Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Eclectic Decor

Sometimes people ask me for interior design advice. Being that I think about interior design about 98% of my waking time, I'm always happy to talk about designing spaces. One of the biggest difficulties people seem to face when deciding what to put in their house is the absolute dread that things will not "go together". To that I say, good. Your stuff shouldn't "go together". This is, after all, your home, not one of those fake showrooms at Raymour and Flannigan. Where's the fun in a house if everything is matchy matchy and on purpose. Homes and the decor inside them should evolve and change, and be just as multidimensional and interesting as the people who dwell there. Be brave when you decorate. There is really no way to mess it up, as long as what you see when you walk around your house makes you happy.
Here are some beautiful eclectic spaces to inspire you.
Enjoy!
The emerald green curtains in this room are phenomenal. I can't stop staring wistfully at them.

Nothing matches here. It's beautiful and restful and cheerful.

Again, there is no clear scheme, period, or style, but everything feels very harmonious in this space, mostly because of the slate and gray blues found throughout.

This is the picture that inspired this post. This room stopped me in my tracks. STUNNING. That's an 18th century Queen Anne drop leaf table, with mod furniture, and look at the little green 19th century hanging cupboard. 

I like that none of the chairs in this room match. The pheasant. The pheasant is brilliant.

International to the extreme. A little bit American southwest, a little Asian, a lot of classical architecture. You can tell every piece in this space was acquired individually, and that a fair bit of it has a good story attached.

A mishmash of styles and furniture, but a restrained color palette and a very curated collection of accessories make this bright dining room so pretty and prim. And I think I'm going to collect ironstone pitchers. 

This room has such a casual upbeat vibe. Bright artwork hung haphazardly co-exists so perfectly with a variety of vintage florals. Just picture curling up here with a cup of coffee and a good book on a Sunday morning.

See, this is what I mean about being brave in your decor choices. The art is all over the place. The floors are painted white (perhaps so the dog hair won't show?). The design is retro and rustic and unique and interesting. I can promise you that you could recreate this room easily with vintage and flea market finds for a song. 

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