Eclecticism is an intriguing, yet effective design idea – while it can result in a fantastic look for any room, there is always the danger of trying too much and creating an untidy, unpleasant aesthetic. Luckily, we’re here to help you avoid the potential pitfalls and make your space brilliantly eclectic.
Limit yourself
As the old adage goes; ‘Less is more’, and in the case of eclectic design, this definitely rings true. A good rule of thumb is to avoid incorporating more than three different styles in one room, otherwise it will look too busy and confuse the overall look you were going for. Try out a few pairs of styles, rather than combinations of 4 or 5 things. Some excellent combinations are often pattern-oriented. Stripes go excellently with other geometric patterns, including diamonds or fractals.
Design through the ages
Another excellent technique to make your interior perfectly eclectic is to mix and match different objects, styles or pieces of furniture from different eras. However, before you go pairing that vintage Victorian sideboard with a quirky seventies bubble chair, consider what works well together and what wouldn’t. The trick is to choose styles which complement each other. Examples of times which go together well include:
- The 50’s and modern day
- Victorian and the 90’s
- Modern Day and the 80’s
Get Colourful
Colour is important to any design scheme, and you should bear this in mind with any potential redecorating project. Ask yourself how many colours are you going to use and if they are going to go well together. These are both very complicated questions and you need to give careful consideration into the different shades included in your eclectic design. The mix of mint green and soft, metallic pink has always been a classic combination, but when it comes to making your own decision, the best option is to play around with different colour mixes and find out which one works best for you.
A brilliant way to create a dream team of colours is to choose one or two colours for walls, furniture and accessories in your room, and combine them with a coloured wardrobe. Alternatively, you could use our interactive wardrobe builder to design your own fitted sliding wardrobe in as many different colours as you want.
