8 Tips to Create an Eclectic Interior for Your Home

In the interior design world, eclecticism is a mix and match of the best elements of disparate styles to create a harmonious, one-of-a-kind, well-put-together look.

Eclecticism is not just a helter-skelter jumble of items. It’s a style that still maintains order while being deeply personal, fun, and experimentative.

Read on for 8 tips to create an eclectic interior for your home!

Commit to a Core Color Palette

Creativity is part and parcel of the eclectic design style. But it’s crucial to start simple.

Choose one neutral base color, and one accent color to get started. This basis will make the difference between a harmonious space and an erratic one.

You’re not restrained to your core palette. Add to it as you build your inventory. But be mindful to consistently return to your original accent color (which could be anything that tickles your fancy).

From this starting block, go wild with risky, contrasting colors in bold hues and bright tones! Add vibrant accessories to this plain backdrop from where you can showcase your beautifully curated interior.

Favor Functionality

Allow functionality, utility, and coziness to guide your decorative decisions.

Extendable dining tables are incredibly versatile. They’re the perfect base pieces from which to build your innovative space.

Each element of furniture should have a specific purpose and place. Eclecticism does not translate to chaos.

Layout is the factor that makes your home’s aura comfortable. Ensure you maintain a consistent, cohesive flow from one room to another.

Remember to consider flow within each room as well. Are you able to move smoothly around the house? Does everyone have a place to sit and put their drinks?

Experiment with Eras and Genres

You’re 100% allowed to merge different design styles – encouraged even. Choose genres from different eras and stick to that combination throughout the house.

We suggest putting a cap on it at two. You could go with modern-rustic, vintage-modern, boho-minimal, glam-eclectic, tropical-boho, mod-collector, California-casual, minimal-eclectic, etc. It’s up to you and your aesthetic!

Guided by your chosen combination, you can have all the fun in the world. Place some wingback chairs around an ultra-modern coffee table. Put an Art-Deco model above a Victorian mantel. Add some French Renaissance accents to a mid-century modern-style bathroom. The choice is yours!

Play with Patterns

Be expressive of your personality by playing with patterns and prints that ascribe to the eclectic theme you’ve chosen.

Keep in mind your core color palette. Repetition breeds comfort. But be bold! Find similar patterns within the same color palette, not necessarily the precise color.

Don’t be shy to experiment with clashing patterns and colors. You have a solid base from which to disrupt the space with unexpected pattern combinations.

Combine vibrant and fun patterns and prints on rugs, cushions, seat covers, curtains, and more. Take geometric, fleur-de-lis, or polka dot prints and combine them with other patterns to create a gorgeous aesthetic intrigue.

Trial Textures

We’ve mentioned contrast, a component that lies at the heart of eclectic interior design. This also applies to textures and finishes.

Juxtapose rough against smooth textures, and soft against hard.

Layer fluffy, shaggy throw pillows on a smooth, luxurious leather sofa. Place a nubby, thick, coarse rug alongside marble or smooth-finished steel or iron. Decorate your polished, even, industrial coffee table with decorations constructed of woven or silky-soft fabrics.

Get Creative with a Gallery Wall

Curate a prominently personalized space with an aesthetic gallery wall for your home. This is where the simple, neutral wall comes into play!

Showcase your weird and wonderful quirkiness and character with meaningful art pieces. Let your imagination run wild and free yourself of boundaries and rules.

Group your arrangements by genre (portrait or landscape), medium (photography, oil painting, charcoal), and era (baroque, impressionism, romanticism). But be ever so playful with color, dimension, and scale!

Don’t forget to go green with plants and go global with curios from your travels.

Surprise with Statement Objects

A focal point is vital to creating cohesion in a dynamic home atmosphere. Statement objects can act as this focal point. Choose a stand-alone item for each room that commands the spotlight. Give it centerstage.

Have confidence! Design an accent wall for your living room. Install an embellished and standout chandelier in your dining room. Surprise your visitors with a bold-patterned wallpaper ceiling in your bathroom.

One room could feature a unique and fascinating decorative item such as a sculpture, vase, or floor/table lamp. In another room, your focal point could be a mandala settee or a seashell, gothic, or sunburst mirror.

Honor Open Spaces

Your eye needs to rest. So, make sure to break up the space with blank and neutral areas in between the variety, intrigue, and exciting elements.

Clear clutter, keep things tidy, and leave some shelf and table space empty for that appealing negative space. This prevents your important items from getting lost in surrounding unnecessary decor.

Your artistic expression is depicted in your understanding of both what to display and what to leave out. And if this is a difficult choice, you have the option to rotate seasonally or monthly for variety.