5 ways to mix decorating styles

Mixing decorating styles is easier than you think. In fact, there are very few decorating styles without a mix of styles. Most styles are a blend of several different eras and periods. Decorating styles are generally born when designers take the best of certain periods or fashions and incorporate these elements into emerging trends. Maybe you love traditional style, but you love shabby chic too. Or perhaps you'd like to find a way to use your family's traditional-style antique wardrobe in your contemporary-style living room. In this article, NV GALLERY gives you all the tips you need to mix styles effortlessly and create rooms that are cohesive and unified.

1. Choose a color palette

Too many colors can detract from the mood and make each element of your decor seem isolated. By choosing a few colors from the same palette that you like, the different furnishings and accessories will be unified, whatever the variations in decoration.

2. Choose a unifying motif

A shape or pattern used throughout the space helps unify different decorating styles. Another way to bring consistency to a style is to use the shapes of a sofa or armchair throughout the space with other furniture and accessories of a different style.

3. An original piece as the focal point of your decor

If you have a piece of furniture that stands out from the crowd for its originality, don't try to hide it. Draw attention to it by using it as the focal point of your space and building the rest of the room around it. This is a great way to turn an object that wouldn't normally fit or match into the "wow" factor of the room.

4. Match wood types

It's amazing how well two periods with two totally contrasting styles work together when they're the same shade or made from the same wood. Keep wood tones consistent to tie pieces together. If you have antique wood pieces that you love and that fit well in the space, consider staining to bring them closer to the same, more modern shade.

5. Express your creativity

New decorating styles have also developed thanks to a mix of styles. For example, the transitional style is simply a balanced mix of contemporary and traditional furniture and decor. As another telling example, although the founders of eclectic style liked to think of themselves as followers of no one style, today's eclectic style can also be seen as a blend of many different styles to create a unique look.

Don't forget that decorating and design rules are never set in stone. What generally works in most spaces often becomes a decorating "rule" (or at least a highly recommended suggestion), but that suggestion may not work in your home. Feel free to bend the rules and let your creativity run wild when decorating your rooms!