Home > Decorating & Design > Feature Article: Mix It Up 
Express yourself!
Display the things you
love such as art objects
collected locally or from
your travels.
Antique armchairs meet Pop
Art and live happily ever after
in an eclectic living room.
Use
soothing colors in your
bedroom to follow Feng
Shui principles. Mix It Up Eclectic decorating gives you
permission to surround yourself
with the items you love the most.
Balance. Start by identifying the focal
point of the room such as a fireplace or
built-in bookcase. Then decide whether
you want the formality of a symmetrical
arrangement (your grandmother’s twin vases
at either end of the mantel, for instance) or
the more informal asymmetry (a collection
of glass candlesticks at one end and a basket
from India at the other).
Proportion. This is key to eclectic decorating as it spells the difference between a room that feels right and one that seems disjointed. Keep items in scale with each other. If you’re decorating a large room with large windows, choose large furniture and group accessories so they take up space in proper proportion. Use large pieces of artwork, for instance, or group many photos together on one wall.
Fabrics and Textiles. Eclectic decorating gives you the freedom to mix and match. Choose two or three patterns that have at least one color in common. Consider starting with a rug that you love, then select other fabrics that complement it.
Collectibles. Choose what you love, grouping elements for the greatest impact. Your collection of stoneware pieces might be difficult to see if they’re spread throughout a room. But when you arrange them together on a shelf, their “wow” quotient goes up.
Color. A room’s palette can be the unifying element, tying disparate items together. Neutrals are best for walls—but that doesn’t mean you have to stick with white or beige. Select a color with depth to it—like a rich, buttery yellow or deep, mossy green—to add drama to your artwork and accessories. Even brown can be a neutral, McCoid says. “If you paint your whole room dark chocolate, you can accent with light colors.”
You have your own sense of style—your favorite
colors, fabrics, travel souvenirs, the love of
cushy couch pillows. This personal style is
the basis for eclectic decorating. But it takes
careful planning to keep it from becoming a
mishmash of unrelated objects.
“With eclectic decorating there’s no set
standard,” says Lisa McCoid, AIA, ASID, of D3
Interiors. “It’s all about the overall feel. Does
everything balance and fl ow together?”
To achieve eclectic success you can follow
your own lead (or have a decorator help you out)
and choose items that play off one another with
contrasting textures, shapes and patterns. Follow
these tips:
GO
ECLECTIC!
With eclectic decorating
there’s no set standard. It’s all
about the overall feel. ECLECTIC!
Proportion. This is key to eclectic decorating as it spells the difference between a room that feels right and one that seems disjointed. Keep items in scale with each other. If you’re decorating a large room with large windows, choose large furniture and group accessories so they take up space in proper proportion. Use large pieces of artwork, for instance, or group many photos together on one wall.
Fabrics and Textiles. Eclectic decorating gives you the freedom to mix and match. Choose two or three patterns that have at least one color in common. Consider starting with a rug that you love, then select other fabrics that complement it.
Collectibles. Choose what you love, grouping elements for the greatest impact. Your collection of stoneware pieces might be difficult to see if they’re spread throughout a room. But when you arrange them together on a shelf, their “wow” quotient goes up.
Color. A room’s palette can be the unifying element, tying disparate items together. Neutrals are best for walls—but that doesn’t mean you have to stick with white or beige. Select a color with depth to it—like a rich, buttery yellow or deep, mossy green—to add drama to your artwork and accessories. Even brown can be a neutral, McCoid says. “If you paint your whole room dark chocolate, you can accent with light colors.”
COMMUNICATING WITH STYLE Because eclectic decorating is so personal, it’s important
to clearly communicate your desires to your decorator.
Here’s what McCoid recommends:
- “I ask my customers to fl ip through magazines and tear out pictures of things they love and things they hate,” she says. This communicates much more clearly than trying to describe the look you want.
- Meet with your decorator in your home. “It’s important to understand how clients live and how they function in their spaces,” McCoid says.
- Show your decorator the must-have items you want to incorporate in a room. If some of them are in storage, McCoid recommends taking photos of them. “It’s important for your decorator to know what to work into a space from the beginning.”
DISCOVERING FENG SHUI
The freedom and unique personality of eclectic decorating lends itself to the art and science of Feng Shui, which has been practiced in China for more than 3,000 years.
“Feng” means “wind” and “Shui” means “water”—two things that are associated with good harvest and health. It’s believed that creating “good Feng Shui” in your home balances the energy of your surroundings and promotes health and prosperity.
While the study of Feng Shui is complex and can take years to master, the basic principles can be applied in any home. Here are a few ideas to consider:
The freedom and unique personality of eclectic decorating lends itself to the art and science of Feng Shui, which has been practiced in China for more than 3,000 years.
“Feng” means “wind” and “Shui” means “water”—two things that are associated with good harvest and health. It’s believed that creating “good Feng Shui” in your home balances the energy of your surroundings and promotes health and prosperity.
While the study of Feng Shui is complex and can take years to master, the basic principles can be applied in any home. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Choose colors that reflect the five Feng Shui elements of fire, earth, water, wood and metal. For instance, wood colors include brown and green, and support wealth and vitality. They are recommended in the east and southeast areas of a room or your home. The colors of metal, which help you live with clarity, are gray and white, and can be used in the north part of your home or office.
- In your bedroom, good Feng Shui promotes restful and healing sleep. Use soothing colors, choose art that captures what you want in your life and position your bed so you can get in from both sides. Sorry, but Feng Shui calls for a sleeping environment free of the TV, computer or exercise equipment.
- If you have problem neighbors, hang a mirror in a place where it refl ects back on their house. The mirror sends the energy back where it came from so it won’t be absorbed in your home.
- Paint your front door red (or a related shade—burgundy or persimmon, for example) to invite good fortune into your life.
