The art of mixing things up

Reclaimed Rooms

As a designer, it is my job to tailor a room to the specific needs and introduce new styles to my clients.

One thing I see a lot is matching sets of furniture (sofa/love seat/chair or coffee/ end table packages). This to a designer is the equivalent of buying a pair of pants with a belt included or a shirt/ tie combo pack. And this is the exact reason clients have called for help – because they’re also tired of the look.

I understand and am grateful not everyone has the ability to tie a room together with furnishings, which coordinate but do not match. There are exceptions to the “matchy-match” rule, especially with chairs, accent tables and lamps, but if you look at interior magazines or websites the vast majority of rooms will have a mixed variety of furnishings and accessories. This mix is what gives a room character and distinguishes it from everyone else’s. Mixing styles, periods, metals, woods, etc. gives a room a collected and not justpurchased look.

This style is often lumped under the term, “eclectic.” I’m not a huge fan of this because it seems to evoke the connotation of being purposely mismatched and maybe even a bit junky. In reality, it is probably one of the more thought-provoking styles of decorating because you must be able to discern what does and more importantly, does not work.

The key to mixing it up is to have some kind of unifying element for the pieces: color, texture, pattern or material. Also, I am a firm believer in the love-factor. What I mean by that is if you see an item and love it, get it. It will most likely work within your room.

Every room I finish will have at least a few elements of: traditional, contemporary, antique, mid-century and all will have modern art. I realize art is very subjective but, it also a pivotal part of my job to introduce new styles and ideas to my clients, otherwise, why call me?

I have a strict three day “live with it” mantra. If you don’t love it after the third day, we return it.

The beautiful thing about modern art is it absolutely goes with every interior style. My favorite is non-representational abstract. This style is about expressionist brush strokes, energy, color and texture. It is not a picture of anything. Mostly, this is the first time my clients are being introduced to it, and naturally there are some reservations. But 100 percent end up loving it, and it quickly becomes a topic of discussion for guests.

If the budget allows, I prefer using local original art. Two of my go-to artists in town are Vanicka Newell and Katie Stevens Lewis, both of whom display their work at Kings Antiques, located at 133 Kings Highway. I am also a big fan of Casey David’s, whose work is on display at the Marlene Yu Museum and at The South in Pierremont Common. Modern art brings an energy into a room and provides a wonderful element to pull accent colors.

If you prefer to stand out, then this is the style of decorating which suits you. Let’s all make a resolution to change patterns in our lives. Do something different and mix it up.