The living room is often the first room in your home a guest or visitor will see. Nothing makes guests feel welcome faster than walking into a well-designed living room that perfectly reflects you and your family’s style and personality. The overall effect of an eclectic style living is an interior décor that is unique to your home, because you can choose how relaxed or sophisticated you would like it to be. By selecting furniture from different sub styles ranging from traditional to contemporary and anything in between, you can focus on including furniture pieces into your living room design regardless if the “match.” This is the ultimate appeal of decorating a living room in eclectic style.

Color your World (or at least the living room)

Implementing eclectic style in your living room allows you to contrast soft neutrals of earth and sand with warm, bold colors like fire engine red, vintage rose, intense golds and oranges. This can mean anything from painting the main walls earth tones then adding an accent color in bright orange or vintage rose to one wall to choosing accessories from different period styles. The way you use color in an eclectic style living room should definitely include laying shades and hues throughout the room by piling the sofa with accent pillows; selecting curtains in a different fabric from the other principal fabrics in the room such as the upholstery for the sofa and armchair; and adding a colorfully patterned area rug that will give the room more texture and definition.

Choosing Eclectic Living Room Furniture

When furnishing an eclectic living room, start with a focal point, which can be an architectural feature such as a niche, built-in wall unit or a wood burning fireplace. It can also be a piece of furniture like an entertainment center, bookcase wall or an electric fireplace.

Choose a sofa that has plenty of “character;” one that will blend easily with a variety of styles.

The secret to a successful eclectic living room design is to provide the senses, especially the eye with dramatic contrasts, like a vintage chandelier or vintage floor lamp with a contemporary area rug comprised of geometric shapes. Contrasts that pair the unexpected together – a modern polished metal floor lamp with a 1930s velvet button tufted sectional – create visual surprises that add texture and interest.

The reason eclectic style living room ends up being so personal and exclusive is because it is the result of an imagination, creativity and resourcefulness that is unique to each person. While there are supposed to be a mix of styles – that’s the whole idea behind an eclectic décor design – all elements should “play nice” with one another. To prevent an eclectic style living room from feeling busy or “disconnected.” you can ensure visual cohesion by doing one or all or a combination of the following:

• Regardless of the styles, furniture pieces and/or accessory items, repeat shapes and textures throughout the room
• Especially if furnishings are different colors or possess different finishes, replace the handles and/or drawer pulls of your living room furniture case goods; this will lend each item commonality
• Particularly when furniture and collectibles are from a variety of eras decades or even centuries apart from one another, be when accessorizing; “connect” items to each other through a distinctive feature such color or shape.
• If there are too many different kinds of finishes (including colors and textures like matte, distressed and highly polished) in the living, choose the furniture pieces that appear the most “jarring” and refinish them to match at least one other piece in the room.