Today is Day 3 of a 31 day series on creating and cultivating an eclectic home.  For some crazy reason, I have accepted The Nester’s challenge to write on the same theme every day for the month of October.  This may end up killing me.  Or you.  But, I appreciate you reading and welcome your comments.

Today we’re going to talk a little bit about defining your eclectic style.  There’s a secret to tying together different styles and not ending up with a room that looks like a hodge podge of whatever you found at a thrift store.  That secret?  You can’t do it all.

Before you take another step towards creating a more eclectic home, you need to define what eclectic style you have (or want to have).  For instance, I consider my style Modern Vintage Industrial.  Yes, that’s a style that I totally made up.  You can make up your own, too.

Why is this important? Well, if I tried to do Modern Vintage Industrial Kitschy Asian Coastal Urban Loft Cottage, it would be too much.  WAY too much.  Although eclecticism is all about using what you love, I think it’s best styled when you limit your mix of styles to 3 (and 4 at the very most).  You will likely gravitate to a few styles that you really love, so narrowing it down shouldn’t be very difficult.

Here are some beautiful examples that I pulled from Pinterest and labeled by style:

Let us know – what’s your eclectic style mix? Can you narrow it down to just three?

Today is Day 2 of a 31 day series on creating and cultivating an eclectic home.  For some crazy reason, I have accepted The Nester’s challenge to write on the same theme every day for the month of October.  This may end up killing me.  Or you.  But, I appreciate you reading and welcome your comments.

Embracing eclecticism and refining your style doesn’t necessarily mean spending a ton of money.  As with anything, I think it’s important to first use what you already have in your home.  Start by taking a survey of your large furniture pieces.

Take a look at your master bedroom.  Does it look like this?

I’d take a guess and say that most American bedrooms have this type of furniture.  If you’ve ever been to a typical furniture store, you know that many of them sell bedroom furniture in “sets” or “suites.”  The bed matches the nightstand matches the dresser.  It’s likely nice furniture, but it doesn’t really say much about your individual style and personality.  It’s easy and safe, right?

This is the part where you start to get nervous that I’m going to encourage you to sell your bedroom set on Craigslist or paint it all yellow.  Well, fear not! Instead, I’m going to suggest that you could swap the dresser from your bedroom with the one in the guest bedroom.  See if your nightstand could replace one of the matching end tables in your living room.  What if you replaced a few chairs around your dining table with the arm chairs that are in your living room?

I need to take my own advice.  In my own home, I desperately need to break up the matching sofa and love seat in the living room.  I bought them 5 years ago when I was into a more traditional aesthetic, and now they drive me crazy!  Instead of buying new, I think I may move the love seat to our playroom (adult seating, anyone?) and maybe add a vintage loveseat or a few great chairs to the list of things I’m always looking to find when I’m out shopping.

I also want to break up my dining room set.  I think I could really find a more interesting spot for the china cabinet and do something fun with my now matching chairs.

See?  My home is a work in progress – and probably always will be.  I think that’s part of the fun!

Do you have any matching “sets” that need to be broken up? They don’t necessarily need a divorce, but maybe just a trial separation.