Skip to main content

Mix and Match Furniture

I've mentioned before, that rooms do not have a be, for lack of a better word, "matchy matchy."  Not in color, not in furnishing, not in fabrics.  Layers are what make a good room. Layers bring depth to a space and allow each piece in the room to compliment each other.   You want your room to look as if it's been pieced together beautifully over time.  One of the ways to achieve this "thought out eclectic" is to layer in different styles via furniture and fabrics.  It will add excitement and interest to your space.  I have a few examples below to show you what I mean.

Not sure if you want your home to be modern or traditional?  Why not both?  Nikki from fromtherightbank.com achieved just that in her space.  I love the contemporary lamp, rug and coffee table offset by the exposed wood beams and antique oil paintings.  Luckily, my grandfather has a love for oil paintings as well.  I'm hoping one day he'll pass those treasures on to me :)
via From the Right Bank
This kitchen is elegant and traditional all in one.  What really sets off the space is the chandelier.  I'm sure many would not even THINK about placing a large crystal chandelier in their kitchen, but look at how well it works in the space.  It gives an unexpected surprise to an otherwise typical kitchen.   The simple lines and neutral colors of the cabinets and backsplash enhance rather than compete with the chandelier and the informal block letters spelling out "EAT" bring a casual feeling to the space, balancing out the ornate look of the fixture.  Simply divine.

This room has a lot going on.  There are tons of patterns, textures, colors and materials.  Once again, it's about them working together instead of against each other.  Each element in this space appears to have some sort of depth to it - the trellis pattern on the couch, the black and white zebra stripe rug, the black and white coral pillow, the see-through lamp, glass coffee table, iron side table and cutout screens- all of them pull your eyes through.  Even the mirror offers the idea of looking beyond.  So although the style of the pieces themselves might not come from the same place, their patterns certainly do.  

Here is another great example of contemporary and traditional.  Most of this space is pretty contemporary and modern.  But there are a few elements that aren't.  The traditional rug, distressed credenza and vintage art pieces are all counteracted by the contemporary lamps and other furniture pieces.  This is a great example of how various textures can bring a room from bland to beautiful.
via ABCD Design






































The next time you're out shopping for furnishings and find yourself torn between two styles, don't make yourself chose. Use them both and enhance your home with pieces that work together to bring interest to your space.
post signature

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Canopy Stripes

As I mentioned in a previous post, black and white canopy striped fabric is one of my current obsessions. It's classic, clean and oh so elegant. Not to mention that it can make a bold statement in a room without being too flashy. I normally favor a very neutral color palette with accents of greens and robin's egg blues, and this pattern could be put in any such setting and be beautiful. Here a few of my favorite examples: Is this room spectacular or what? It's modern, classic and sophisticated! There is a large amount of stripes in this room, yet it's not overbearing. And the symmetry and clean lines displayed throughout give the room great balance. I could just plop this room right into my house! This is another example (as shown in a previous entry). If you don't have the money to invest in a rug, buy a few pillows and get the same look in your room for a fraction of the price. Whoever said black and brown don't go together was seriously mistaken. Lo

Guest Room Before and After-Healing Aloe

 Here is a shot of the room in all of its coral glory.  Great for a teenager, not for a soothing guest room. And here is the Healing Aloe after.  Healing Aloe is a color by Benjamin Moore. It was hard to get a good shot of the true color, but it is more of a seafoam than gray. Aside from painting the walls and buying a new white quilt for the bed, everything else in the space we already had--most of which are hand-me-downs (bed and dresser) or thrift store finds (lamp and side table).  It will all be sufficient for now, and hopefully a space that our guests will love. I'm very happy with the outcome and the progress of one more room in the house coming closer to completion.  One down, three to go (at least in the painting department!)

Table Decorating Contest

Jon and I are leaving to spend a long weekend in San Antonio with his parents and his brother (who will be town from Arizona).  But before we go, I wanted to leave you with some pictures from the Officer Spouses Club Table Decorating Contest that was held last night. I called Jon on my way home from base, and he immediately asked "How was the contest?" to which I responded "Victorious." The 32nd FTS, our squadron, took first place! The theme was Silver Screen so we decided to focus on famous quotes from each movie genre. Each place setting featured a different movie. We had a "drive-in" for our center piece where clips of the famous quotes were shown. Welcome to the Jayhawk Drive-In! Wizard of Oz place setting. The glass had a button you could turn on to make the water swirl and look like a tornado inside. Also notice the witch's feet sticking out from under the plate :) A close-up of the yellow brick road I painted. Silence of the Lambs pl