COMBINING
STYLES IN ONE SPACE: PART 1
Subject: Clash
Question from Susan:
I had recently decided to decorate the downstairs of my house in a western motif, mid
1800's type theme. I had an old buffet with an old mirror hung over the buffet, a swag of
old lace, two vintage saddles, dishes and other items when we my mother-in-law gave my
husband her beautiful baby grand piano. The only place this piano can go is downstairs. It
has the shiny black finish and the whole nine yards and I just can't recall any baby
grand’s sitting in a saloon in the "old west." Is there any way to combine
the two ideas using pieces I have or should I scrap the western thing and go to something
more classical and elegant? I do not mind elegant at all but the rest of the house tends
to be that way and I was proud of myself that I was branching out and do something a
little different? Also, the room I'm working with is a long rectangular room with a study
off one side. Let me know what you think. Thank you, Susan
Dear Susan:
Although, this is a very specific situation, I believe this is a common problem. Many
homeowners face the dilemma of, "what to do with an item they’ve received, that
is not in keeping with their current style." Do I find a way to make it fit? Do I
accept its uniqueness? Or, do I scrap the current décor, to accommodate the piece?"
I think, we all have more than one style we enjoy. And, if we wish, we should exercise our
taste differently from one space to the next. Therefore, I would not recommend changing
the décor. I would either, (a.) accept the uniqueness of the piano, or (b.) try to add an
element that makes it more compatible with the current décor. (Of course, I am not
suggesting, when two rooms are open and adjacent to one another, that they not be similar
in design.)
This is an "eclectic
" space, which an old textbook of mine defines as, "the
borrowing and combining of art forms of various past periods adapting them to contemporary
conditions." Here we are mixing old with new, and formal with informal. People are
often uncomfortable with "eclectic
ism." "Mixing it up," goes against
what they have been taught, and that is that "everything must go together." As
long as a room is balanced, in terms of the scale of objects and the relationship of
colors and finishes to one another, it can be attractive. I believe people should be free
to follow their initial instincts, or design concepts, as long as they adhere to basic
design principals.Follow the links, below, to see other portion
of this article.
COMBINING STYLES IN ONE
SPACE: PART 2
Permission is granted to print or reproduce e-zine material if the following is
included:
Author: Catherine Foust McGivern, NCIDQ Certified, Principal
CatherineMcGivern.com, http://www.CatherineMcGivern.com |
