Decorating is to be fun, expressive, and one of the ways a home offers warmth. Look how this one young mom, Mary Lauren, chose to decorate her kitchen –
Mary Lauren’s style reflects a simplicity about her family’s lifestyle, but also her home suggests fun, adventure and a way of embracing the “creativity” found in life! Her husband and son enjoy some tickle time in their family room.
Eclectic decorating is not “style pandemonium.” So, what is eclectic? It is a combination of diverse style, cultures, and time periods. Eclectic is a tasteful combination of contemporary with traditional, with antiques, with french cottage, with victorian, with farmhouse, with mid-century modern, with industrial, with bohemian with … whatever “worked” well with other pieces. Eclectic, if not paired well or thought through, can end up looking rather cluttery, chaotic-y, and strode-y. (just a little bit on the messy side).
So how do you eclectically (if that’s even a word) decorate?
With this much use of added color, it was smart to go neutral on the walls and place a neutral rug on the floor.
I just redecorated a dining room to be a new sitting area, (posting before and afters of that home on Friday of this week), but I did use an assortment of wall hangings that were sentimental to her along with a new vintage mirror, a traditional settee paired with an antique square pub table, with straw-backed unholstered chairs. Somewhat like what this photo is showing…but the idea is, keep it consistent with symmetry when you are using textures (glassware, mirrors, pillows, etc.)
Eclectic keeps it fun…and usually, very expressive! What do you see in the photo above that shows the combination of era, style and color?
What elements of this space creates an eclectic style?
Is that not just cutie-genius!?! Add a vintage touch with ruler shaped to be an initial, and grouped with frames of a similar style.
Who would have ever thought to hang a beveled edged mirror above the apron sink, with an adorable collection of vintage dishes displayed in front of subway tiles?!? Someone who knows how to have FUN in eclectic decorating!!
Open shelving, an old brass tray on a chunky wooden topped island, “contemporary old-school” pendant lighting, with a stove that takes me right back to my Bigmama’s kitchen. What is not to appreciate with this eclectic look of story, style, and plenty of unique touches that you just aren’t going to find from Kirkland’s or Homegoods! Love them…shop there for clients often, but y’all…I just love decorating with things that we can find from the family line, stuffed in the attic, shuved in a box in the garage, or inside a rubbermaid in the basement because the homeowner couldn’t bare to part with it, but had NO IDEA how it could be used in decorating! Give me THOSE challenges and that is when Home begins to whisper the family language!!
Look around your home. Is there a way to add a little more eclecticism in your home? Just a little?
Happy Homemaking y’all! It’s all good..and it’s all to the glory of God!
