ECLECTIC + MIDCENTURY LIVING ROOM

Moving into a new home can be exciting. You get a chance to refresh your decor, reinvent your style, add or subtract things that you have always wanted or have been wanting to get rid of.  Excitement is one word for it (if you are shopping maniac, space planning, design plotting workaholic like myself), but most people call it OVERWHELMING.

Enter a recent e-Design client of mine. They just moved from a cramped apartment in the city into a much more spacious suburban home. A home that they felt wasn’t quite a true reflection of them with its traditional trims, country stone fireplace and classic arched doorways between rooms. This couple described themselves as one part midcentury modern, one part eclectic and one part industrial. And they just weren’t sure how to make it all work together with their new home. Enter moi, the shopping maniac, space planning, design plotting workaholic!

Designing with an eclectic style  is all about finding the right balance between all the diversity that is going on between furnishings and decor.  The key is repetition of elements to create balance and unity. Having similar elements repeated around the room gives the sense that these were all purposeful decisions and helps a space with a mix of styles feel cohesive and intentional. Let me explain:

For this living space I kept the soft furnishings (chairs and sofa) in the mid century style to create some unity within that style. To bring in a touch of the industrial style I selected items with some contrasting materials, like the coffee table with a warm wood top in a fun pattern combined with a sleek metal base. The metal elements are repeated through other small details like the sleek trim around the mirror and the swing-arm-style table lamp.

The client wanted touches of orange and blue in the space. To incorporate that I chose a rug that was a more traditional pattern (giving a nod to the style of the house) but had some fun unexpected colors in it. The orange was then repeated around the room through the accent chairs and throw pillows.

Getting it yet? Unique design element + Repetition, Repetition, Repetition = Unity & Balance in a mix n’ match style living space

The eclectic/mid century/industrial feel was carried through all the way to the other side of the long rectangular living room.  A functional ‘laptop zone’ was created by using a hairpin leg desk (mid century) with a distressed wood top (industrial) anchored with a molded plastic chair–a mid century classic. Colors from the sitting area are repeated in a gallery wall with art from one of my favorite sources. This ensures that the two zones feel cohesive within the same space.

You really get it now right!? Repetition = Unity

Want to see more check out the video project walk-through here!  Interested in a product you see here? Email me for sources!