parallels. And be firm about editing; you can't stuff every piece you love into a single room.
When you find the right balance, you'll feel it instinctively. But if you have doubts, try this trick: Snap a photo of your space, wait awhile, then study it. What shouts at you? Winnow out any discordant elements and try again.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Style Secret: Repetition
Visual echoes, from color to shape to finish, help an eclectic room find its rhythm. Look closely: This living area is essentially a series of rectangles, from the windows and the framed artwork to the coffee tables and vintage café sign. And the accent pieces reiterate the brilliant yellow of the room's focal-point chest.
Road-test it: Choose a few fundamental pieces to anchor your space, and survey the architecture as well. Then consider which elements you can repeat. Do you have a big, round ottoman paired with Eileen Gray side tables? Pull the circle motif into the room: a round mirror, a vintage schoolhouse wall clock, a collection of straw orbs. Throw in a few contrasting shapes for balance and you'll spark an engaging mix.
Visual echoes, from color to shape to finish, help an eclectic room find its rhythm. Look closely: This living area is essentially a series of rectangles, from the windows and the framed artwork to the coffee tables and vintage café sign. And the accent pieces reiterate the brilliant yellow of the room's focal-point chest.
Road-test it: Choose a few fundamental pieces to anchor your space, and survey the architecture as well. Then consider which elements you can repeat. Do you have a big, round ottoman paired with Eileen Gray side tables? Pull the circle motif into the room: a round mirror, a vintage schoolhouse wall clock, a collection of straw orbs. Throw in a few contrasting shapes for balance and you'll spark an engaging mix.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Style Secret: Scale, Proportion, Composition
These tenets are essential to any well-designed space, but they're especially important in a room with so many disparate parts. Paying special attention to fundamental principles helps ensure that each element feels of a piece. In less skillful hands, this living area could have looked like a garage sale gone mad, but peek closer and you'll see how well balanced it is. Dramatic draperies hold their own against the sultry sofa, and the coffee and breakfast tables add just enough presence without fighting for the spotlight. Despite the tumble of artwork and accessories, there's nothing accidental about this space.
Road-test it: Before you bring a piece into an eclectic room, consider its relationship to the setting. Does it overwhelm everything else, get lost in a sea of openness or crowd the space? If so, maybe there's a better spot in the house for it.
These tenets are essential to any well-designed space, but they're especially important in a room with so many disparate parts. Paying special attention to fundamental principles helps ensure that each element feels of a piece. In less skillful hands, this living area could have looked like a garage sale gone mad, but peek closer and you'll see how well balanced it is. Dramatic draperies hold their own against the sultry sofa, and the coffee and breakfast tables add just enough presence without fighting for the spotlight. Despite the tumble of artwork and accessories, there's nothing accidental about this space.
Road-test it: Before you bring a piece into an eclectic room, consider its relationship to the setting. Does it overwhelm everything else, get lost in a sea of openness or crowd the space? If so, maybe there's a better spot in the house for it.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Style Secret: Layered Textures
Texture gives an eclectic space its depth. Nearly every surface in this living room brings something different to the party: the nubbly Oriental rug over coarse sisal; the rich wood of the floors and trim; the thick, lush upholstery fabrics and sleek desk. A rich collection of textural elements makes a space appeal to our senses and resonate on a visceral level.
Road-test it: This one's easy — play by the rule of opposites. If you have shiny pieces, add matte ones. Offset metal with wood and plastic with porcelain. Marry smooth silk with coarse burlap. Use your hands as much as your eyes to gauge the level of textural interplay you've achieved.
Texture gives an eclectic space its depth. Nearly every surface in this living room brings something different to the party: the nubbly Oriental rug over coarse sisal; the rich wood of the floors and trim; the thick, lush upholstery fabrics and sleek desk. A rich collection of textural elements makes a space appeal to our senses and resonate on a visceral level.
Road-test it: This one's easy — play by the rule of opposites. If you have shiny pieces, add matte ones. Offset metal with wood and plastic with porcelain. Marry smooth silk with coarse burlap. Use your hands as much as your eyes to gauge the level of textural interplay you've achieved.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Style Secret: A Clean Background
Working the eclectic look is like seating guests at a dinner party: Put the chatterboxes next to the shy types and everyone's happy. This style begs for a blend of strong, singular pieces, so keep the backdrop — walls, floors, windows — simple in order to avoid competition.
Road-test it: Err on the side of neutral and build the background from there. You'll rarely go wrong with pure white walls in an eclectic space, but if they look too bland for you, use an unassuming hue such as chamois, smoky gray or pale blue. Still not enough? Choose a color that's already in the room and try it out on an accent wall or on the ceiling. Or you could just hang more artwork, mount colorful window treatments and throw down a vibrant rug — all quick fixes that are easy to reverse as the room evolves.
Working the eclectic look is like seating guests at a dinner party: Put the chatterboxes next to the shy types and everyone's happy. This style begs for a blend of strong, singular pieces, so keep the backdrop — walls, floors, windows — simple in order to avoid competition.
Road-test it: Err on the side of neutral and build the background from there. You'll rarely go wrong with pure white walls in an eclectic space, but if they look too bland for you, use an unassuming hue such as chamois, smoky gray or pale blue. Still not enough? Choose a color that's already in the room and try it out on an accent wall or on the ceiling. Or you could just hang more artwork, mount colorful window treatments and throw down a vibrant rug — all quick fixes that are easy to reverse as the room evolves.
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Style Secret: Cohesive Color and Pattern
In an eclectic room, you almost have carte blanche with the color wheel — almost. Pair bright citrus hues with shy pastels, mix and match every shade of green, restrict the palette to basic black and white. Likewise, you can combine sassy stripes with a mod floral and overscale chevrons. Conventional wisdom wags its finger at you? Bah, we say.
Road-test it: However, and this is a big however, the scheme needs to make sense. If you try to bring in every single shade you love, or if you pile up patterns with no restraint, you'll be left with a mess. For example, the bedroom here has a lot happening, from the bold print coverlet to the zigzag rug. Now imagine adding a patterned wallpaper or brilliant paint. Feel the headache coming on? Instead, a handful of strong colors and motifs enliven it without overwhelming it.
In an eclectic room, you almost have carte blanche with the color wheel — almost. Pair bright citrus hues with shy pastels, mix and match every shade of green, restrict the palette to basic black and white. Likewise, you can combine sassy stripes with a mod floral and overscale chevrons. Conventional wisdom wags its finger at you? Bah, we say.
Road-test it: However, and this is a big however, the scheme needs to make sense. If you try to bring in every single shade you love, or if you pile up patterns with no restraint, you'll be left with a mess. For example, the bedroom here has a lot happening, from the bold print coverlet to the zigzag rug. Now imagine adding a patterned wallpaper or brilliant paint. Feel the headache coming on? Instead, a handful of strong colors and motifs enliven it without overwhelming it.
by ABCD Design LLC
»
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Style Secret: Unexpected Accents
In what other decorating style could you make a weathered sideboard, an Oriental rug and a wall of vintage ads get along? The fun of eclectic style lies in the element of surprise. This is the time to get personal: Showcase mementos from your trip to India last year; bring out the faded concert posters of your favorite band; stack books inside your Radio Flyer wagon from childhood.
Road-test it: You can go overboard with quirkiness in a hurry. If you have a vintage bicycle next to an old dentist's chair next to a surfboard next to a ... well, you get the picture. Use really outlandish pieces as you would exclamation points: judiciously. Tempering them with a few simple, classic furnishings can elevate the look without diluting its eccentric charm.
In what other decorating style could you make a weathered sideboard, an Oriental rug and a wall of vintage ads get along? The fun of eclectic style lies in the element of surprise. This is the time to get personal: Showcase mementos from your trip to India last year; bring out the faded concert posters of your favorite band; stack books inside your Radio Flyer wagon from childhood.
Road-test it: You can go overboard with quirkiness in a hurry. If you have a vintage bicycle next to an old dentist's chair next to a surfboard next to a ... well, you get the picture. Use really outlandish pieces as you would exclamation points: judiciously. Tempering them with a few simple, classic furnishings can elevate the look without diluting its eccentric charm.
by Niche Interiors
»
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Style Secret: The Odd One Out
Eclectic decorating invites cross-pollination between wildly different design periods. So what do you do if you have a piece that you're wild about, but it doesn't seem to gel with its counterparts? Give it pride of place. Don't try to blend it into the background. Think of it as the room's black sheep: You love it for who it is rather than trying to make it something it isn't.
Road-test it: This approach is best used sparingly. In this bedroom, the chartreuse tulip chair works because the rest of the space allows it to take center stage. A whole room full of strong statement pieces like this one would be overkill. In a pinch, you could always rotate: your prized Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair one season; the next, an antique bergère updated with a zebra print.
What's your take on eclectic style? Tell us about it in the comments.
More:
More style guides
Eclectic Style: Brave Color Mixes
Vintage Modern: What Does It Mean?
Eclectic decorating invites cross-pollination between wildly different design periods. So what do you do if you have a piece that you're wild about, but it doesn't seem to gel with its counterparts? Give it pride of place. Don't try to blend it into the background. Think of it as the room's black sheep: You love it for who it is rather than trying to make it something it isn't.
Road-test it: This approach is best used sparingly. In this bedroom, the chartreuse tulip chair works because the rest of the space allows it to take center stage. A whole room full of strong statement pieces like this one would be overkill. In a pinch, you could always rotate: your prized Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair one season; the next, an antique bergère updated with a zebra print.
What's your take on eclectic style? Tell us about it in the comments.
More:
More style guides
Eclectic Style: Brave Color Mixes
Vintage Modern: What Does It Mean?
Thank you for all of this great information on this design style.
~koolbeanszzzz
English Country House style I think is one of the first influences on American eclectic style, with the layers of objects, fabrics and furniture pieces accumulated over the centuries and by successive inhabitants.
Jonathan Adler is one designer whose playful, colorful, eclectic style that has had a huge influence on current design trends.
It is interesting to me that someone commented how much they hate Photo #3 -It is my favorite room! I don't love all the rooms shown, but that is the point of eclectic - it's your own personal style!
Yaletownman made an excellent point - so many times I look at beautifully coordinated rooms in magazines or tv or web in a certain color scheme and style, and I think they look so staged and bland, not appealing to me at all!
Many homeowners primarily want to display their wealth and status. Since I have neither, maybe my dislike is sour grapes, but I think a home misses a certain warmth without pieces that really reflect the personality of its inhabitants.
Contemporary is especially tricky in that regard, as it often comes off as cold and unwelcoming. PaintColorHelp.com made a great comment on that as well.
Very well written article, and great design tips, Lisa!
http://star-drama.com/StarTVDrama/star-plus