There is much talk lately about how to combine design styles. And for good reason. Our lives are always changing, and that process is sometimes the only thing in our world that stays the same. Yet we always keep the best of what we have gained and learned.
Perhaps you are inheriting prized possessions. Maybe the family is downsizing and letting items go. Or friends are giving away furniture as they are relocating. Theses are tangible items of vastly different sources and styles, not to mention stories!
What of more personal changes, such as starting a new relationship? Congratulations! This is a new beginning, the start of a new story. Sure there is always a ‘moving’ tension as great as changing a job or an address. But it is to be FUN (well, and a little work). So remember that communication is key. Find each other’s currency; the likes, dislikes, priorities. Maintain your attention on things which matter - the things of real importance and significance. The final result will be much better that way.
Wait, what does this have to do with combining design styles?! What if one person’s style is ‘Tornado Strikes Thrift Store’ or ‘Neoclassical Dorm Room’ and they are moving in with an Interior Designer? Why, the principles are the same. Styles can be vastly different yet ‘communicate’ when done well together.
So, first things first. You will tire of hearing this from me, but CLEAN OUT YOUR STUFF. Big and little stuff. Not the things that matter; just stuff.
This is all the more important when you are trying to combine two spaces into one larger design. Know what we like when we visit model homes, or study magazine spreads? Look again: there is no personal clutter in sight. Of course you will want to make ‘your’ space your own as it reflects yourself or your relationship. This does not mean leaving prescription bottles out in plain sight!
Let’s address our personal attachment to things, be they furniture, accessories, pictures, whatever. There is no one more sentimental than I am. I have had the experience of losing all my furniture and most of my possessions. Do you know what I discovered?
They were just possessions. Objects, things. No one can take away your memories and over time you are also free to make new memories and to acquire new or different decor. And to fuse and form the new styles they represent. So when combining spaces you, yes you are in control of the new choices and fresh combinations.
So, have a family recliner that you can’t seem to part with? Take a picture of it and maybe a swatch of the fabric and put it into a memory album. That way you’ll always have it to refer to and it takes up no space at all.
Next, pick a design style. How about, say, ECLECTIC?! I was in high school in the ‘70s, and the only acceptable look was to be thin with straight hair. I was neither. So no wonder I love how almost anything goes now, without artificial barriers. The most important thing is to have a PLAN and be deliberate and thoughtful with your choices and placement of objects. Think outside the box. Or the basket, jar, shelf….
Maybe everyone won’t love your combined style. They can admire the heart put into making it work and feel the love.
