Will my decorating style suit my home?

Shirley from Jindalee asks:

I have quite a unique decorating style but I don’t think it suits my house. How can I make my decorating style suit my older style home? I don’t want to move.

Jane says:

If you live in an older home but have a modern style, you can make them work together. Maybe your home is mid-century modern, with straight lines in abundance that you would like to soften. There are many ways to combine styles and create an environment that blends them seamlessly through clever interior design. You can use colour, accessories and creativity to beautifully blend different styles within your home.

Touches of style

Two styles can live happily together in your home by adding touches of both. For example, modern flooring can be softened with traditional light fixtures or hardware. In the same way, streamlined contemporary pieces can look stunning on a floor of reclaimed wood. Adding what you love about each style to your home design will ensure that the result is one that you will love.

Colour cohesion

Using a coordinated colour scheme throughout your home goes a long way in unifying varying styles. For example, blending traditional furniture with modern pieces is almost unnoticed if they blend in colour. Your colour choices can redefine the style of your home. Consider the same home decked out in vibrant, modern colours. Now picture it in warm earth tones. Bringing this same colour scheme outside can help you overcome an exterior style that is in rivalry with your interior design. Use colour to pull your varying styles together into a cohesive atmosphere that is uniquely you.

Making old new again

Have some hand-me-down pieces that don’t suit your style? Resurface old pieces of furniture or fixtures. That antique dining set can look fun and modern when it meets up with bright paint and new seat covers. Upholstered pieces can also be given a new style with fun fabrics.

Create a focal point

Giving the eye a place to rest helps to bring together your chosen styles and give them definition. Too much chaos in one room will leave it feeling cluttered rather than relaxing, so use a wall arrangement, fireplace, or seating area to draw visitors in and welcome them.

Eclectic but not overdone

A blending of styles can create a cosy, warm feeling for your home, but be careful that you do not mix so much that style appears non-existent. Your home’s design will guide your interior decorating to some extent, so don’t fight it too hard and don’t try to combine too much. Your modern flooring, mid-century sofa, and traditional artwork will be difficult to blend no matter how hard you try.

Get professional help

If in doubt, ask a professional Brisbane interior designer to help you with your style. You may be pleasantly surprised by some of their suggestions and the results are sure to bring together the styles and colours that you love.

Jane Eyles-Bennett is a Brisbane Interior Designer and the founder of Hotspace Consultants. She has over 20 years interior design experience and her business has helped over 500 home owners and property investors in the past 7 years alone.