06 Feb Mixing Styles. It’s Easier Than You Think.

Thankfully, the idea of incorporating different styles, patterns, and eras in the same space is trending. Perusing the shelves of your local big box retailer, you’re likely to come across minimalist designs with clean lines reminiscent of Mid Century Modern pieces from the 1950s. And also pillows, lamps, and fake taxidermy featuring llamas. It’s okay to like both; it’s okay to buy both. And it’s even okay to put both in the same room.

Mixing and matching gives your space a welcoming, bohemian vibe. By embracing the neutrals, pairing eras that complement one another, and using the buddy system you can mix and match without overwhelming your space or blowing your budget.

Neutrals are here to stay. You may as well embrace them.

Living in an apartment, it’s likely your walls, cabinets, and other permanent fixtures are neutral. Neutrals are basically a blank canvas and they match literally everything, including one another. It may take some work, but we really need to get over this whole black and brown don’t match thing. They can be beautiful together. Embracing neutrals, including greys, really opens you up to a world of possibilities when it comes to furniture, funky styles, and fun accessories. So, instead of focusing on the fact that your whole place is greige, think about how great your things are going to look against that backdrop.

Complementary Styles

Pairing styles that complement one another makes style blending easier. Art Deco and Mid Century Modern, for example, share some overlapping characteristics with just enough differences to make it interesting. Both have the clean lines, but Art Deco is often embellished, and the functionality of the piece may not have been as important; making them visually stunning, but not great for every day use.

Mid Century Modern, which came along after Art Deco, took those materials and clean lines and added a dash of practicality. Because of their similarities, these two styles work well together. Try pairing a functional MCM furniture piece with an Art Deco stained glass.

Use the Buddy System

To pull off mixed styles without overwhelming your space, it helps for everything you bring in to have a buddy. Let’s say you find an awesome, bold chair you absolutely love, but nothing you own matches it. That’s okay; you should still buy the chair. To seamlessly tie it in, add a wall hanging, vase, or trinket in the same color somewhere else in the room. That’s it. Pretty simple, right? This same trick can also be used when it comes to wood tones, picture frames, pillows, and blankets.

Pulling off an eclectic style without looking like a crazy person is easier than you think. Remember, as long as every item you bring in reflects your personality, it’ll work. You are what ties the room together, not the stuff in it. So, don’t be afraid of the area rug  or the patterned granny chair you found at a yard sale or even that llama lamp from Target you really like. Buy it, embrace it, and make it your own.