Mix It Up! The Do’s and Don’ts of Mixing Decor Styles

The steps below follow the order of the work for this decor project.

Hi everyone! I’m Sarah from Just The Bees Knees back again to share another Mood Board! Today I’m hoping to inspire you to mix up your design style!

 Over the past few years we have seen a lot of design styles and rules come and go, but what I’m loving about design trends this year is that there seem to be no set rules! We are seeing unexpected elements mixed together to create a style that is as unique as the individual who created it. Old is mixed with new, shiny and bright with muted and rustic, bold and graphic with soft and feminine. The possibilities are endless! But that doesn’t mean you can start combining EVERY style of decor available to you, so to keep you from turning your living room into a flea market, I’ve created a list of Do’s and Don’ts to help guide you in the right direction while you’re mixing decor styles!

Do’s and Don’ts of Mixing Decor Styles

 

 We love bold bright pops of color, but too much of a good thing can be bad. A bright pair of pillows, ottoman or piece of furniture will stand out in a crowd, but too many will leave you grabbing for your sunglasses and a bottle of motrin. DON’T  overwhelm your space with too much color. 

Ornate, traditional pieces look fantastic paired with sleek modern styles. Even a traditional piece like this Louis XVI chair reupholstered with a contemporary fabric makes a statement. The key here is opposites attract. DON’T combine too many pieces from the same period or you won’t be able to achieve the contrast…which brings me to my next point,

Old mixed with new, rustic wood mixed with shiny metallics, and hard surfaces mixed with soft textures will create striking contrast in your space.  DON’T mix too many different woods however. Sticking with one style such as rustic weathered wood will create cohesiveness, where as mixing driftwood with rich mahogany and light maple will just create chaos. 

And lastly, DO have fun with it, but DON’T treat all styles equally. Go heavy on one style of furniture, then mix in the other styles. Kimberly Seldon calls it her 80/20 rule; 80% of the room should be one style, and 20% a mix of others.

Scroll below to shop the mood board. If some of the original items are no longer available we will try to find similar items for you.

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I hope I have inspired you to start mixing up your home decor! Go shopping in your house and try moving a few pieces from one room to the next. You will be amazed at what you can find! 

If you are looking for more inspiration, be sure to look at my last post, 6 Tips for Decorating with Radiant Orchid, or hop over to my blog and look at my Mood Board gallery which includes a recent Dining Room and Living Room/Office project I completed. 

Thanks again to the Bekob team for having me here today and I look forward to being back next month. Cheers!

xo, Sarah