Eclectic Minimalism

Gone are the days of designers filling homeowners shelves with trinkets that mean nothing to them, and here is the time of celebrating your meaningful selections.

According to one of our favorite furniture retailers, Joybird, Washingtonians love Eclectic design. My favorite part about this is that we are the ONLY state that preferred this design style above all others. Ready for this to get even better? Eclectic design is described as “a type of interior design that blends different styles and motifs together to create a unique aesthetic” (Master Class). We chose a unique aesthetic, and we were the only ones to choose this. 

In this dark and damp weather, we like to stand out and shine. We love to be unique and live amongst stories, culture, playfulness, and whimsy. 

We also tend to collect things, filling every surface with clutter and every corner, niche, and cranny with nick-nacks. While this can be appreciated if these items have history and charm, it can also be said that we can become cluttered with all our indoor living.

In the Pacific Northwest, we crave light and airy spaces to abate the darkness. Additionally, we desire warmth and comfort. How do we balance this light, airy need with the warmth and comfort of indoor life and also all of our darn nick-nacks?

We lean on minimalism for a touch of sanity in our beautiful, unique, eclectic lives. Here are 6 great tips on preserving that minimalism with our eclectic design styles:

1. Choose a minimalist color scheme.

   This works particularly well in smaller spaces and in spaces where we gravitate toward collected items that can easily follow this color scheme. Take a look at our eclectic Palisade Kitchen where we created a space for every bit of storage needed, keeping counters clear, and accessorized with all-white details.

2. Choose your focal point.

   Whether it be a wall of books, a bold tile, or a special wall for a gallery of art, let that one point really shine and celebrate your eccentricities, and allow all other selections to support that focal point. Remember “supporting” isn’t equal or the “same”. We’re talking eclectic, after all, right? Keep it interesting with varying levels of visual punctuation.

3. Mix finishes.

   We love mixing finishes, and will be honest in that the only rules we follow in combining finishes are, “does it look right?” and “is it balanced?”. There is no magic of warm with warm only or cool with cool only, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Here is where you need to lean into your instincts on what is visually pleasing.

4. Texture, Texture, and more Texture.

   Part of where the Scandinavian design style is so successful with all the white and grey in such a cool region is their strong use of textures. Do not be afraid of bold wood graining. Look for tile with relief. Consider architectural molding with a bit of unique interest with layers and projection. Texture can often be overlooked but can make a huge impact on a beautiful design.

5. A place for everything.

   We all know the quote “A place for everything and everything in its place”. This is a great mantra for minimalist eclectic design. If a house is filled up with tchotchkes, we simply need the proper place for them. My favorite is built-in bookcases. Consider making full walls of shelving to store all the little items (and of course beautiful BOOKS), then clear your other surfaces (or maintain minimal items on these other surfaces.) Once again, creating these visual breaks allows the other areas to stand out more distinctly.

6. Visual Harmony.

   Remember when I talked about supporting items for your focal point and how they don’t all have to be the same? While they do not have to be the same and can actually contrast tremendously, there needs to be some element of “sameness” to avoid feeling haphazard and unplanned. For instance, think of how the Portage Residence combines metals, textures, and prints and how they work beautifully because they all hold the same proportions and values to create a visual tie and flow to the space. 

These 6 tips can really help a space that needs to be taken from chaos to cohesiveness, while still allowing us to express our much loved eclectic design esthetic. Thank you, Washington, for being your amazing unique selves. We love working with you and seeing your personality unfold in the designs we collaborate on. Need a bit of added insight and assistance to create a beautifully crafted space that’s uniquely you, we’re here for you.

---