“Style mixing can be a challenging art form.  Nobody wants a living room that looks like a yard sale explosion, but staying safe with a matchy-matchy look won’t help you shape your signature style.  There are ways to mix and match and still have harmony.” ~ Melissa Michaels

Many times when I arrive at an Interior Redesign appointment, my client will say, almost apologizing,  “We have a mixture of furniture styles and there are pieces I want to keep and incorporate in my room.” I certainly understand the “I want to keep” part, because I have items in my own home that I am attached to also.  One of the questions I always ask before beginning a job is, “What furniture pieces or accessories have meaning to you and your family?”  Once I’m told these pieces, my job is to incorporate these treasures and create a beautiful and interesting room that not only reflects her style but also tells her family’s story.

There is no need for you to stress about having one particular style and matching the furniture and accessories to that style. Being matchy-matchy can be boring and uninviting…..plus it leaves the room lacking in personality.  You want your home to be unique and reflect on the style of the family that lives there.

Ideas to help you mix it up:

• Keep it simple and uncluttered when mixing styles.
• Start with neutrals on your walls and your largest pieces of furniture. Use color with your accent pieces and accessories.
• Choose a color palette for your room. Color will help unify and tie together different styles.  When thinking about the use of color in your room, use the 70/20/10 rule.  It may help to think of a man’s suit being 70% of your color, the shirt being 20%, and the tie is 10%. Limiting a color scheme to three colors works best in your room.
• Use the 80/20 rule to bring styles together. Choose a main style and use it in 80% of the room. For example, 80% being the large upholstered pieces in a modern style, while the other 20% of the room, like the tables and lamps, is traditional.
• Spread the style around the room. It works best to mix up your styles.  For example, use a modern lamp on a traditional console.
• Find balance in your room. If your bedroom is a mixture of furniture and doesn’t feel like it is coming together, matching the night tables (they don’t have to be exactly alike but should be close to the same height and visual weight) and the lamps will pull your style together in the room.  Remember that bedside lamps should be approximately 24” to 28” tall.
• Give each piece at least one “friend” who shares a color, style, or finish in the room. For example:  mix up your dining chairs by using a different style chair on each end……those chairs should be “friends,” meaning alike but different in style from the table and other chairs.
• Bring two styles together with fabric. Example:  cover an antique or traditional chair with a more contemporary fabric. When using the chair in a modern setting, it will help the two styles come together.
• Keep the wood tones consistent with the different styles used in your room. The same tones used with the same type of wood on the wooden pieces will create cohesiveness in the space.

These suggestions will help you create a beautiful room with the pieces you have purchased, inherited or found at a yard sale. Need help “mixing it up” …….. give ReDESIGNS by Ava a call to schedule an appointment.