If you love decorating your home, you might have encountered the challenge of mixing different styles. Maybe you want to combine your modern furniture with some vintage pieces, or you want to add some color and texture to your minimalist space. How can you achieve a harmonious and cohesive look without creating a clash of styles?
In this blog post, I will share with you some tips and tricks on how to mix different decorating styles successfully. You will learn how to balance the proportions, colors, patterns, and materials of your chosen styles, and how to tie everything together. You will also discover some examples of that mix different styles in a creative and inspiring way.
Many people struggle with appropriately mixing styles together, but really want to try. Maybe you are drawn to modern, classic, bohemian, minimalist, mid-century, Victorian, or any other style. Or maybe you live with someone who has a very different taste and style than you. How can you create a harmonious and beautiful space that reflects both of your personalities?
Don't worry, you can mix and match styles and fortunately for you there are several techniques you can apply to get it just right. One technique is to lean towards one style as the dominant style of the room and add another style with varying decor in bursts of accents throughout the room. For example, you could combine a bohemian style rug, macrame wall hangings, bright colors and bohemian pattern throw pillows, and potted plants mixed with some vintage classical pieces like a chesterfield velvet sofa or a classic style ceramic lamp, and a traditional wooden coffee table. This way, you create a balance between the two styles and avoid a cluttered or chaotic look.
Another thing to keep in mind is that 50/50 doesn't quite look right. It's confusing and feels off if you don't have an obvious theme or style you're leaning towards. If you want to mix two styles equally, you need to have some elements that tie them together, such as a common color scheme, texture, shape, or mood.
If you're thinking of mixing three styles, this is referred to as a style triangle. Basically, what this means is you combine two styles like mid-century and minimalism but add some vintage or rugged accents to add a little unexpected pizazz. For example, you could have a sleek and simple bed frame, a minimalist nightstand, and a geometric rug mixed with some retro lamps, a vintage trunk, and some leather pillows. This way, you create contrast and interest without overwhelming the space.
Be careful when mixing more than three styles, because it might cause the room to feel muddled. Unless you are a professional designer or have a very good eye for aesthetics, it's better to stick to two or three styles at most.
Here are two ideas for a bedroom that mixes two styles using the technique of 80/20:
- A modern farmhouse bedroom with 80% farmhouse style and 20% modern style. You could have a wooden bed frame, a cozy quilt, a rustic dresser, and some farmhouse-style wall art mixed with some modern lamps, a sleek chair, and some metal accents.
- A Scandinavian boho bedroom with 80% Scandinavian style and 20% boho style. You could have a white bed frame, a fluffy duvet, a minimalist desk, and some Scandinavian-style prints mixed with some colorful pillows, a boho rug, some plants, and some macrame wall hangings.