By Victoria Lim
Being in a uniform is easy, effortless, and stylish; you have guidelines and rules you should follow, and the results are always nice, just as expected. On the other hand, when you want to experiment, mix and match, and blend two styles which aren’t always that similar, you never know how things will work out, especially when it comes to interior design. If you overdo it, your eyes will become tired and won’t know where to land or to look, and the room will look chaotic. If you’d like to keep things dynamic and interesting yet perfectly balanced, read on to discover five examples of perfectly blended interior design styles:
It’s rare for it to happen, but two essentially different styles can actually blend in perfectly and become an even better style. That’s exactly what happened with Japandi, one of the recent design trends that allowed us to blend rustic Nordic vibe with traditional elegance of Japan. Even though they come from different cultures and different parts of the globe, these styles are based on similar principles: importance function-driven spaces, beauty of minimalism, and a touch of statement pieces. Japandi rooms usually have a darker base of a saturated, neutral shade and light woods with black hues create a beautiful contrast. The furniture is practical and has clean lines, and there are pieces of both light as well as painted woods.
Timber and stone have been around for thousands of years, and when it comes to materials, it doesn’t get any more traditional than that. On the other hand, it’s quite a surprise to discover that these materials can be combined with perforated steel and glass and that they give such elegant results. This traditional chalet hides a charming, contemporary interior with plenty of light and open space that resembles a quirky NY loft. There is a mezzanine connected to the living room with a thin metal staircase, and plenty of light wood blends in perfectly with metal and stone to create an industrial-style interior that’s become popular in the past several years.
We’ve already established that there’s no need for all your furniture to come from a certain era, but combining styles that are essentially opposites is challenging. Still, you can easily combine vintage with modern pieces and make it look like they’ve always belonged together. Traditional desks work well with a nice, modern chair, and vintage dressers shouldn’t necessarily be held in bedrooms – they double as living room shelf or a TV console. Elegant and modern stone tile countertop will look great with vintage copper dishes and wooden cabinets, while an old secretary desk can be placed in a living room and it can work as a home bar. You can also choose to have a single vintage piece in a minimalistic modern room, or vice versa – place a sleek, modern piece to be a focal point in a room full of antique furniture.
Heather Jorde is an interior designer who has managed to get her dream modern coastal home by adapting an old Boston colonial home. When they first moved in the house, she and her husband saw that there are plenty of built-in cabinets as well as wood molding, but they also had a lot of large furniture they wanted to keep which called for some improvisation. Plenty of wood in the house didn’t work well with black furniture as it made the space look cramped, so they chose white furniture instead and it was a great choice. White furniture, colorful artwork on walls, details such as mussels shells and woven baskets blend in perfectly with a fireplace, brass candleholders, and a cabinet made of dark wood.
Because Scandinavian interior design is so popular, a lot of people want to add at least a bit of it to their homes, but not everyone is willing to remodel just so their house can have a more Nordic look. Luckily, there are many ways to add a bit of Scandinavian design to your home without doing a drastic makeover. Several pieces with simple design and crisp lines but in bold colors should do the trick – turquoise chairs, a pale pink sofa, and brightly colored cushions will freshen up the space. You can also embrace open shelving and place several smaller pots with succulents and candles on.
When it comes to mixing different design styles, you can be easily confused, but that confusion can be fatal and cause you to make mistakes which will result in chaotic rather than eclectic outcome. Not everything has to match, but on the other hand, there has to be something that all the styles you want to mix have in common. Instead of trying to come up with a solution on your own, you could hire a professional and work with them to get a result you will be satisfied with.
