Interior Design with
Julia Luttrell
Exciting eclectic looks
Eclectic, the very word stimulates the imagination. Its rolling,
eccentric click escapes the mouth with the agility of an exotic Inuit or
African language. It’s one of those words whose sound conjures up an
image of exactly what it means. In design, ‘eclectic’ refers to a
combination of different styles, not confined to one source, or one
point of view.
What a concept! Think of the possibilities.
Picture a dining room with a Victorian ceiling fixture, an Art Deco
standing lamp, Contemporary window treatment, Egyptian art, a
Traditional area rug, and an Irish Harvest Table. Imagine a living room
with classic Le Corbusier leather and chrome seating, a faux zebra rug,
an antique French dresser as a bar, a Thai Rain Drum as a side table,
and a Moroccan rug as a wall hanging. That’s eclectic.
You needn’t however, be living between the pages of Architectural
Digest to achieve the excitement of an eclectic experience in your own
environment. There is danger of getting mired in a mish-mash of styles
if you go too far, but the light touch from the deft hand of a designer
can help you explore the practical simplicities of an eclectic approach
successfully.
The next time you’re ready to buy new furnishings, hire a designer
to take a look around your home with a fresh eye first. You may be
surprised by what you’ll discover. That teak bedroom ‘set’ you bought in
the seventies for instance, the one that’s you can’t imagine living with
any more.
A designer may agree it’s just too matchy-poo to remain in its
current incarnation. But it’s a safe bet she’ll see ‘retro’
possibilities for individual pieces of it, to be refurbished and
recycled elsewhere in the home. Mixed with the right combination of
elements, that too is eclectic.
Yes, there are always extraordinary finds for the imaginative design
mind
lurking among the collections of a client’s cast-offs.
Exploring the eclectic approach of combining elements in a space is
an exciting way to give them new life, express a bit of wit and whimsy,
and best of all it can save you money. It’s fun to have someone give new
life to your old pieces and find function in those favourites you
thought you’d have to part with.
So think eclectic, keep thinking of Design Matters, and let me know
how your plans are proceeding.
