eclectic interiors

My inspirational 7 point guide to achieving the look!

Image via the design files

 Design styles and rules come and go, but what I’m loving about design trends this year is that there seem to be no set rules! This year, as mentioned here, the emphasis is on interiors with a personal and unique style that reflect the individuals living there.

And the word, and style that sums it up, is ECLECTIC!

We are all eclectic: We like a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and our surroundings should reflect the different aspects of our personalities, and our interiors should sum up our memories and experiences that we've collected throughout our lives.

Eclectic interiors have an effortless "anything goes" feel that comes along with your road to finding YOUR decorating style: Go with what you love and see how your space takes shape! 

There is something magical that happens to an interior that resists the urge to meticulously match its furnishings in ONE design style and the main rule is to do it with confidence!

Eclectic design is by definition a mixture of different decorating styles: A blend of different cultures and time periods: Unexpected elements mixed together: Old is mixed with new, shiny and bright with muted and rustic, bold and graphic with soft and feminine...The possibilities are endless...and completely individual!!

But A successful eclectic design is not just a mish-mash of styles and colours: It should be a deliberate and planned  design scheme that is unified by furnishings that relate to each other through color, shape, texture, finish or scale, so today I am not only sharing some inspirational images from the www featuring some amazing eclectic interiors, but also some tips (NOT rules) on how to make it work!

1

Start with a blank canvas

Image via the design files

Neutral wall colours create a blank canvas to really make your interior treasures pop!

Don't overwhelm your space with too much colour, but equally: don't be afraid to add some bright coloured accents! 

2

Add an awesome Rug (or two...)

Image via bolig magasinet DK

A good place to start is from the floor and up:

Start with a patterned rug, "the jewel of the floor": Colourful tribal or geometric ones pack a punch...Or even try layering rugs in different patterns and shapes: See some tips on how here.

3

Add a plush sofa

Image via klikk.no

Adding an inviting and comfy looking sofa will be a great investment to any interior, but choosing a colourful one in a plush material ,like velvet will really help you achieve that Eclectic look.

Image via oh joy

4

Mix up your furniture styles

Image via home adore

There are unlimited way's to furnish a room for a truly eclectic interior: Make a statement by getting furniture from an era that is in juxtaposition with your home's architecture: Ie: a Mid century modern style in a Victorian house would look fantastic!

Image via home adore

Or mix up the styles of furniture you choose: Vintage with modern, retro and Mid-century Modern with traditional, Industrial with antique....anything goes! Try to not keep to one design style, but really mix it up!

Image from helt enkelt

But think, not only about the Era's your furniture is from, but also the materials, patterns and colours:

worn and weathered with sleek and shiny, an antique chair reupholstered in a modern geometric fabric and soft hues mixed with strong graphic elements..Adding your own "twist" to things will help your interior confidently stand out and reflect your personality, and is the perfect way to decorate an eclectic space..

5

Offset your accessories

Image via Emma's design blog

Opposites attract!

Again: Choosing accessories that is from completely different era's, styles and materials works wonderfully in an eclectic interior!

This goes for soft furnishings as well as decorative objects and lighting...

Image via Mikel Irastorza

6

Add Art

Image via pinterest

As you can see in pretty much all the images in this post, the addition of art is very important!

Art is very personal! What art you choose to display should be a direct expression of who you are!

Nothing makes an eclectic space more than Art!

So use it to it's full potential, and display yours with pride!!

Make a statement with a huge abstract painting (The perfect counterpart to a bold rug and an eye-catching sofa), Or display a collection of "finds" from charity shops on a gallery wall, Or why not blow up family photos on a canvas or choose some great contemporary photography or posters to cheer up your walls! I am planning a series of ART inspired posts in the near future, so if you are feeling less than confident about making a statement with art, please say tuned for that!

7

Make your home come alive with plants

Image via home adore

Filling your home with plants is not only good for the air quality in your home and your  health, but will also make your interiors literally "Come alive"!

They add a certain genuine-ness to the decor! Keeping plants is a commitment and makes your interior seem confident and less contrived!

In my opinion: A MUST for a truly eclectic interior!

If you are anything less than green-fingered, like me, try adding a few easy to keep cactuses, and follow the #urbanjunglebloggers hash-tag on social media for loads of inspiration and tips on keeping plants!

That concludes my "guide" to eclectic interiors for today: I will be back on Saturday to show you all how to shop and put together an eclectic look, with my picks from the coming spring collections!

Have a great week!

#urbanjounglebloggers

DIY geometric hanging planters for air plants

 I'm a little late to the party, but this is my first URBAN JUNGLE BLOGGER post, and February's task was to create some hanging planters.

Urban Jungle Bloggers is a monthly series hosted by two bloggers: Igor(of Happy interior blog) and Judith (of Joelix). Every month they and many other bloggers from around the globe share ideas to create an urban jungle through styling ideas, DIYs, and green tips & tricks on various social media under the hashtag #urbanjounglebloggers. And each month they set bloggers, like me a different creative task to showcase how we can all live with plants and make our life's a little greener.

I've chosen to use Air plants for mine, as I have been fascinated by them for some time now! 

I decided to use some polymer clay to make some small geometric "vessels to keep mine in, and today I am sharing how I made them:

I got my air plants and the silicone glue to attach them to my hanging planters here Then I used some white ovenbake polymer clay A sharp knife Something tubular, like a candle or similar Oven Sandpaper A wooden curtain ring Some brass screw eyes and brass chain You will also need a drill with a 2 mm drill bit  and a pair of pointed pliers MAKING THE GEO-SHAPES:

-Knead your polymer clay until its soft and pliable, then roll into a ball shape

 (I varied the size and shape of the ball to get a variety of different shapes)

-Place your clay ball flat on your work surface, then press your candle (or similar) 1cm or so into the top of the ball.

-Use a sharp knife to cut the clay into geometric and angular shapes...experiment! 

I made 4 different shapes, as I had 4 air plants.

(don't worry if they are not "perfect" at this point)

-remove the candle

Place the clay-shapes on a lined baking tray, and cook in the oven at 150 degrees for 15-25 minutes...

The rule of thumb when cooking polymer clay is 15 minutes per 1 cm thickness...so just keep an eye on them: If you see the edges turning brown they are cooked!

If you are using your normal cooker for the polymer clay, like I did, it is important to cook out any fumes after, before preparing food in it again: Turn up the heat to maximum, and after 10 minutes, turn off the heat and open the oven door to ventilate the cooker. Repeat a couple of times!

Open up your windows, as the fumes can leave you with a sore throat!

-When the clay has cooled down, use some sandpaper to sharpen up the edges of the shapes (and get rid of any brown marks from cooking the clay)

-Then drill a small hole in the top (opposite the cavity created by the candle ) and insert your screw eyes!

-Use your pliers to cut the chain to length and to open up the screw eyes a bit.

-Attach the chain through the screw eyes to one of your geo-shapes, then thread it through the curtain ring, before attaching another shape on the other end of the chain.

Now it's time to attach your air plants:

-Apply the silicone glue into the cavities of your geo-shapes, then gently press the air plants in place.

The glue takes 24 hours to fully cure, so leave everything safely to the side overnight:

The next day, your air plants in their geometric hanging planters are ready to hang!

I was planning on hanging mine in my kitchen windows, but as it is very tricky to photograph against the sunlight, I've hung mine in the hallway for the purposes of taking these pictures....and I think they look so lovely, I may just keep them there!

A little note about air plants: They should be very easy to look after and only needs the occasional mist of water, as they pull all the moisture they need from the air!

I am notorious for having a black thumb, so I will keep you posted as to how they get on....but I have set myself a challenge this year to keep (and NOT kill) more house plants, as it is very beneficial for your home's (and YOUR's) health to keep plants....and it also makes your interior come alive!!

So I am planning on doing one #urbanjungleblogger post every month, where I will of course share with you all any creative ways to keep and display house plants!

Let's make some great art....

Introducing the inspirational work of Marion Deuchars

Some children are sporty, some children love to play....My daughter,Little Miss Moo, is more the arty type: Give her some pens and paper....or even better: Glue and glitter and she is happy!!

Recently she's started showing a real interest in design and art; pointing out patterns she likes and putting together colours that "goes"...and she loves hearing about different artists and types of art!

I love that she seems to have found "her thing" and want to encourage the aspiring artist in her....

So today I want to tell you all about a fantastic book I picked up for Little Miss Moo whilst we were in Norway last week:

Marion Deuchars's "let's make some great art"

(I got the Norwegian version, pictured above)

"there are people that makes the sun to a yellow spot , others transform a yellow spot into the sun" Pablo Picasso

Marion Deuchars is a Scottish born, internationally acclaimed,

award-winning illustrator that has created a number of inspiring children's books which focuses on art.

"Let's make some great art" is an interactive colouring and activity book, where Marion Deuchars covers the broad canvas of art ....and it's filled with drawings and engaging activities. Aimed at children aged eight and older, the emphasis is on fun and making the creation of art an integral part of the way you express yourself....But I found this book to be equally inspiring for adults alike, And Little Miss Moo, at just 5 years old loves it!!

"Learn what art can be, how it can be made, what it can mean for you and what it has meant for people through the ages."*

Marion starts by introducing us to the tools of the trade, with a beautifully illustrated guide to any arty equipment you may want to use in your arty endeavours! 

Throughout the book there are short introductions to some of the worlds most famous and ground breaking artist, From Leonardo Da Vinci to Jackson Pollock, often accompanied with a fun fact (Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci used to write all his notes in mirrored writing??) and a little exercise in how to make your own art in the style of the artist:

"You can complete the Mona Lisa’s simile or design your own Jackson Pollock inspired work with a marble, a tray, some paint and paper."*

The book also covers basic drawing techniques, from how to draw a face....

...to teaching you how shading works!

Marion also covers basic colour theory and the colour wheel, as well as delving into the historic significance of certain colours and how they are made....all done in a fun and interactive way, making it interesting for kids and adults alike!

There are pages for colouring in, pages that encourage you to get creative with patterns, "blank pages" that encourages you to come up with your own ideas...

This book will also teach you fun methods, like using card to make patterns and art....

Or about the ancient Chinese Tangram puzzles:

As well as being highly educational, there are also some "just for fun" exercises to do:

Like making little fingerprint creatures or making hand prints into elephants (??)

I am so pleased I picked up this book for Little Miss Moo, as it has not only captured her imagination, but also mine! It encourages creativity at the same time as it educates the reader on the history of art and teaches various simple and fun techniques to inspire you to make your own art!

LMM drawing her fantasy house, using patterns and techniques shown in the book!

Marion Deuchars makes the world of art seem more accessible in this book, and her easy and fun instructions encourages you to try making your own art!

"Let's make some great art" has certainly struck a chord with Little Miss Moo, and if you have a little aspiring artist in your family (Or even for your own inspiration) I can highly recommend it! You can buy it here **, or even visit Marion Deuchars' interactive website for some fun, arty activities that will keep the kids amused for hours..... or you can visit her blog, here,  for more creative ideas!

*extract from the Marion Deuchars website

**Affiliate link

5 Interior tips from a pro....

...meet Lisa Reid of Room Design

Hi guys!

I know, I went AWOL last week...

I've been back in Norway for a little holiday! Now, the plan was to keep blogging while I was away, but too much fun and a nasty cold left me with little energy spare, so I figured I'd give myself a little blogging break!!

But that doesn't mean to say it was all play and no work!! I spent a lot of time in Norway seeking out inspiration for future posts, but best of all, I managed to invite myself around to the offices of Lisa Reid of RoomDesign for a spot of lunch and a chat!

Click on the image to check out the RoomDesign website

You see: It's been bugging me for a while, as nostalgiecat has become more and more interior focused, that I feel like I am blagging it a bit! I mean as passionate and informed as I feel I am about interior design, I am NOT (yet) a trained interior designer.....and I'd hate to give you guys some dodgepot advice: After all interior design should be fun and creative, yes!! But it is also serious business!!

So I wanted to consult with a professional!

So, when I knew I was going back to Norway for a week, I got in touch with Lisa Reid that runs her interior design and consulting  business from her offices in the center of Bergen and arranged a meeting.

Lisa set up RoomDesign in 2010 with a vision to help people create their optimal rooms, where both functionality and the clients dreams and visions would be equally considered!

I fell in love with this ethos when I first came across Lisa's website, as I feel that far to often the dreams of how you want a space to look gets compromised for the sake of functionality (and it needn't be!!)....and I have been following Lisa's interior adventures on facebook ever since! 

Lisa also runs short interior design courses where she generously shares her knowledge and expertise, and helps people get more confident using colours and finding their own interior style.

Needless to say; I was absolutely thrilled when she agreed to see me!

I'd had a feeling we would gel, but had not anticipated Lisa's warmth as she welcomed me into her beautiful offices, where she'd laid out a wonderful lunch spread!

We ate, drank and chatted for more than 2 hours, mostly about interior inspirations and how to create a space that is personal, beautiful.... and functional....and how to achieve a dream look when the budget is tight and space is at a premium....

and Lisa has kindly allowed me to share her top 5 tips when it comes to interior design:

1

Paint the ceiling and walls the same colour

Image from Elle decor Espana

This may sound wacky, and is a fairly new trend that interior designers all over the world is embracing....but it is actually a really neat trick if you are decorating a small space: It creates an optical illusion by diffusing the outlines of the room, making the room seem larger and more cohesive. It looks elegant and is relatively easy and cheap to achieve!
2 Make your furniture dissappear

Image from Entrance

No. of course you shouldn't chuck out all your furniture, but if you have a small space there are a couple of visual tricks to furnish a room yet still make it look spacious!
Lisa suggests using wall shelves and sideboards in the same colour as the walls to make them visually disappear and become part of the back ground.
Another trick Lisa uses often to free your gaze and enhance the feeling of space, is to keep as much of the furniture as possible off the floor. This will make the room seem airier and bigger. Think shelves and floating credenza's...or even a coffee table in glass....The more you can see of the floor the better! Which brings us nicely to Lisa's next point:

3
Layering rugs


Photo by Amy Bartlam via SFgirlbybay

Like me, Lisa is a big fan of a good rug!!
Describing them as "the jewels of the floor" Lisa  tells me she loves the trend of layering rugs!
Adding rugs to a room design will help define the room and the different functions of the areas within it!

 So what's better than one rug?  A few! 

 Here's a few of Lisa's tips on how to get started with layering rugs:

Decide on the size of the area that is to be defined by the rugs, Start with a neutral sisal or jute rug for texture(bang on trend for now!!) as a base, then add smaller, more decorative rugs on top with patterns and colours that compliment each other! Don't make it too matchy-matchy...the point is to bring in different patterns and textures....even shapes...mixing it up to create a truly personal and unique, fresh look for your floors!

4
Level lighting

Image via desire to inspire

The importance of good level lighting of a room can not be underestimated, and like Abigail Ahern, she recommends having between 6-8 different light sources in each room: From overhead lighting to task lights, like a lamp by your favorite chair for reading or a spotlight on a favorite piece of wall art...Good level lighting helps create an ambiance in a room and makes sure no corner is left dark and dingy, ensuring maximum enjoyment of the whole room!
Build up lighting sources on all levels, from the floor and up. Think floor lamps, table lights as well as candles and decorative lamps. Lisa suggests grouping lamps together with low wattage (energy) bulbs on a sideboard...and having one white and one pink bulb will give a very natural light!

5
Fill your walls

Image shows one of my favourite graphic designers, Nynne Rosenvinge's home via Femina

Lisa's last tip is to NEVER leave your walls bare! There are loads of different ways to fill an empty wall, and I am planning on delving further into this subject in a few weeks, but for now, here's a few suggestions:

Display family photographs grouped together, hang a rug to cover a big blank wall space or use wall shelves to display collected items and artwork.

 Nothing makes a space quite like the right artwork!

A big piece of well chosen art is a real statement , that helps bring personality into your room!!

Or how about creating a gallery wall with loads of different sizes art?

Top Tip:If you want to hang a piece of art behind your sofa, but it looks a bit too small for the wall space, a trick is to hang it a few inches off center, so that the negative space next to it becomes "part of the image"(Like in the "pink ceiling" picture above)!

I think you'll all agree that Lisa's tips are great for creating an creative interior that shows off your personality and uses the space to it's maximum....

I adore her commitment to sharing her passion and knowledge of interior design, and her uncompromising desire to achieve a look that suits her client's personality and dreams!

«A room shouldn't scream the name of the designer but more the personality of the client»

-Lisa Reid-

Please check out Lisa Reid's blog to keep up with her tips and tricks, or follow her on Facebook, instagram or pinterest to get inspiration for your interiors