uniqueness and variety – how to combine different interior styles

Most of us know about the difficulties of combining two different styles. How to combine old and new? How to work with different styles when moving in together? It could be challenging to create a harmonic home when those styles seem to have nothing in common. 

In this specific case one participant of my Studio-Sprechstunde asked me how to combine a „bachelor style“ (car tires used as coffee table, high-gloss sideboards for technical equipment…) with a more female interior and to bring that into an old renovated farm house. Yes, sounds like a challenging job. First of all: Get rid of the tires, Hahaha… 

But of course it needs a little bit more to bring both interior styles together and make it look balanced. As an architect I have to deal with that really often.

So here are some of my pro-tips to design a cozy home influenced by different styles:

Find a simple basic that works!

Use a clear design language, a neutral foundation. Straight furniture, pure lines, simple geometry. Have a look to Japandi, Wabi-Sabi style or Scandinavian design. All those styles combine simplicity and nature.

Add natural materials and rougher surfaces

Bring in more wooden elements to create a warmer atmosphere and break with the glossy clean surfaces. If there are already wooden materials then take the character of that (oak, birch…) Use rougher natural materials like baskets,  wooden plant boxes or sisal carpets.

Add warm colours

To break with the strength of the bachelor style, which is mostly dominated by grey and cooler tones, use warm colours for the walls and decoration, f.e. terracotta color, sage green or a soft greige 

Use fabrics and take pillows, blankets, curtains and also carpets and bring more tension and coziness into the austere interior. Take colours and pattern that match with both styles, not to girlish or rustic. 

Use graphical designs like you find in Ethno or Scandi style to bring both interiors together. Ethno style for example is a mixture of different cultural influences. It’s playful and joyful because of the colours at the one hand but the clear pattern and graphics fit well to a more simple style, too. 

Have fun! Test it, change it, play with it… Good design is often a result of using a place. We go through different stages in life our home should reflect that, too. It’s a very lively place that changes. Play with it and be open for new things.