Eclectic Design

Take heart all you eclectic designers. Finally recognition is coming to those who mix and match their furnishings. I am sure that most of you understand the virtues of mixing styles in your living space.

MIX AND MATCH

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said she has seen a huge move towards eclecticism as the Internet and home design centers bring more awareness. She sees a big move away from "themed" rooms in which everything must comply with an overall motif, such as country kitchen or a maritime themed bedroom.

"Once there was a theme or mood. For traditionalists, that meant everything in rustic folk craft, but that is dying away. People can be traditional but you are going to see more mixes," she said.

Eiseman sees the common sofa and carpeted floor mixed with a very modern coffee table.

"You will see much less hesitancy to mix," she said.

Gutfreund is seeing the same trend, having just decorated an apartment for a young couple who wanted a Mexican designed room. She used pink and orange on Mexican themes but also displayed contrasting photography with it. The colors used in the apartment also made a bold statement — shocking pink against a chocolate floor and bright orange walls.

"It's bright, it's warm, it's not beholden to just one theme. It shows confidence, even if some people are fearful," Gutfreund said.
(New Hampshire's Foster's Daily Democrat 12/19/07)

So as you breeze through our store and find several interesting yet unmatching items have the confidence to make it work in your space.