Most of us do it. And most of us really don’t have much of a clue how to do it right. I’m talking about mixing decor styles. There are a few decor tips for mixing decorating styles that will help you mix things up in your home and do it brilliantly! Today let’s talk about mixing decor style and doing it right!
Today I’m in one of the guest bedrooms to show you just how easily style can be mixed together to make a cohesive and unique look.
THE 80/20 RULE
The ratio of 80/20 should always be kept in mind when mixing styles in your home. 80% should be one style type, and 20% make up of the rest of the style (s) you lean towards.
Most of us love more than one style and celebrate it in the way we decorate our homes. But just like all things we need to think about a balanced approach to mixing those styles.
Choose one style to be the predominant style and then add in other styles you love in small doses. The 80/20 rule is a great rule of thumb is an easy way to remember that about 80 percent of a room should be in one style and 20 percent in others. And 80/20 works! It’s tried and true and a safe bet for those of us who are not seasoned home decorators.
And here’s a great tip… it is easier to mix decor styles if most of your furniture is updated classics. Choose larger or big-ticket items that are classic and accessorize with other decor styles.
CONSISTENT COLOR PALETTE
Using a few central colors will help a space looks more put together and cohesive even when the styles aren’t. Too many colors and too many decor styles can be a distracting cacophony. Remember it’s all about mixing decorating styles and you want the styles to play nicely together!
The tighter the color palate the further apart on the decor spectrum your style can stray. Yes, you can have a mid-century modern room with bohemian and farmhouse accents if your room has a very cohesive color palette of three or four colors. Just be very selective how you use your accent pieces in a mostly mid-century modern room.
This bedroom is very neutral with just a pop of saturated mustard yellow. Lots of white make the room look airy even though the furniture is very dark.
BALANCE
Balance is a keyword when mixing decorating styles in your home. The styles you choose for a room should be distributed throughout the space.
If you have a bit of farmhouse on one side of the room make sure there is a bit of it on the other. Or better yet, triangulate the items!
Who knew decorating was truly a balancing act?
You can read all about the DECOR ELEMENT OF BALANCE AND HOW IT WILL HELP YOU BE A BETTER DECORATOR HERE.
Balance should be carried to the floor and the walls as well. Use rugs, flooring, wall decor, and shelving to balance the styles in the room.
It’s pretty obvious that my larger traditional pieces of furniture are distributed about the room this guest room. The bed, the dresser, the black chair with the rush seat are all pretty traditional. The more modern items… the round mirror, the contemporary chair, the funky nightstand are on opposite sides of the room to balance the room.
The sisal rug and white cotton drapes are a neutral nod to a more updated look.
FOCAL POINT
If you have an “oddball” or a very large piece of furniture, let that be the key piece or focal point in the space. By establishing the focus, you can easily place other complementary pieces throughout the room to create a perfect mix of decor styles.
Yes, this really works… and works like a charm. If you have an outlier piece of furniture it can be the focus of a room and the rest of the room built around it.
I have a friend who had a huge Italian stone mantel and wanted to bring it into her living room. At a glance, it did not look like it belonged alongside her mix of traditional classics and French country. But when it was placed in her living room on her longest wall it created a focal point for the rest of the furniture to be built out from.
The odd little table that I found at HomeGoods years ago adds a bit of spunk and fun to this rather calm bedroom. It really calls attention to itself and therefore is a focal piece!
BUDDY UP WHEN MIXING DECORATING STYLES
Accent decor pieces should have a “buddy” so the space in a room feels balanced and cohesive. They can be matched based on color, shape, size, or the overall style. Feel free to play around with the placement of decor and smaller pieces until you see the space fitting of your personal style.
SAME VIBE
Nothing will throw a room into confusion like mixing the mood of a room. If the room is casual keep the elements in it casual. Juxtaposition has its place in decor and does work successfully in a room with different styles. But for a less than seasoned decorator, it might be hard to pull off.
If you want a no-fail approach to mixing decorating styles keep the mood of the furnishings the same.
If your room is beachy and breezy keep things beachy or neutral. No moose heads and seashells. Got the idea?
PILLOWS BRIDGE DECOR STYLES
Pillows are your friend when mixing decorating styles! They are everyone’s favorite and can not only add style but color to a room. And it’s so much easier to mix in pillows with a different style than furniture!
Pillows can get away with breaking a whole lot of decor rules. And they can also bring together many styles too! Make sure to incorporate pillows into every room!
The yellow pillow works great in this guest bedroom to give it a punch of color and a taddy bit of farmhouse style. And even though the starfish pillows can look very beach cottage, they work with this room bringing a fun whimsical element to it like the animal print table next to the bed.
The last word…
Most of us have homes that exude more than one or two decor styles. And guess what? That makes our rooms and homes so much more interesting and personalized!
Just follow these simple rules when mixing decorating style that works together and look fabulous!
You might like these decorating posts…
- THE RULE OF THREE
- HOW TO CREATE A FOCAL POINT FOR A BEAUTIFUL ROOM
- 5 BIG DECORATING MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEM
- VISUAL WEIGHT IN DECORATING
You might like this ebook 50 (MORE LIKE 100) INSPIRATIONAL DECORATING IDEAS…
Loved your guest room! Where did you purchase the sisal rug? What size bed did you use and what size rug did you put under it and what’s was the size of the rug you purchased?
Mary Ellen, so sorry but this rug is no longer in stock. I think it was an 8×10. And the bed is a queen.
Hope this helps.
This is such a wonderful post – I will reread it several times. Having been married 50 years I have seen all the “in” decor – from all avocado, rusty earth tones, colonial, tuscan, mediterranean, jewel tones, all the greys, etc., etc., the list goes on and on. Makes you giggle just to think about it all. Your sensible and timeless style really hits the mark. I also love the creamy whites with a hint of the mustardy gold so much in my home that I have added several pieces to my wardrobe in that lovely gold color. I think that using a good base color and style for draperies, walls, and upholstered furniture items really gives a real sense of uniformity, plus it opens up a ton of options to add a hint of a favorite color, or some unique pieces, as well being a budget friendly way to decorate a home. Keep up the good work – you must stay awake at night thinking of design and your next informative post! Keep it up – we love it.
Thanks, Lyn! I think of decor and read about decor and experiment with decor! And I’ve seen it all too! LOL!
Thank you for your post. One thing I struggle with is wall decor. I am in the process of redoing a room now and will leave the walls blank until I can figure this out. I know sometimes less is more so I do not want to hang too much. Any rules or tips on how you make your choices?
I think you are doing this right. Decorate and then decorate your walls.
Yvonne, I just enjoy your posts so much! You are “the best” with décor and are always so willing to share your ideas with us! We really appreciate you! Your home is decorated so beautifully! Thanks, Yvonne, for being such a special gal.
So sweet Mary-Ann!
I need help on lampshades. Shapes and fabric.
I feel like the old cream color silk shades are too old fashioned.
In my living room I have 5 lamps. Should they all match in shape? 3 are drum shaped and 2 are flared at the bottom. 1 is burlap, 3 are a flat kakki cloth and one is a gold colored silk.
Yours always look great. Is there a rule?
Hi Debbie, there is no hard and fast rule. My suggestion is to use both drum and another shape. Sounds like you have a nice coordinating drum shade vibe going on! Yay for you, my friend!
The brand and were purchased for the white coverlet on the black bed on today’s Feb 28 site.
Hi Diane. I found it at The Pottery Barn. Hope this helps.
Can you tell me where the middle burlap pillow is from on your video? Also the starfish pillows on your bed. Thank you so much! Very pretty>
Hi Debbie, the middle burlap pillow was from the Pottery Barn Outlet and so were the starfish pillows. Hope this helps
Your posts are the best! Everything looks so beautiful and you explain things clearly EXCEPT how do you apply the 80/20 rule (I failed math). One of your commenters says she gets it; I don’t. Help!!
Thank you for your clear description of the 80/20 rule. Now I know why I dislike, so much, the lamp shades in our bedroom. They are romantic style (so I’ve been told) and the rest of the bedroom is modern. So, instead of the 80/20 I probably have 90/10. But, since it is just a lampshade perhaps I can easily change it. Again, thanks.
I love your wall color. Can you point me in the right direction?
Thanks Sherry
Hi Sherry, You can find out about the wall color at StoneGable here:https://www.stonegableblog.com/reasons-love-stonegable-color-palette/
Helpful tips, as always. I too have a somewhat eclectic taste in furnishings, but it is predominately updated traditional.
Yvonne, did you see the pinterest insider who blew the whistle on how they scam people by burying certain types of content (Christian, organic eating, etc.) in their porn lists so that those sites won’t pin? Despicable!
Chris, like anything there seems to be an ugly underbelly! So sad, but it’s part of this broken world!
Very vice and helpful post.
Good morning Yvonne,
I think my decor style changes a little with each season. My basic traditional with neutral colors are a good background for whatever I add. Right now as I switch over from spring to summer my decor takes on much more of a coastal theme and my springtime greens are replaced by more blues of various shades that reflect a more beachy feel. Lots of white added in keeps the look balanced. In the fall I have more farmhouse and in the winter I return to traditional. I think it keeps my home interesting and it is certainly fun to do.Thanks for all your wonderful ideas.
Always love your insight and advice!