Mixing vs. Matching – What’s Best When Choosing Furniture
For decades, if you wanted to be considered a stylish person, you had to match.
Women had to match their lipstick with their nail polish, and their handbags to their shoes.
This concept extended beyond a person’s wardrobe, too.
In homes across the country, you’d find living room sets, dining room sets, and bedroom sets – all with three to seven pieces of furniture which matched in style, shape, and even color.
Times have changed, though, and we think it’s a change for the better.
The current trend is to mix things up a bit. We love this idea because it gives everyone the room to express their unique style and taste. And it’s fun!
Mixing vs. Matching Your Furniture: Why You Should Mix Things Up a Bit
We want to start off here by saying the current trend of mixing things up doesn’t mean you can’t have any matching pieces.
The idea here is to have a nice balance of mixing and matching.
Imagine this: You walk into a living room where every piece of furniture, the paint, the flooring, and the accessories are gray. How long would it take before you became bored with the room?
Your home should be a haven, a place which inspires and comforts you. Boring shouldn’t fit into your interior design scheme at all.
By choosing to mix as well as match, you’ll create a space which is inviting, interesting, and inspiring. It will be a place you can’t wait to come home to – a space which makes you want to invite your friends over.
And it will be a space which will tell the world what a fabulous, artistic soul you really are.
This is, of course, if mix and match correctly.
How to Mix Your Furniture and Décor with Success – 3 Mixing Rules to Design By
Yes, there’s a wrong way to utilize contrast in your home.
Do it too much and you can end up with a busy mess which looks sloppy and uninviting.
Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to make your home look like the posh, polished space you really want it to be.
1. Use Color as a Unifying Theme
You can have a variety of styles in a single space, but there should be something which unifies them.
An easy way to do this is to have color be the unifying factor.
A traditional sofa with some modern armchairs can definitely work, as long as they’re within the same color family.
2. Each Piece of Furniture Should Have a Companion
You may think every room deserves a statement piece. This is a nice concept, but it can be a bit deceiving.
A statement piece doesn’t mean you decorate an entire room in a sleek, modern design, and then have one piece which looks like it was taken from Marie Antoinette’s palace.
Yes, this will definitely stand out, but it won’t make the statement you want it to.
Instead, try this tactic: Give every piece of furniture a companion, and distribute them evenly throughout your space.
ApartmentTherapy.com describes it this way: If you have two different styles in a room – don’t put all of the matching pieces in one place.
Let’s say you have some Shaker pieces and some mid-century modern pieces. Instead of putting all of your Shaker furniture on one side and the mid-century furniture on the other, mix them up.
Distribute all the pieces evenly throughout the room. Doing so will be more pleasing to the eye and the room will make more sense.
3. Don’t Use Too Many Different Styles
You want your room to look stylish, not sloppy. One of the fastest ways to get too sloppy is by avoiding matching at all costs.
Too many patterns, colors, and textures will make a space feel too busy. It’s not at all relaxing.
Instead, try mismatching your coffee and side tables, while matching (in color or design) your sofa and armchairs.
The Most Important Rule of All – Choose the Best Quality Furniture You Can Afford
There’s one furniture rule which will never, ever change: Buy quality pieces.
The higher the quality, the longer your furniture will last.
At Wellington’s, we make it a point only to sell the very best sofas, loveseats, sectionals, armchairs, and recliners.
We believe in supporting members of our community, which is why we offer furniture made in the USA. And those pieces are crafted by some of the best artisans in the furniture industry.
You can be sure the furniture you invest in will be just that – an investment.
With proper care, it will last for years to come, keeping you comfortable through many more furniture and design trends to come into fashion.
