“I really like a coastal look, but I also lean a little traditional, and I’m more modern than some traditional. I don’t really know what style I am.”

It is very common to hear something like this from our clients and friends. And it’s how we feel too - we like a lot of styles! I personally love a mix of historic, modern, vintage and organic elements. But how do you mix very different styles? This can be hard to explain, as there is a bit of a natural art to it (another reason why hiring a designer is valuable), but I will try my best to illustrate.

things to keep in mind when mixing styles:

1. Hard Finishes and the Architecture of the Home - Keep the design of the hard finishes of your home rooted in historical/timeless styles. So whether it’s traditional European, mid-century modern, Scandinavian, Minimalist Modern, Coastal, Colonial, Farmhouse, or Mediterranean, try to stick to one style in this area of your home. This is the base from which all of the other styles will come, so you don’t want to mix the styles up too much here. When choosing your furniture, art, and accessories, you can mix things up and play with different styles. However, it’s a good idea to keep the architectural elements consistent throughout.

2. Lighting and Furniture - While the furnishings and lighting are easier to change than the structure of the home, they are not inexpensive and help define the style, so I would choose these items in the style you love most. So if you like a traditional/coastal look, maybe the house has traditional bones and the lighting and furniture has coastal elements - woven textures, blues and whites, light wood, etc. 

3. Accessories - Accessories are much easier to switch out, so have these be the trendier style you are leaning towards currently but think you might grow out of. So if you have a traditional/coastal home maybe the accessories are a little bohemian/organic because that is a trend right now. Or maybe you like a quirky Anthropologie look and you decorate with more vintage objects and colorful prints on your pillows. You would be surprised how much you can influence the look of a room with accessories without changing anything else. 

Here is an example of applying these “rules”: 

• Say that you bought a Colonial-style home that has a lot of traditional colonial elements. 

• You are remodeling and want to modernize the home because you lean a little more modern than the traditional home you bought. You are considering changing out the windows for a more modern steel-look window that you have been seeing and loving. Do not do this! It doesn’t fit the architectural style of your home. 

• Instead, keep the architectural elements consistent, and then opt for more modern lighting, furniture and art. For the accessories maybe choose things that are a classic contemporary style to bridge the traditional and modern styles together.  

examples of style mixing that we love:

This dining room from Amber Interiors shows a traditional home with more modern furniture and lighting. A great mix. 

A beautiful Farmhouse and Coastal mix from Light & Dwell.

Farmhouse style with Modern/Vintage furniture and accessories from One Kings Lane.

Minimal Modern, Scandinavian, and Contemporary mix from LuMu Interiors.

Art Deco/Traditional mixed with Mid-Century modern furniture from Chloe Warner.

Rustic farmhouse with contemporary furniture by Jeffrey Dungan.

Sarah Sherman Samuel mixes Mid Century Modern and Bohemian for Mandy Moore’s home.

One of the best ways to start to mix design styles throughout your home is to learn more about them. Click here to read more about popular styles. If you’re interested in reading more about mixing traditional and modern pieces together, click here.

Here is a list of the many different design styles to get you started. Circle your top three and think about the art of the mix and how you will incorporate it into your home. Remember, choose one as the base for all of your hard finishes, one for your lighting and furniture, and a trendier one for accessories.