Exuberant, unique and deeply satisfying—eclectic home interiors are all this and much more! A study in contrasts, this décor theme plays off the old against the new and mixes colours, textures and patterns in a riotous celebration of life. The more you can think outside the box, the more this style will suit you!
What are the Characteristics of Eclectic Décor?
Eclectic style borrows from different periods and design themes, tying up the look together through a common thread of colours, shapes or patterns. While the elements are all diverse, they work together beautifully well. An eclectic designer has a knack for putting together disparate eclectic home décor accessories without playing by any rule book, smoothing out any hiccups and blending one-of-a-kind accessories so they all look incredible together.
And precisely because there are no rules, this is one of the hardest decorating styles to follow! However, there is some method behind the madness. Read on to know how you can experiment with this style.
1. Start with a Neutral Palette
As this design style pushes the limits of normal, it’s very easy to lose the definition of space. Tone down the chaos by keeping the background colours, including walls and floors, as simple as possible.
By starting with a neutral white, grey or cream, you can build on the palette in terms of look and design. You can then create layers of patterns, textures, and colours and work with different types of furniture, adding accents to tie the look together.
2. Mix and Match
Since you’re not following any particular theme, you can mix and match your heart’s content. A vintage table can be paired with modern bucket chairs or a glass-topped coffee table in industrial style with a tufted velvet couch.
Combine the old and the new, and don’t be afraid to group together a completely random selection of chairs at your dining table, like this happy homeowner has done!
3. Create Rhythm through Repetition
Repetition brings about a sense of continuity and cohesiveness to space. Despite the design style being essentially one of putting random things together, you can create a common flow or rhythm through the entire room by repeating patterns, shapes, or colours.
Here, vibrant bursts of the same colours are repeated through the room to create a unifying sense of context, while the background is essentially all white.
4. Pull-in Global Influences
Love to travel? This décor style allows you to show off all those gorgeous artifacts that you’ve picked up on your sojourns around the world.
Here, a Moroccan embellished chest sits cosily alongside a porcelain painted pot with a tall desert succulent. Elsewhere in the room, industrial-style shelving and a sprinkling of colourful cushions are other disparate elements that somehow work well together to create a charming space.
5. Play with Textures
Textures play a pivotal role in eclectic style interiors. Textural interest can be created by the interplay of opposites; by contrasting smooth against rough, coarse with fine, and soft with hard. Repeat similar textures through the room to create tactile stimulation and add layers of depth.
In this home, against a unifying backdrop of solid blue, the cushions and throws form a juxtaposition of playful patterns and textures.
6. Rein in the Contrasts
While the design vocabulary is drawn out of disorder and contrasts, the trick to getting it right lies in balancing the eclectic home décor accessories perfectly.
The ultra-modern coffee table looks right at home amidst the vintage cabinet in the far corner and the mid-century-modern velvet sofa. Old gramophone records that are framed on the wall again speak to the past, while the rest of the prints are modern in outlook.
7. Work with the Architecture
It’s easiest to work with the architectural elements that are there in the building, especially if there is any fine, old detailing that already exists.
The Victorian mantel is the focus of this lovely room that has unabashedly contemporary elements alongside. Sustainable bamboo chairs are drawn up on either side of the working fireplace, while a classical pouffe in brown velvet adds an element of comfort. The palette of greys and browns pulls the look together.
8. Embellish with Art
Ornamentation is an integral part of eclectic design styling. Quirky artwork, statuettes, and sculptures, paintings, and wall graffiti all find their way into these interesting homes.
This living room is filled with warmth, both from the sunshine colours used as well as the thoughtfully grouped collections of artwork on the coffee table, the walls and countertops. Finely detailed furniture pieces provide interesting visuals. Anywhere you look, there’s something unique to pique your interest!
Tips to get it right!
- Make every design decision a carefully considered one. While nothing needs to match perfectly, they should not look odd together.
- Pick a colour palette, and try to stick to it, for the large part at least. Perhaps you can choose one colour to unify the room, and then accessorize with playful accents.
- Don’t go overboard. It’s all too easy to do that, and you don’t want a room that puts your senses on overdrive. Keep it simple, and don’t overcrowd the room with too much furniture just because that’s what you think an eclectic theme should look like!
- Look for a sense of balance, if not harmony. This theme is not the kind where everything matches and is in perfect harmony, but you can look to create balance. If your furnishings are bold, textured or patterned, keep the background neutral; and vice versa.
- If you’re representing different eras, try to get cohesion through similar lines and forms. You can also choose to achieve a sense of continuity through the use of the same upholstery on different styles of chairs.
- Artwork and sculptures play an integral role in eclectic homes. Pick up intriguing objects that speak to your heart. Look for correlations in terms of colour, style or mood.
- Despite the way the look is thrown together, it is important to ensure that space doesn’t end up looking messy. This style that is so appealing can also be very tricky to achieve.
- Don’t be afraid to take risks! If you feel something belongs in your home, no matter how quirky or unconventional, do find room for it!
Conclusion
Eclectic design is a style that is difficult to compartmentalize. It re-organizes the traditional look book, mixing opposing styles, pairing the old with the new, and bringing together the East and the West. It can be showy and over the top while at the same time being classy and elegant, or old and dated while alluding to modern elements. Eclectic spaces invite you to fill them with your personality, decorate them with the objects you love and make them unique.
With care and attention to detail, you can transform your home into a wonderfully warm living space that’s imbued with love.
Need help? HomeLane’s expert designers are just a call away!
