Fresh back from a seriously fabulous European holiday, and not wanting to let go of the mood, we're reflecting on the varied interior styling we drooled over.
From London to Mykonos, with the southern Italian coastline in the mix, through to the French Riviera and the effortlessly romantic style that Paris simply excels at, there was so much to love.
The Parisians have the knack of creating chic spaces that combine elements from different styles and periods, and textures. Even patterns that have the potential to be a hot mess, but instead work perfectly.
It's what we call eclecticism and it's the art of taking different styles and merging them to create something quite unique.
Eclectic style as we know it today is nothing new, it actually originated in Paris in the late nineteenth century, giving those stylish Parisians plenty of time to perfect it.
Parisian eclectic style uses the same principles as the bohemian style, but theirs leans more toward saturated colours, patterns, textures and furnishing choices, producing what we'd call eclectic-glam.
Settling back home in Newport on Sydney's Northern Beaches and back to work in our mitch and mark HOME store, we were inspired to restyle the store.
We couldn't resist the temptation to work with what we have, to create a small in-store section that pays homage to the Parisian eclectic-glam style.
To get this style there are a few key principles to follow that will have you feeling oh-so Parisian in no time.
In creating the style you will be pleasantly surprised to know that it shouldn't require you to shop-up a storm.
It is more about working with what you've got, old and new, bold and neutral, to bring it together harmoniously.
First thing to consider is the characteristics that define eclectic-glam. While eclectic design draws on a broad mix of aesthetics and features, it needs to be thoughtfully and carefully considered.
Feel free to include mixed patterns, prints and textures, these are a foundation of the eclectic-glam style.
Shapes and design elements that wouldn't normally play well together can be combined to create interesting layers and balanced proportions.
If you're anything like us, you have décor pieces from a mix of periods, from current on-trend to mid-century, or even a family heirloom antique or a reproduction from a vague period in time.
Eclectic design gives you permission to mix it together, but it needs to be carefully considered to celebrate the coming together of the pieces with ease.
The aim is for your eclectic design to have a look of effortless ease of style and coordination. Each individual variable piece needs to be carefully curated into the mix to make sure it all works together.
You need to determine a cohesive element whether it is colour or a combination of colours, perhaps the textures or even a hero piece to build from.
It is all about carefully curating the style with the intent to appear effortless. Put in the effort to achieve a gold star.
We are super passionate about eclectic-glam interior styling, as it's not something you can simply go into a store and buy off the shelf.
We'd love to share more with you about how you can achieve it in your home, so we'll come back to the topic next week with a step-by-step guide.
See you next week, and in the meantime consider what you're loving in your home that might be perfect for your eclectic-glam design.
- See mitchandmark.com and listen to their Reality Reno podcast.
