Forget the one-style look — it’s time to put together all the interior design styles you love in one space! Even if it sounds intimidating at first, creating a customised interior is easier than you think. With just the right tips and tricks, you can create a perfectly coherent space putting together a variety of interior design styles.
If you’re ready to take up the challenge and combine the various styles you love, this blog post is the ultimate guide for you! Here’s how to mix and match interior design styles for a space that is truly unique and reflective of you.
To get the full run down on interior design styles, check out our dedicated series here!
Follow The 80/20 Rule
Credit: My Scandinavian Home
The 80/20 rule focuses on allowing one style to be dominant and with the other(s) complementing it. This ensures the design styles work together coherently instead of fighting with each other.
Devote 80% of the room to one design style and 20% to the other(s). For example, the image above brings together Scandinavian and Coastal design elements in the suggested proportions. You can observe the majorly-white colour scheme, minimalist design, and clean lines pulling together a massively Scandi-style interior (our primary 80%). The addition of blue elements, striped patterns, and natural wood add a hint of the Coastal style, covering the remaining 20%.
You can play around with the proportions a little, especially if you’re hoping to incorporate more than two design styles. For example, choose 70% of one style, 20% of another, and 10% of a third style.
Unify With The Colour Palette
Credit: Home-Designing
Choosing the right colour palette is one of the most effective ways to ensure cohesion when you’re blending different design styles. Too many colours (and too many styles) can make your space look chaotic. In such a scenario, a limited colour palette helps the space look more connected and put together — even when the styles aren’t.
For example, while putting together Scandinavian and Boho design styles, opting for a majorly neutral palette keeps the look pulled together. Think beige, light brown, and white. You can sprinkle in bold hues too, such as dark browns and greys.
Find A Focal Point
Credit: The Style Philes
Defining the focal point of your interior makes a huge difference when it comes to mixing and matching styles. Choose a character piece (preferably belonging to the 20% design style), and allow it to make a statement in your interior.
If you have an Industrial interior — featuring exposed brick and pipelines — a glam chandelier would certainly stand out and draw the eye as you walk into the space.
Alternatively, you can make a piece of artwork the focal point. Be sure to position it in a significant spot, such as above the mantle. You may also want to draw attention to it by flanking it with accent lighting. If you want to make an unusual piece of furniture the focal point, place it in a conspicuous position.
Choose Design Styles That Have Common Elements
Credit: Decorilla
Don’t want to dare to go bold? No worries — you can still mix and match design styles whilst playing it safe by choosing design styles that share similarities and common elements.
An example is putting together Japanese and Scandinavian design styles. Both are minimalist styles that focus on simplicity and functionality. Additionally, each style welcomes natural materials and earthy hues. When you put them together, you’ll find it easier to coherently blend them together.
When you’re choosing design styles to mix, try to find common threads in the styles in a similar manner.
By the way, there’s a formal interior design style already mixing together Japanese and Scandinavian designs — Japandi!
Retain Scale Within The Interior
Credit: Decoraid
Overlooking the sizing of decor items and furnishings is easy when you put together a custom design on your own. Consequently, this is one of the major factors contributing to an interior that looks, well, misfit.
Consider the size of the room and your furnishings, and make sure everything remains in scale. For example, you wouldn’t want to place bulky furniture in a small room. At the same time, a small coffee table wouldn’t do well when paired with a large modular sofa.
Final Words
Many people hesitate to mix different interior design styles, fearing they’ll mess up somewhere. But putting together more than one style is one of the best ways to customise your space to your likes (and dislikes) and reflect your personality. Using the tips given in this blog post, you can mix and match interior design styles and create a pulled-together and absolutely stunning interior!
Need some help to define your favourite styles and translate them into your space in a cohesive manner? Just book one of our Interior Design Gurus here! They can look at your space over video chat and give you tips, ideas and guidance on how to achieve an interior that you love.