The look of your house, inside

Are you bold when it comes to interior decoration? Do you love mixing the latest trends with your own personal touch? Do you collect miscellaneous items and furniture? If you answered yes to any—or all— of these questions, then “eclectic style” might be for you. By definition, eclectic means deriving ideas from various genres, categories or trends. For example, in your living room you could try style combinations like classic and modern, rustic and industrial or retro and Scandinavian. Don’t be afraid to combine and contrast as many styles as you like. Pulling this style off requires finesse, however. You want to avoid creating a chaotic, disjointed space. To ace the style, choose a main thread that’s common to all of your decorative elements; this could be a material (wood, stone, leather, wool), a colour scheme (warm, cool, metallic, pastel), or a theme (vacation memories, wildlife scenes, flowers). It’s a good idea to make one piece the focal point of your room. A Louis XV armchair, a large abstract painting, a grandfather clock or a dramatic sculpture are all good candidates. Once you’ve settled on a main item to focus on, arrange the rest of your decorative objects to highlight it. Avoid this A classic error that eclectic style lovers make is crossing the line into excess. Make sure you keep things balanced so your room doesn’t look like a flea market, and don’t overcrowd floors, walls or surfaces with too many unrelated knickknacks.