Are you facing a mix-and-match predicament in your living room, bedroom, or dining room? This is a common conundrum we’re well equipped to tackle.
Buying matching furniture sets or modular pieces is like hitting a few proverbial birds with one stone. You can purchase several furniture pieces at once (check, check, check!), and you’ve saved yourself the effort required to coordinate. All these pieces of furniture will be attractive and designed to match each other. At the same time, you may want to add a touch of personality, create a more individualized room, or own and love a mismatched array of furniture.
For example, you may have inherited a beloved couch from your grandmother or held on to a cherished side coffee table all these years from your first apartment — you get the gist. This diverse collection is desirable, with decor trends increasingly leaning toward a unique, eclectic look.
However, your mixed furniture combination will appear sloppy without thoughtful selection and arrangement. Instead, a mix-and-match home decor style should convey a decorator’s sense of creativity and personal style while maintaining cohesion.
Whether your goal is to bring personality to your matching sets or to harmonize a smattering of mismatched furniture, try these simple tips for designing a unified and aesthetically pleasing living space.
Style
Diverse pieces inherited or collected over time likely won’t follow the same style. This difference in look and feel is not a problem. Assorted furniture styles, combined creatively, can work together, even if you have both modern and vintage furniture.
For mix-and-match, ensure the space has at least one uniting thread, whether a color scheme, a material, a pattern, a finish, or a mood. Use the binding element two or three times to create an intentional, curated interior design. This golden thread can start from a base of neutrals or complement a statement piece. Pare back the color palette, keep your overall look balanced, and stick to your chosen atmosphere — mixing styles and eras can succeed.
Statement Pieces
Selecting focus pieces to mix and match around warrants some guidance. Choose a piece with a strong visual presence integral to the room’s purpose. Examples include the headboard in a bedroom, the sofa in a living room, and a dining room table and chairs. The furniture piece can stand out in size, shape, design, or color.
The mix-and-match furniture, whether sofas, beds, or artworks, are the focal points in a room and set the tone of the overall style and theme. They should draw the eye, complemented but not overshadowed by other furniture. Even if you’re on a budget, it’s worth investing in a quality item with timeless longevity.
Size
Once you know what room you’re working in, get an idea of the furniture you want by considering their size. If you have a matching set you’re going to use — perhaps a couch, a loveseat, and a chair — round up other pieces that are of a similar proportion. For instance, a sturdy couch set should be paired with an equally robust armoire and side tables for a unified appearance.
You can use this same tip if you’re dealing with a mix of furniture. Sometimes, thinking about what you’re going to put together can be overwhelming if nothing technically “matches.” Instead, pair items based on weight — heavy with heavy, delicate with delicate.
Maintain a visual size balance, mixing large, medium, and small pieces harmoniously rather than including only large or small furniture. Common sense also suggests that some types of furniture should be smaller than others, such as the size of a side table relative to a sofa.
Your main furnishings should occupy two-thirds of the wall space, with one accent piece anchoring the layout and complementing your other pieces. Also, consider the size of your living space, avoiding too many large pieces that may create a cramped look and feel.
Color
Not ready to commit to mixing furniture but like the look? Color is an excellent way to experiment with the mixed look when dealing with a matching furniture set. Try a single painted accent wall, a set of bright throw pillows, or a bold pouf ottoman — start small to get comfortable with the idea. Try varying the tones of a chosen color, such as pairing a navy blue wall with a royal blue lampshade and a few baby blue pillows. This will give you a cohesive yet varied look.
Once you’ve conquered the solid color idea, graduate to prints. Find one you like, but make sure the scale is larger so it doesn’t look washed out from afar. The print should be distinct but not overwhelming. Choose a print that includes several colors to give yourself more options for decorating the rest of the room. You can combine two or three prints with a complementary color scheme.
Solid colors can also work to your advantage if you already have mixed furniture. Pull everything together by integrating the color scheme. Upholster mismatched couches in the same fabric and add some drapes in a complementary color to pull everything together.
Textures
After color, texture is another tried-and-true way to add personality to your rooms. Texture gives a room visual depth and encourages tactile interaction.
For those who aren’t ready to mix and match furniture or patterns, interplay solid colors — but colors with varying textures. Solid colors can help create cohesion in a room, while complementary textures highlight the predominant shade and provide visual relief.
If you’re stuck with a matched or mismatched set of furniture, use a combination of color and texture to update the look. Give yourself something new (even if you’re on a budget) with upholstery in a modern texture and neutral color fabric.
Accessories
Whether you have mixed or matched pieces, combine your key furniture elements with accessories that add dynamism. Base your selection on our size, weight, color, and texture tips.
If your room is heavy with bulky furniture, use accessories to lighten the space. It might seem unnatural at first, but including delicate elements like porcelain, crystal, or winding plants gives a heavy room a sense of visual balance. The same goes for a dainty room with lighter, more feminine pieces. Add more masculine accessories, such as solid wooden candlesticks, chunky frames, and dark, oversized pillows for this type of space.
Experiment with the most easily interchangeable home accessories for color and texture — pillows and throws. These minor tweaks will give your room the dimension you didn’t know you needed. Art, rugs, and fun lighting are other ways to play with color and texture through accessories.
Find the Perfect Furniture and Accessories at Home Zone
Whatever your needs are, Home Zone Furniture is here to help you find the perfect piece for any room. Take a look at all of the furniture pieces and accessories available online, then order online or head to one of our stores to purchase your new bedroom furniture.
