Makely

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.

 

Today, I am beginning 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.

When I was planning the Great Wall of Chevrons this past spring, a friend said to me, “I can’t wait to see how you pull that off.  Your nursery so sweet and chevrons are so graphic.”  I know that my friend didn’t mean anything negative with her comment, but it did get me thinking.  It had never occurred to me that I couldn’t (or maybe shouldn’t) pull it off.  I draw inspiration from many different sources and styles, and I like the sweetness of a vintage-inspired room just as much as I like the boldness of a graphic room.

My style has definitely moved from traditional to more eclectic.  I used to think that eclecticism meant that someone was messy or directionless, but now I understand that is not the case.  Instead, it’s a style that comes from a broad source of inspiration and sources.  It’s using what you love because you love it – not because someone else says that you should or shouldn’t.  It’s picking and choosing to create a style that’s all your own.

Now, my home is far from the eclectic haven that I’m hoping it will one day become.  That’s part of the charm of essentially creating your own style.  It’s ever evolving, like a collection you are constantly amassing.

In my opinion, an eclectic style is one that says it’s okay to have a huge dead tree in your entryway.

It’s a style that says there’s nothing wrong with having a wall (or two) completely filled with silhouettes of people you’ve never met.

Eclecticism embodies mixing a brightly painted traditional dresser with a farmhouse style bed.  And chevrons.

And an eclectic style allows you to have a rug in your living room that doesn’t quite “match” anything else – because one day, you know it will.

Do you embrace eclecticism or do you prefer a more traditional approach to decorating your home?  Anything in particular you want me to discuss in the next 31 days?

Let’s do this!