In the home: Mixing design styles

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One of you loves modern; the other prefers traditional. Or perhaps one or both of you appreciate different design styles. How do you mix them in your home?

“Blending different design styles can actually make a home feel far more interesting and personal. The key is making sure the space feels collected and intentional rather than divided into competing design personalities,” says Dvira Ovadia, principal designer of Dvira Interiors in Toronto.

She typically looks for common ground, such as a shared colour palette, similar wood tones, a preference for warmer finishes or even a mutual love of a particular material. “Once you establish that common thread, you can begin layering in pieces from different styles without the room feeling disjointed,” she says.

A favourite approach is to let one style create the foundation of the room and to use the other as an accent. She offers her dos and don’ts:

DO:

• Create a consistent colour palette that carries throughout the home.
• Repeat certain finishes, materials or shapes so the spaces feel connected.
• Mix old and new intentionally, as contrast often creates the most interesting rooms.
• Give each person a few elements they truly love rather than trying to make every single selection a compromise.
• Leave some breathing room. When mixing styles, every piece doesn’t need to make a statement.

DON’T:

• Divide the room in half, with one person’s style on one side and the other person’s style on the other.
• Try to incorporate every design style you like into one space.
• Match everything too perfectly. A home should feel layered, not like it was purchased as a complete furniture set.
• Force a piece into the room simply because one person loves it. It still needs to work with the scale, palette and overall composition.
• Be afraid of contrast. Sometimes the unexpected piece is exactly what gives a room personality.

Sarah Bilicki, principal interior designer of Sarah Elizabeth Design + Interiors in Etobicoke, says mixing styles works best when there’s a sense of balance. “I often suggest letting one style take the lead in a room, with the other playing a supporting role,” she says. “That emphasis can shift as you move through the home, provided there are common threads such as flooring, trim or colour to connect the spaces.”

Bilicki recommends mixing metal finishes thoughtfully. “Polished chrome and matte black can create a crisp, contemporary feel, while chrome and satin brass can introduce warmth. Consider how those finishes relate to the rest of the room,” she says. Another tip: balance ornate details with simpler finishes. “Patterned drapery or carved furniture can sit beautifully alongside soft textures and clean lines.”

Jessica Cinnamon, principal designer and founder of Toronto-based Jessica Cinnamon Design, believes the key to mixing design styles begins with listening. “One person may be drawn to clean, contemporary lines, while the other loves traditional detailing, warmth and a sense of history,” she says.  “My job is to find the connection between those two points of view and create something that feels intentional to both of them.”

She loves mixing influences. “A more traditional architectural element, such as beautiful millwork or panelling, can feel incredibly fresh when it is paired with contemporary lighting, refined materials and cleaner-lined furnishings,” Cinnamon says.

“Equally, a modern space can become much warmer and more interesting when you introduce a few carefully chosen traditional pieces. It is that contrast – the tension between old and new, soft and structured, classic and contemporary – that can give a home so much personality.”

Her goal is never to create a home that can easily be put into one design category. “I want it to feel layered, collected and personal. We look at the architecture, materials, colour, texture, furnishings and even the way a family lives in the space and use all of those elements to tell a cohesive story.”

Interior designer Sarah Bilicki offers the following tips for bringing different design styles together:

• Give vintage furniture a fresh layer. Reupholster a chair or sofa in an unexpected pattern, a rich colour or a beautiful texture such as velvet. Its original shape remains, while the new fabric gives it another chapter.
• Pair pieces from different eras. A traditional desk can feel refreshed with a contemporary mirror or lamp. Equally, an antique accessory can bring warmth to a modern setting.