apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I've got the same thing going on, mixing Ikea with vintage/found items and furniture. I've solved the problem with color, for the most part. If you can choose one color to use for most accessories, that can unify what would otherwise be very unrelated pieces. Pillows, art, sheets, desk items, storage boxes, etc. in roughly the same color or at least the same color family. At least the smaller items should be (for the most part) cheaper. Easier to replace or recover accessories for less cash than it would take to look for new furniture.

I try to select my eclectic purchases with the memory of what I already have in mind. If I think they will work together, and the new piece fills a need, I go for it. Otherwise, I pass. My taste is consistent enough that so far this works pretty well.

I have a rule, since my furnishings are pretty well established -- if I can't envision EXACTLY where I will put it, I cannot buy it. I only have one thing left that doesn't fit that rule, and I fear I might have to sell it. It's a nice low Chinese style end table, and I really love the shape, but it just has no home. (I am considering painting it with something meant to use outside, and putting the table on the patio. But the patio has not yet been poured, so meanwhile, I'm storing the table and deciding whether to sell it...)

I don't believe it's at all necessary to try to make objects appear unified in color, style or fabric - What is more important is to keep scale in mind when grouping disparate pieces.

Those Louis Quatorze chairs don't need to have the same color wood or same color upholstery as anything else in the room - but because Louis XIV is typically big and heavy, they could look great with a big chunky sofa, but would completely overshadow a diminutive Eames DCM, and would look ridiculously out of place with one of the currently popular 12" high coffee tables.

I highly recommend the book New Classic Style by Better Homes and Gardens. It's a whole book about how mixing styles produces richer, more interesting rooms than remaining tightly bound by one style only.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Classic-Style-Traditional-Gardens/dp/0696214032/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239047453&sr=1-5

I think if you try to go w/ all one color for the disparate pieces for that can have a negative effect, less dynamics and perhaps a bit boring. If anything try to use color as a theme, such as in my case, blue, red and yellow are the primary colors w/ wood for warmth and black and white for contrast so finding furnishings that tend to fit any one of those elements will help. I have sitting on a vintage teak end table, a 40's era blue glass lamp that's more traditional w/ its original shade that both sit next to a red leather Klippan sofa and on the other end, a small Mexican tiled table w/ a tall brass Thai candlestick that's been made into a lamp and it works. The blue inexpensive trunk, not so much but I will be replacing it and it'll continue to serve as storage, just not in an as prominant spot. My recliner is a vintage Danish Modern rocker w/ lock to set it at an angle and the ottoman that goes with it makes a recliner works in the space.

The idea here is to go eclectic, but have a predominant theme perhaps going and use other styles and elements to tie end and I'd go with similar toned woods to help unify the styles/periods. I would not however get too country w/ modern or too French Provencial w/ Modern but the occasional piece sure. The trick here is, go with what you love and find a way to make it fit in w/ the rest.

I should say the trunk is serving as my coffee table for now.

Keep only the items you love and re-list the rest. That alone will make the task of making it all work together much less daunting. Then you need a furniture plan to decide what you need where. Also what sizes, colors and textures will work with remaining pieces. Good luck!

http://www.designbyphoto.com/Site%206/lynnec1.html

The way to unify a look is to not buy everything you see. If you like an object, try to visualize it in your home. Does it match with your furniture and accessories? What are the colours?

If it doesn't don't buy it even if it is a gorgeous piece.