Eclectic Style Interior Design

Eclectic Style

From the special online feature Design Styles 

Eclectic style encompasses a variety of periods and styles and is brought together through the use of color, texture, shape and finish.         

Colors - The palette can vary but it's best to stick with a few neutrals to help tie all of the elements together. In the red and gold room above, creams and browns are used to ground the palette so the great design isn't lost among the many hues.              

Furniture - Take into account the lines, finishes and materials of the pieces you're combining and look for ways to bring them together, whether it be with paint, fabric or a more refined or roughed-up finish.

Fabrics - An eclectic look is partly defined by the multitude of fabrics, whether they be patterned, textured or both. Choose a color scheme and stick with a neutral as your grounding force, then add to it with colored and textured solids and patterns and trims, tassels or fringe.

Finishes - A combination of finishes and textures sets an eclectic look apart from the rest. Above, burnished bronze lamp bases contrast with a black and white box but tie in with the golden tones in the ceiling and wall behind.

Homeowner Leila Kenzle says that some of her friends describe her decorating style as eclectic, while others say it's eccentric! However, without a doubt, it reflects her lively personality. Several years ago, when Leila and her husband bought their Los Angeles home, she was a little concerned that her off-beat furnishings wouldn't work with the '40s deco-style house. So she asked designer Kathryn Waltzer to help her incorporate the things she already had into her new home.