Eclectic Design: The Freedom to Mix and Match

Eclectic style is the mix-and-match of interior décor. In art, eclecticism refers to the borrowing of various art styles to create a piece of art. This stream of art puts a lot of emphasis on the combination of distinct elements that leads to a brand new idea. So basically, it’s a mix-and-match kind of art. The resulting effect is often one-of-a-kind and brings a breath of fresh air to the existing scene of design. For example, mixing a French Country style, an Asian style and a Scandinavian style to create a unique design. Also, adding retro elements to a Modern design to create something nobody has ever seen.

The keys to eclecticism

Eclectic design is not a random mix of objects, that’s just thoughtless! Eclectic design demands a visually unified atmosphere in the interior. Always follow this rule when trying to incorporate different elements in one space. One of the ways to do to create a unified atmosphere is to control the palette. You can mix vastly distinct materials like wood and plastic given that their colours are compatible. Alternatively, control the materials and styles of the furniture if the palette is going to be contrastive. There is no design in a thoughtless mix of items without a thorough matching process.

Theme colours

In an Eclectic design, you can make liberal colour choices. Although colours tend to be muted in this type of design, retro colours are also possible choices. If you are not going for a wild mixture of colours, set yourself a theme colour and think about how to accentuate this colour. Black and white always get along. But contrasting colours, for example, blue and yellow, can give the space more vibrant and make it visually interesting. Another way to design the palette is to use a neutral tone as the base colour, then add saturated colours as accents.

Simple walls

Most designers opt for a simple plain wall for eclectic designs, as if the walls are the canvas and the furniture is the brushstrokes. Exceptions are rare for this type of design. This is because a visually captivating wall is likely to make the space look messy. Special furniture also cannot stand out in a hectic-looking background. Unless you are going to an extreme look, for eclectic designs, a plain background is going to make the space feel more comforting and homely.

How to choose your furniture

The possibility to mix-and-match is free and unlimited. Careful not to make the space too messy. Working on unifying the sizes, materials, colours, and styles of the furniture. For example, when two chairs share a similar shape and style, even when they are in contrasting colours, the combination can still look good. If you are a fashion fiend yourself, mix-and-match shouldn’t be difficult for you.

How to mix-and-match well

Stick to the decided palette closely and you are safe to explore various styles and shapes. For example, two sofas that have very contrasting colours can go well together if they share a similar style. How to create the best match of furniture? That might be the result of multiple trials and an active imagination.

Items with a lot of presence

The more direct way to dispel the boredom is to bring in a item with a lot of presence. For example, a wall full of pictures and photos, a delicate room divider, or a substantial piece of art. Since these items are full of character, they tend to display the home owner’s personality. Therefore, use them sparingly. Too many of these items will make any special object lose their uniqueness.

Conclusion

The strength of Eclectic design is its flexibility and freedom. It makes decorating the interior a fun thing to do. In a way, this style of design is to realise the home owner’s ideal world. There are no strict rules; you can unleash your personality freely with this design. HKDecoman, now going global as Deco-Man, is a Hong Kong-based renovation platform which provides professional consultancy services and pioneers in the development of A.I. homeowner-engineer matching. We aim at educating the public about the art of home renovation and have our eyes on transforming the traditional renovation industry, bringing standardisation, transparency, convenience and automation to the business.