In the world of interior designing, a new term is doing the rounds – Eclectic décor. If you were wondering what it is all about, here goes.
Eclectic décor is an aesthetic amalgamation of colours, patterns, textures and décor styles. Eclectic doesn’t stick to any particular design style but brings together and harmonises the contrast of old and new, traditional and contemporary, classy and quirky. However, there’s a fine line between just
throwing random things together and calling it eclectic. It is about carefully analysing and putting together of elements, to create a personal style.
We have put together a few pointers that will help you to create your own eclectic designs.
– Interesting mix: Since eclectic is all about celebration of contrast, the first step is to mix textures. Bring together rough and smooth, thick and soft materials like use some coarse rugs with soft, silky pillow covers or sheets. The trick is also to use the same texture more than once in the space to maintain consistency.
– Negative is also positive: The negative space is important in every home décor. You don’t necessarily need to fill every nook and corner of the room. Some parts are better left empty so that the room can breathe.
– The overall look: If you have opted to design one room in eclectic style, you should ideally carry forward the style to your entire house otherwise your house will look disjointed. If you can’t do up the entire house for some reason, the best way is to keep the other rooms lighter in comparison to the main room. For example, if you are doing eclectic styling in the living room, your bedroom, kitchen, kid’s room etc. can be more subtle but it should definitely carry the look.
– The focal point: Décor is like makeup, you highlight one strong feature keeping the other elements in alignment with it. So in eclectic style, you need to highlight one feature which will be the centre of attraction or focal point of the room. It can be an accent wall or a traditional chair. The focal point helps in defining the décor of your room and accentuates the look.
– One main colour: Though we said experiment with contrast, it doesn’t mean you can add lots of colours. Your décor needs to have one main colour and all the other colours need to be synchronised with that one colour. This will help in limiting the risk of chaos that an eclectic style poses quite strongly.
– Balance is everything: Eclectic or not, every décor style needs to maintain a balance of all the elements involved. More so for eclectic, if not planned and thoroughly thought through, the whole look may go for a toss. So it’s of paramount importance that all the colours, patterns, textures are balanced aesthetically with each other.
– Don’t forget utility: A precious advice while adapting this style is not to forget that the house is to be lived. Every piece that you choose should have a utility at the end of the day and should not be a waste in the long run
Eclectic is the most beautiful way to furnish your house and add a personal touch. A proper planning and selection of right textures and patterns can create wonders. Open your heart and mind to newer and older décor styles, experiment with them and your house can be a point of envy for your neighbours. Enjoy the process!