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Mixing Styles: Harmonising Different Design Aesthetics for a Cohesive Look

Written By
Julian Wong
Date Written:
27/2/2024

Mixing Styles: Harmonising Different Design Aesthetics for a Cohesive Look

You love the clean lines of modern design, but your partner is obsessed with ornate Victorian styles. Your teenager wants an industrial look in their bedroom. With everyone pulling in different directions, creating a cohesive style for your home renovation can seem impossible… Except that it doesn't have to be! With some thoughtful planning and clever tricks, you can successfully mix and match elements from various aesthetics. The secret lies in finding the connecting threads that tie diverse styles together into a harmonious whole. 

You may have to compromise here and there, but the end result will be a uniquely personal space that reflects the style of every family member. Let us explore the principles of blending different design eras and schools of thought. You’ll discover tips to create an eclectic, curated look that feels intentional, not haphazard.

Understanding the Main Interior Design Styles

Minimalism

The classic Singaporean favourite. Minimalism in itself is not an interior design style, it focuses on simplicity and avoiding clutter. It incorporates neutral colours, clean lines, and minimal decorative accents. To incorporate minimalism, choose a neutral and muted colour palette, limit knickknacks, and opt for multifunctional and streamlined furniture.

Bohemian

The bohemian style is eclectic and relaxed. It mixes patterns, textures, and cultural influences. To get the bohemian look, include natural materials, plants, tapestries or rugs, and mismatched or distressed furniture. Bohemian design also utilises warm, vibrant colours and layered patterns.

Rustic

Rustic design embraces natural and raw materials. It incorporates wood, stone, distressed leather, and woven accents. To achieve a rustic style, use wood and leather furnishings, natural fibre rugs, and iron fixtures. Rustic colour palettes consist of warm, earthy tones. This style is perfect for mountain homes or farmhouses.

Mid-Century Modern

Popular in the 1940s to 1960s, mid-century modern style features sleek, simplistic silhouettes and incorporates materials like wood, leather, and metal. To get the mid-century look, use low-profile furniture, especially sofas with angled legs. Accent with decorative items like tapered table lamps, woven textiles, and greenery. A mid-century colour palette utilises bright colours from the era like burnt orange, olive green, and mustard yellow.

By incorporating elements from each style that you like, you can create a custom interior that suits your unique tastes. Mix and match colours, materials, accessories, and furnishings to craft a harmonious space reflecting your preferred design aesthetics. With some experimenting, you'll achieve a cohesive look blending styles in no time.

Tips for Combining Different Design Styles

Once you've decided on the styles you want to incorporate, the key is blending them seamlessly. Here are some tips to create a cohesive look:

Choose a dominant style

Pick one style to be the main focus and base of your room's design. The other styles should complement it. For example, if you opt for a minimalist style as the dominant aesthetic, you can add touches of bohemian or rustic decor for accent and warmth.

Use a common colour palette

Select a colour palette with hues that complement all the styles you want to include. Neutral, earthy tones are versatile and work well with most design aesthetics. You can then accent with pops of colour.

Repeat details

Subtle repetitions of shapes, textures, materials or motifs help tie different styles together. For instance, distressed wood accents in a rustic space can echo the woven textures of bohemian decor. Mirrored furniture reflects the sleekness of minimalism as well as the glamour of art deco.

Create cohesion with layout

How you arrange the space also determines how cohesive the overall look will be. Place furnishings of different styles in a balanced, flowing layout. You might cluster pieces of one style in a corner or zone, then incorporate a transitional piece to link it to the next area.

With some thoughtful curating, you can combine different design aesthetics in a way that feels natural and pleasing to the eye. The key is not to overwhelm the space with too many competing styles. Select a few that you truly love, find their common threads, and let them harmonise!

Examples of Successful Style Mixing in Home Renovations

Mid-Century Meets Boho Chic

Combining the clean lines of mid-century modern design with the layered, eclectic look of bohemian chic creates an interesting juxtaposition. Keep your mid-century modern furniture like tulip chairs or a Barcelona couch as a base. Then layer in boho touches with patterned rugs, tapestries, lots of plants and unique accent pieces you’ve collected over time. The sleek meets homey.

Industrial Accents in a Traditional Home

Injecting industrial accents into an otherwise traditional home renovation adds a stylish edge. Exposed brick walls, steel beams, pendant lighting and metal furniture are some options. Pair a reclaimed wood dining table with metal chairs. Add an accent wall with wood planks and metal brackets. A steel staircase railing lends an industrial touch. The juxtaposition of hard and soft, rough and smooth creates visual contrast in an harmonious way.

Rustic in the City

Bringing natural, rustic elements into an urban apartment helps to soften the hard edges of city living. Wooden floors, exposed brick walls, woven rugs and leather upholstery are some ideas. A stone feature wall surrounded by wood planks adds a cosy rustic touch. Wrought iron accents, copper pots, woven baskets and natural greenery help complete the look. The blend of rustic and refined results in a space that feels laid back yet elevated.

In the end, successful style mixing comes down to balancing pieces thoughtfully by using a combination of colour, texture, era and material. When done well, different styles can co-exist in harmony to create spaces with warmth, depth and personality.

Conclusion

Mixing different interior design styles might seem daunting at first, but with some know-how on blending textures, colours and materials, you’ll be styling up a storm in no time. The key is to find the connecting threads between your choices that pull the look together into something cohesive. Don’t be afraid to take risks and have fun with it either—this is your chance to get creative. Just trust your instincts, experiment with confidence and be bold. 

Still unsure of how to mix and match your interior design styles? Maybe it’s time to enlist the help of a skilled interior designer! An experienced interior designer will be able to advise you on what works best for your home, and masterfully combine the elements of different interior design styles. At EZiD, we pride ourselves on making these skilled professionals available to Singaporean homeowners through our platform—so what are you waiting for? Top professional help is a click of a button away!

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Articles
/
Guides

Mixing Styles: Harmonising Different Design Aesthetics for a Cohesive Look

Written By
Julian Wong
Date Written:
27/2/2024

Mixing Styles: Harmonising Different Design Aesthetics for a Cohesive Look

You love the clean lines of modern design, but your partner is obsessed with ornate Victorian styles. Your teenager wants an industrial look in their bedroom. With everyone pulling in different directions, creating a cohesive style for your home renovation can seem impossible… Except that it doesn't have to be! With some thoughtful planning and clever tricks, you can successfully mix and match elements from various aesthetics. The secret lies in finding the connecting threads that tie diverse styles together into a harmonious whole. 

You may have to compromise here and there, but the end result will be a uniquely personal space that reflects the style of every family member. Let us explore the principles of blending different design eras and schools of thought. You’ll discover tips to create an eclectic, curated look that feels intentional, not haphazard.

Understanding the Main Interior Design Styles

Minimalism

The classic Singaporean favourite. Minimalism in itself is not an interior design style, it focuses on simplicity and avoiding clutter. It incorporates neutral colours, clean lines, and minimal decorative accents. To incorporate minimalism, choose a neutral and muted colour palette, limit knickknacks, and opt for multifunctional and streamlined furniture.

Bohemian

The bohemian style is eclectic and relaxed. It mixes patterns, textures, and cultural influences. To get the bohemian look, include natural materials, plants, tapestries or rugs, and mismatched or distressed furniture. Bohemian design also utilises warm, vibrant colours and layered patterns.

Rustic

Rustic design embraces natural and raw materials. It incorporates wood, stone, distressed leather, and woven accents. To achieve a rustic style, use wood and leather furnishings, natural fibre rugs, and iron fixtures. Rustic colour palettes consist of warm, earthy tones. This style is perfect for mountain homes or farmhouses.

Mid-Century Modern

Popular in the 1940s to 1960s, mid-century modern style features sleek, simplistic silhouettes and incorporates materials like wood, leather, and metal. To get the mid-century look, use low-profile furniture, especially sofas with angled legs. Accent with decorative items like tapered table lamps, woven textiles, and greenery. A mid-century colour palette utilises bright colours from the era like burnt orange, olive green, and mustard yellow.

By incorporating elements from each style that you like, you can create a custom interior that suits your unique tastes. Mix and match colours, materials, accessories, and furnishings to craft a harmonious space reflecting your preferred design aesthetics. With some experimenting, you'll achieve a cohesive look blending styles in no time.

Tips for Combining Different Design Styles

Once you've decided on the styles you want to incorporate, the key is blending them seamlessly. Here are some tips to create a cohesive look:

Choose a dominant style

Pick one style to be the main focus and base of your room's design. The other styles should complement it. For example, if you opt for a minimalist style as the dominant aesthetic, you can add touches of bohemian or rustic decor for accent and warmth.

Use a common colour palette

Select a colour palette with hues that complement all the styles you want to include. Neutral, earthy tones are versatile and work well with most design aesthetics. You can then accent with pops of colour.

Repeat details

Subtle repetitions of shapes, textures, materials or motifs help tie different styles together. For instance, distressed wood accents in a rustic space can echo the woven textures of bohemian decor. Mirrored furniture reflects the sleekness of minimalism as well as the glamour of art deco.

Create cohesion with layout

How you arrange the space also determines how cohesive the overall look will be. Place furnishings of different styles in a balanced, flowing layout. You might cluster pieces of one style in a corner or zone, then incorporate a transitional piece to link it to the next area.

With some thoughtful curating, you can combine different design aesthetics in a way that feels natural and pleasing to the eye. The key is not to overwhelm the space with too many competing styles. Select a few that you truly love, find their common threads, and let them harmonise!

Examples of Successful Style Mixing in Home Renovations

Mid-Century Meets Boho Chic

Combining the clean lines of mid-century modern design with the layered, eclectic look of bohemian chic creates an interesting juxtaposition. Keep your mid-century modern furniture like tulip chairs or a Barcelona couch as a base. Then layer in boho touches with patterned rugs, tapestries, lots of plants and unique accent pieces you’ve collected over time. The sleek meets homey.

Industrial Accents in a Traditional Home

Injecting industrial accents into an otherwise traditional home renovation adds a stylish edge. Exposed brick walls, steel beams, pendant lighting and metal furniture are some options. Pair a reclaimed wood dining table with metal chairs. Add an accent wall with wood planks and metal brackets. A steel staircase railing lends an industrial touch. The juxtaposition of hard and soft, rough and smooth creates visual contrast in an harmonious way.

Rustic in the City

Bringing natural, rustic elements into an urban apartment helps to soften the hard edges of city living. Wooden floors, exposed brick walls, woven rugs and leather upholstery are some ideas. A stone feature wall surrounded by wood planks adds a cosy rustic touch. Wrought iron accents, copper pots, woven baskets and natural greenery help complete the look. The blend of rustic and refined results in a space that feels laid back yet elevated.

In the end, successful style mixing comes down to balancing pieces thoughtfully by using a combination of colour, texture, era and material. When done well, different styles can co-exist in harmony to create spaces with warmth, depth and personality.

Conclusion

Mixing different interior design styles might seem daunting at first, but with some know-how on blending textures, colours and materials, you’ll be styling up a storm in no time. The key is to find the connecting threads between your choices that pull the look together into something cohesive. Don’t be afraid to take risks and have fun with it either—this is your chance to get creative. Just trust your instincts, experiment with confidence and be bold. 

Still unsure of how to mix and match your interior design styles? Maybe it’s time to enlist the help of a skilled interior designer! An experienced interior designer will be able to advise you on what works best for your home, and masterfully combine the elements of different interior design styles. At EZiD, we pride ourselves on making these skilled professionals available to Singaporean homeowners through our platform—so what are you waiting for? Top professional help is a click of a button away!

Share this article