So is there a magic formula for incorporating lots of treasures from your world travels into your elegant home without tipping into the realm of chintzy? Well, probably not, but let's take a look at a few rooms that pull of a global eclecticism with classy appeal, and see if we can't learn a trick or two...
• Choose a subtle, sophisticated wall color. Light grays, or in Windsor Smith's case (picture 2) an airy pink, bring a little bit of unexpected glamor to a room infused with bright ethnic patterns. It's typical to find these type of prints in rooms with richly saturated walls, but a light moody color offers an elegant counterpoint.
• Bring in a little animal print. Ok, I can't really believe I'm suggesting this since generally I'm not a huge fan of animal print. However, since it's equally at home in glamorous and global rustic spaces, it can help bridge the gap between the two looks.
• Add something shiny and obviously "off" into the mix. An ornate gilt gold frame or even a...um, disco ball (picture 4) does the trick of drawing the eye and establishing the eclectic vibe because it is so obviously unlike the other pieces in the room.
• Carry one color through prints and accent pieces (pictures 1, 5, 6). For example, a rug from Afghanistan, a tapestry from India, and African winnowing bowls will look more purposeful if they contain at least one common or complimentary color. This is often the key to successful layering when using a wide variety of patterns. The colors need not be overly matchy-matchy, but they should relate well to one another to avoid the global bazaar look if that's not what you're going for.
• At least a few clean-lined pieces of furniture. They need not be modern, but something with sleek lines will add instant elegance to any room regardless of what else is in it.
(Images: 1, 3: Elle Decor, 2: Domino, 4,6: Elle Decor, 5: via House and Home blog)
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It just has to be said...please use the correct "Its" and "it's". This article starts out "Given it's very..." You are actually saying "Given it is very..." which is not correct grammar. Its is possessive. It's is a contraction when is the combination of It and Is. The ' replaces the letter "i" in is. This site is wonderful but the constant grammar errors kill my design and decorating buzz.
Unfortunately, it's pretty common to find these grammatical errors in design blogs and sites. It drives me nuts too.
grammar schmammer, i would gladly live in any one of these rooms!
I saved tear sheets of many of the above photos. Donghia and Odegard are masters of global fusion. Just read a great design book by Sherri Donghia.
codeislife --I was actually using Afghanistan, India, Africa as a hypothetical mix, but realize I should have been more clear. Anyway, it's nice to know more about that beautiful rug.
Thank you so much for this post! This is not my design style exactly, but the tips you gave are great for any style IMO. I will definitely use this advice when filling my new house!
It looks like the back half of room #4 is a different color scheme from the front. I do love that side table to right.
I also love this post! I'm "curing" my apartment right now and my bedroom has always leaned this way, although I never really embraced it. I have the basics down already: pale walls, modern furniture with clean lines, all the prints carrying similar colors, but its great to see it all come together in such an elegant way as it does in the photos. I am inspiried. Bravo!
I recently read another formula for a successful eclectic room: something vintage, something Asian, something animal print, and something black.
I can't remember where I read it, but it seems to describe a LOT of contemporary eclectic rooms.
Hurrah for eclectic! Even when it's messy, it's personal.
Easy way to remember that 'its' is the possessive: hers, his, its. None of them have the apostrophe.
Another consideration is "nothing too obviously touristy". I love global fusion, and avoiding the cheap tourist junk (mostly!) helps make the space work as decor rather than a souvenir store display.