IMO, the secret is matching 'mood' (rather than colors or materials) and having the pieces suggest a backstory -- for example, a career spent travelling, or pieces inherited from grandma.

By mood, I mean more elegant or casual, urban or rural, refined or rustic. Not that you can't juxtapose them and throw in a surprise or two -- But I'd suggest the overall ambiance should have a 'baseline mood' with a few surprises thrown in for interest.

Sticking to a color theme and loose style helps.
Everything I have is "collected over time", and while I yearn for certain palettes, I don't go in that direction unless it's something very small- or unless I want to change everything out. Big pieces are things I think out thoroughly and try to keep cohesive.

My furniture is mostly traditional with occasional,(cheap) modern accent pieces. The overall look is eclectic but I think it works.

Although my colors are now not top-of-the-trend, and it's much harder to find the cobalts, reds and ochers than it was 8 years ago, the look is current-enough.

I'm not quite as daring as some, plus have a DH who thinks if something is not part of a collection, it's mismatched. When I first started, I kept to vintage mahogany pieces so that all the wood matched. Most of it was in the Duncan Phyfe style, but pieces were collected as I found them. Over time, some of the pieces have drifted into my family room where they have mixed surprisingly well with some of my more contemporary pieces (though the contemporary pieces are traditional).

What I think makes a collected room work is to define a vision for your space, be it French Country or modern. Ideally, it should blend with the architectural elements of your home as well. Pieces need to work together in terms of overall scale and bulkiness and patterns and textures need to have some commonality as well. Don't be afraid to use a piece in a new and different way from it's original purpose. If you are going to add something different, it needs to be of excellent quality and able to stand alone as something unique and special.

Sweeby-Good thought on the mood. I'm still trying to visualize it. So if I have mostly contemporary furniture, starting to throw in some antique or early century pieces is going to look a bit strange, right?

(From House Beautiful's site)

This room looks layered to me, in that it is not matchy-matchy, and there is upholstery, wood, metal, and the ceramic piece.

This one too, although it doesn't look as cohesive to me, for a reason I can't figure out;

Bumblebez-I think you are right about the color palette. Maybe that is why I am struggling. We've moved 3 times in the last 5 years and we still have a lot of the furniture we bought for our first house. Trying to make it work in a totally different style house in a differnt part of the country (different lighting) may be what's throwing me. I've always used reds and browns too, but now that I am up in New England and the winters are so long and grey, I find myself wanting to lighten everything up.

I think two good examples here on this board (IMO) are Allison and My3Dogs. Now I am partial to antiques and both of these GWers have many antique pieces. Not that you have to, but I think it somewhat figures in with that over time thought. They also have collections which adds to that look. Allison has her etchings, her BALLS, etc. My3Dogs has transferware, you see what I mean. My3dogs also uses the same colors pretty much over her whole house - and I love her palette. I think that adds to the look, things blend together in a cohesive color scheme.

Other things that help - accessories that have meaning - such as family items, pieces picked up when traveling, interests (think horses as in thepolohouse.blogspot.com), etc.

Here is a blog that is a good example. I love her style. I'm pretty sure it has been shared here before. Oh yes - I know it was because I just remembered the kitchen comments.
You will note some newer, trendier touches such as the seagrass (jute, whatever) rug and the zebra rug.

hope this helps!

tina

Here is a link that might be useful: for the love of a house

Tina, that blog is incredible! I am also a Texan transplanted to New England, so I can relate to a lot of her posts about the wonderment of this new area.

But back to my main point. Her house is gorgeous. I love it, and it is pretty much the look and style I like. She has so many lovely pieces.

I'll have to do a search for those posters and see if I can find some photos of their spaces.

I think a big part of my struggle is that my taste has really changed from, say, Pottery Barn circa 2002 to one that includes older pieces and things that we have collected and inherited. So I am struggling with how to blend the new (which are older pieces) with my old (which were mostly bought new in the last 8 years).

Thank you for your post. You guys have all given me such great things to ponder.

I wish Magnaverde would chime in because he always knows how to say what I'm thinking.

It seems to me that the best examples of eclectic design have some commonality within the elements. The common attribute might be shape, color, original design time period, texture or some combination of those. (There are probably other categories, but I can't think of any right now.) For example, mixing antiques (or reproductions) from Italian, French and English designers of 1800 - 1850 works because there's a common pedigree there. As another example, cottage style works by mixing pieces painted in pastels, cream or white. Adding accessories collected from travels to what used to be considered exotic locales (Asia and Africa, primarily) seems to work with almost any style. Accenting one theme with another also seems to work, like adding one ornate antique chair to an otherwise modernist design or using a Lucite table with a primarily traditional design.

What doesn't seem to work is to mix two disparate styles in equal measure, like having a mid-century sofa mixed with mission chairs or a Queen Anne dining table with only Philippe Starck ghost chairs. What also doesn't seem to work is to have each room in one house be completely furnished in a different style.

Am I making any sense here?

I think that the best homes are the ones that look like they have been "collected" over time. Designers do it often and they are good at it. A favorite is Bunny Williams and I like Charlotte Moss as well. But a lot of that is the Sister Parrish, Nancy Lancaster type of look.

Have a look at the link below to see how Jeffrey Bilhuber, a well known designer, uses various styles, even modern pieces, in collected rooms.

Drybean, here's a link to Allison's house pics: http://www.atticmag.com/2011/03/my-french-os-de-mouton-chair-search/ At the bottom of that article is a link entitled "Alabama Stone Cottage" which shows more pics of her house. There's also a 2nd part to that, as well as one of her kitchen and details of her house. Just look for the links with each article.

Remember, the 'collected over time' look usually takes time. I believe one can do it more quickly but not without courage and being willing to take chances and make mistakes. I used to shop often in yard sales and other 2nd hand venues and bot those items I couldn't bear to leave behind. Most were good purchases and I'll keep them but I also am now editing my house and giving away many items I don't really love. Since I didn't spend a lot of money on them I don't mind donating to my local charity thrift store. I will still shop in 2nd hand venues but have learned thru experience which items suit my style and are 'keepers'. I'll likely still make some mistakes but not many.

I think it's important to keep a sense of humor about decorating and not be afraid to use whimsical pieces, pieces with patina, architectural treasures, handmade one-of-a-kind items, and especially those items that immediately provoke a positive gut reaction. Your own personal collected look should never look like anyone else's and should give you pleasure.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeffrey Bilhuber

The difference? Sometimes there isn't a difference :)

Never having owned a "set" of anything, I can say that you just get used to having stuff around whether it goes together or not. I have collected all my furniture and artwork over time, and have been given furniture and artwork collected by our two families over an even longer period of time. Sometimes I wonder if I really should replace those antique golf prints in the library, then remember where they came from and decide (yet again) that they're not going anywhere. That's why my house will never look like a magazine . . . luckily I don't aspire to that!

When unpacked from storage my LR will again have several main, Queen Anne pieces. With those, though, I realized I have Asian accents.

My settee (I'm small and that's all I need), side chair, armoire, and end tables are Queen Anne or QA-ish.
I see there's a smiliarlity in the legs when I review now.

My coffee & console table, Indian screens, antique Chinese garden scupltures, artwork, and coloring is Aisan.

I have a Deco credenza with tarnished brass lamps. It's all in their shape.

I think it's being brave to try something you love. Definately think coloring (but wood does not have to be matchy-matchy, either), think main, favorite style.

I have a friend who buys anything with a rabbit on it. She has absolutely no sense of color (absolutely my opinion but read: all garish) and will mix pastel baby rugs into her primary red & yellow kitchen. She loves anything Asian, yet somehow, to me, the Chinese sculpted, pastel carpets hanging on the walls don't mix with those electric blue walls (which match her eyes, she says). However, she loves her house and her stuff. So it works for her.

My mom, who has several fabulous homes, would "tsk tks" about people who didn't have the "vision" not to buy a showroom or catalogue page. I guess I assimilated that. She said it is easy to just buy someone else's design, but it's also creative to take someone else's design you love as a base and make it your own.

I think buying quality. Flea market & thrift store finds, unusual, classic, inexpensive catalogue finds, heirlooms & special purchases can easily mix. I guess, just don't be shy. We all make mistakes we don't know what to do with.

I have a fantastic, thick, square mirror. The frame is 18x18" & the mirror is only 6" square inside. It's a silver leaf. SOOOOO contemporary and so cool -- but I have no place it sits well. I have faith, tho. My space will change & morph & suddenly it'll be perfect for that time being. :)

What a long-winded way to say "just go for it." Just take your time & don't try to buy your look. Develop it. As far as a matchy-matchy husband? Small changes without necessarily asking first. Just incorporate.

C.