|
  |
|
|
Tips for Mixing Design Styles Successfully
By Anna Young
Your home is perhaps the greatest example of your personal sense of style. Much like the clothing you wear and how you put outfits together, how you put your home together reflects your personality. Use of color, pattern and texture can be combined to create a signature look. Mixing decorative styles is also a fun way to express yourself; you may, for example, like to mix elements of contemporary design with traditional or add a retro twist to a modern room. Here are a few tips for mixing styles successfully while creating a very personal look. Use of Color Color can be used to add a contemporary twist to a traditional space. For example, if a living room features traditional furniture, you can kick things up a notch by adding solid blocks of trendy color. For instance, a chocolate brown couch with traditional lines will look totally different if you swap out the tan and peach floral pillows for pillows in hot lime green. The repeat the lime color in table top accessories and ribbon trim on lampshades. Bring in another modern element – such as swapping out traditional lampshades for modern drum shades – will help bridge the gap even more without going too far one way or the other. Within a room, solid colors are a great way to unify several different patterns. Just choose a common color and sprinkle it throughout the room to act as a grounding element. The key here is to choose a vibrant color that will grab the eye; also make sure that the color has equal intensity throughout the room and that the undertone is either warm or cool, but not both. Color is also a great way to bridge different styles from one room to another and weave a subtle thread of continuity throughout a home. Suppose that a living room is decorated in modern country style – streamlined, clutter free and lots of crisp color contrast and pattern. In the family room, the look may be coastal country, featuring primitive seascapes, a sea captain portrait and a ship in a bottle on a rustic mantle. A great accent color, like yellow, that echoes from the saffron yellow and white living room to the blue, khaki and white family room with yellow accents blends the two styles even though they are very different when considered side by side. Use of Texture So far, we’ve discussed color and pattern. Texture is equally important, although it is frequently overlook as a decorating tool. Just as color can define a room, repeating and contrasting textures with a room or from one room to another is another great way to add interest and express your inner decorator. Avoid too much of all one texture – either all smooth or all rough – but mix it up instead. For example, you can contrast smooth granite with rough hewn wood, deep pile carpet and textured fabrics. Then add more smooth textures with metal finishes like polished chrome or silver. For a very sophisticated look, maintain a very tight color palette – such as tan, cream and brown – but layer on lots of texture; then pick one hot pop of accent color, such as coral red, for a finishing touch.
|
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
 |  | onlineMD liked this intel. Jan 18, 2012 |  | | R Foreman liked this intel. Jan 18, 2012 |  | | Grace liked this intel. Jan 18, 2012 |  | | TDP liked this intel. Jan 18, 2012 | | | AmberLee liked this intel. Jan 18, 2012 |
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
The copyright for this content entitled "Tips for Mixing Design Styles Successfully" has been specified by the contributor as:
All Rights Reserved
This content may not be copied, distributed or adapted by anyone under any circumstances.
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by Anna Young
Anna Young
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
