Five Rules for Mixing and Matching Home Decor

Posted on November 15th, 2018 by Hannah.

If you’ve ever walked into a room where the couch matched the curtains and the curtains matched the window valances, you know what we’re talking about when we say that matching decor can be a bit, well, much. In fact, many of today’s freshest-looking living spaces go in the opposite direction, giving the impression that they’ve effortlessly been thrown together — to perfectly pleasing perfection, that is.

Which begs the question: How can you pull of mixing and matching home decor in order to create a space that’s more collected than chaotic? Read on for five tips aimed at helping you mix and match your way to a beautifully decorated home.

1. Lead with your favorite pieces.

The terms “hodgepodge” and “mixing and matching” aren’t interchangeable. While the former suggests randomness and clutter, the latter is more precise and deliberate. One tip to make sure your home decorating project lands in the latter not the former?  Pick something — from a color scheme to a decorating style — and use that as the basis for your room design.

If you’re obsessed with all things ocean and beach, for example, you might start with an airy blue and green palette and work from there. If you’ve always admired the Hollywood Glam decor style, meanwhile, a tufted sofa may become the anchor around which you decorate the rest of the room.

2. Find ways to repeat yourself.

One foolproof way to make disparate pieces come together? Use repetition. While matching every item in a room is overkill, matching aspects within a room creates a sense of harmony and cohesion. Repeating fabric patterns and accent colors are two easy ways to embrace repetition, as is introducing occasional matching pieces, such as lamps and throw pillows.

3. Don’t underestimate scale.

Some rooms just feel “off” for no obvious reason. In many cases, this can’t-put-your-finger-on-it issue comes down to one thing: lack of scale. To avoid this faux pas, seek out balanced items.

For example, if you are mixing and matching kitchen chairs in different patterns or styles, choose ones that sit at similar heights to appease the eye. The same theory applies to mixing and matching furniture: An oversized couch may look awkward and out of place when paired with smaller-scale pieces in a small room.

Scale also comes into play, albeit in a different way, when mixing and matching patterns. Because two smaller patterns might end up competing with each other, try choosing one large-scale pattern and one-small scale pattern for a more complementary effect.

4. Make it about mood.

There are many ways for the elements of a room to come together. We’ve already covered color, size and scale, but there’s another, lesser-known way to design a coordinated space: Select pieces that fit the intended mood of the room.

“If your living room is a place to kick back and relax, don’t layer in overly formal or stuffy furniture. Make all your choices equally informal — with simple lines and soft materials — even if they vary in style,” advises Apartment Therapy.

5. Try and try again.

We’re all familiar with the adage,  “Variety is the spice of life.” The sentiment holds true in home decor: Different styles of furniture not only have the potential to pair well with each other, but can also be symbiotically dynamic.

However, you may not know what goes together until you try. When you find pieces you love, experiment with different configurations to determine arrangements that meet your functional needs as well as your aesthetic preferences.

Parting advice from designer Kathryn M. Ireland? Follow your heart and let go of fussy conventions. “Don’t go matchy-matchy-matchy,” she told House Beautiful. “I say, if it doesn’t go, it goes.”

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