Eclectic Living Room Ideas & Thoughts

Just what is an “eclectic” living room design? It can be a difficult question to answer for many reasons.

First, the meaning of the word “eclectic” is often misunderstood. Ask most people and they might say it means “different” and/or “weird”, but in a good way.

eclectic

^{[ih-klek-tik]}
adjective

1. selecting or choosing from various sources.
2. made up of what is selected from different sources.
3. not following any one system, as of philosophy, medicine, etc., but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems.
4. noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during a certain period, that derive from a wide range of historic styles, the style in each instance often being chosen for it’s fancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client.

With the meaning now clear in our heads, let’s take a look at some ways to apply and eclectic style to your living room furnishings and décor.

Ideas for Making Your Living Room Eclectic

One of the interesting things about the above definition of ‘eclectic’ is that, the more of it you fulfill in your furniture and décor choices, the more eclectic the room will be. That’s rarely the case with adjectives like eclectic. More often, different versions of the meaning often having quite different definitions.

With the definition above, you could have an eclectic living room according to the first definition , but it may not appeal to anyone, even you.

If things are all over the place, it’ll never come together. If your area rug is busy and textured, find a counterbalance to put on it.

If you liked this post, check out our recent article on how to clean a white leather couch.

2. Curate

Your collection of monkey carvings may be quite engagingly eclectic, but no one wants to see all 56 of them at one time.

3. Use White Space

There’s a tendency to over-cook eclectic style, just to prove how eclectic it is. Give the pieces you choose some breathing space between them.

4. Make Practical Choices

Back to the monkey collection, don’t forget you need an eclectic place or means of displaying them.

5. Keep Everything in Balance

Balance is the key to all your home décor and that is just as true for eclectic design as any other. If you look at the room and don’t see a balance of textures, colours and scale, with certain consistencies and a symmetry on which it all rests, then you’re not quite there.

If you liked this post, check out our recent article on how to clean a white leather couch.

(Images: source)