If you gravitate towards bold colors, curated art collections, and a mix of furniture and decor pieces that expand through the eras, an eclectic style might be your home decor matchup. A hard to come by style, eclectic home decor is about blending textures, colors, and incorporating items from all eras, highlighting what makes them so unique. Read on for the complete Spacejoy’s guide to eclectic style, including key elements, popular color palettes, furniture pieces, and more.
What is Eclectic Style?
Eclectic style can’t be traced back to a single era because it encompasses items and styles from different eras. But, eclectic style isn’t about a bunch of different things placed together. Instead, it is a curated and intentionally composed collection that brings together items from different styles and eras to create a unique look.
Unlike other traditional styles, eclectic has free rein to explore as many areas of the design world as possible. From funky vintage pieces to sleek contemporary designs and everything in between, there’s a space for everyone in eclectic styles.
The Key Elements of Eclectic Style
The thought of pulling together an exquisite blend of eclectic style items can be daunting. The juxtaposition of textures, contrasting colors, and disparate styles can make it challenging to create a cohesive space, let alone a coherent home.
Eclectic style is:
- A confident blend of colors and patterns is showcased in the walls, curtains, and painted finishes.
- Curated with intention and artfully arranged to tell a story.
- Creative without fear of using quirky items and accents that speak to the user.
Eclectic style is not:
- A rule-bound style that follows “right or wrong” conceptions of what eclectic style should be.
- This random collection of items that just happened to be placed together.
- Chaotic and asymmetric without a sense of balance.
Colors & Texture
One of the most prominent aspects of eclectic style is contrast. Colors and textures are one way to allow for this juxtaposition of different styles. From the walls, floors, upholstery, and accents, colors, and texture can be anywhere. When choosing colors for an eclectic room, there are no rules, and the idea is for those to be rich and bold. Great shades for eclectic rooms include:
- Vibrant hues: teal, coral, turquoise, fuchsia, emerald, navy, and lemon.
- Soft colors: washed-out peach, aqua, lilac, celery, pastel yellows.
- Neutral tones: putty cream, parchment, taupe, dove gray, and architectural white.
However, the eclectic style doesn’t have to be exclusively colorful. Mixing styles and eras with a more neutral color palette can create a calmer effect in a room. Don’t rule out eclectic style because of color alone. You can still get the same product in more neutral palettes.
Rich textiles are used to bring warmth and play with textures in eclectic spaces. Think layered rugs, wall hangings, slipcovers, pillows, and colorful upholstery to highlight this element. Layered textiles are heavily used in every room, from the dining room to the bedroom; fabrics and additional layers are essential to the eclectic style.
Walls & Doors
Unlike most traditional home decor styles, eclectic design thinks about everything. Both walls and doors are vital elements in this style, often adorned by wallpaper or accent colors. Many eclectic spaces will experiment with wallpaper, but others will play with wallcoverings, hand-painted murals, and textured grasscloth for the same effect.
As far as the doors, a bright or accent tone will highlight some doors, usually a bathroom or kitchen door. This is particularly useful for those hoping to keep the rest of the walls in more muted tones. Colored-doors serve as the perfect eclectic accent in otherwise traditional spaces.
Furniture
The art of mastering eclectic styles lies with the furniture selection. Eclectic furniture pieces are what you’ll use to celebrate the different eras. Mixing the old with the new, modern, and classic lies at the heart of eclectic style. Think of an ultra-modern clear coffee table, paired with an art-decor floor mirror and a Victorian accent chair. It’s that combination of pieces from different eras that makes the eclectic style unique and rich in history.
Decor
The icing on the cake in eclectic rooms has to be the decor and accessories. Think accent chairs with bright upholstery or edgy patterns, green plants, unique artwork, vintage objects, books, collections, and more. Usually, most homes will have a statement object that’s bold, eclectic, and unique. These are conversation starters and are often limited to one or two per room.
The decor in an eclectic styled-home is ever-changing and ever-growing. Fueled by travels, experiences, and unique vintage finds here and there, it’s a space that will rarely feel entirely done. The eclectic house is always evolving as you keep finding new pieces that fit your collections.
The Eclectic Style House
Without a doubt, the eclectic house is filled with history, stories, and art. Everywhere you look, you’ll find an item telling a story. But, it can be easy to get carried away and be left with a messy home. This is why looking at the eclectic collection of items you have and arranging them per room is key for maintaining order.
Eclectic Entryway
Eclectic interior design is all about showcasing your personality and telling your story in a room. What better room to start showing who you are than the entryway? Bold colors and textures are usually the best way to showcase this style by the entrance. Elements like console tables paired with a bench with plush pillows are generally the backbones of an eclectic entryway. Added items like plants and large mirrors complete the room, making it filled with personality and history.
Eclectic Living Room
The easiest way to spot an eclectic living room is by looking at a large gallery wall. By far the easiest and most striking way to incorporate eclectic vibes into a room. The combination of frames and items suits the spirit perfectly. A gallery wall also helps to add color, dimension, and personalization to the room. It’s also a fabulous way to dress up an otherwise simple wall. Beyond choosing different frame styles, it’s essential to know that a gallery wall doesn’t have to be just pictures and wall art. Incorporate various wall accessories like shelves, plates, and weaved circles for an added touch of textures and styles.
The living room is the heart and center of the eclectic house, and it can be as bold and intriguing as you want it to be. While you’ll incorporate furniture from different eras, remember to keep color palettes and overall styles overarching to prevent having an artful explosion rather than a cohesive collection.
Eclectic Dining Room & Kitchen
The eclectic dining room and kitchen area is one-of-a-kind. Following the key elements of eclectic style, expect different textures and a juxtaposition of colors and styles. The kitchen will have statement tiles on the floor or backsplash that adds color and patterns. Unique lighting fixture, usually following a more vintage style. Finally, expect to see organic elements on display like produce, plants, and natural wood accessories.
The dining room will follow the same personality as the kitchen. It’s likely to see a bold, eclectic dining room with heavily-painted walls and wallpaper-accented walls to create a lasting impact. Even the dinnerware and serveware follows the eclectic style with colorful plates and vintage pieces found on travels. The dining table and chairs are often mixed and match different colors and styles and are each an ode to a different era. It’s the perfect blend of all of these elements that make the eclectic style rich and vibrant.
Eclectic Bedroom
An eclectic bedroom can be whatever you want it to be. It can blend sleek and contemporary color palettes with bold and exotic prints and textures. Although not a rule but a suggestion, the bedroom is where you have to be careful when designing. After all, you don’t want to end up with a messy, overly busy, and cluttered bedroom that inspires nothing but calmness.
While it might feel like a mess, eclectic style is about finding the perfect place for each piece in the room. Ideally, you want to start small and make sure you can fit the important items in the room. Then, as you add surrounding decor, you still want to ensure these key pieces are the center of attention. Designing an eclectic bedroom is a lot about trial and error, paired with plenty of editing to ensure you’re only adding what you need.
Ready to See How Eclectic Style Looks In Your Home?
Eclectic style is bold and rogue, making it utterly fascinating to look at. At the same time, everything that makes eclectic style so perfect is also what makes it so challenging to master. If you’re ready to see how this style looks in your home, start a project today. Work with our online interior designers to find the perfect elements, colors, textures, and more, to transform your home into an eclectic style paradise. With Spacejoy, you can visualize, edit, and shop your personalized interior design from the comfort of home. Your eclectic home is just one click away. What are you waiting for?