Have you ever traveled to Italy and purchased a lovely little painting by a local plein air painter on the street? Have you been to Greece and brought home local pottery? Do you have any Egyptian papyrus framed and hanging in your home for the memory? If you have any of these things then you have been curating. Curating is the act of collecting art and intentional items that can be displayed in a thoughtful manner. Once they are displayed in your home they create a well-traveled look that is known popularly as the eclectic look. The eclectic look done well is timeless! Let’s take a peek into the living room of a Lantana Model to see the eclectic look done well somewhere in the heart of The Villages.
• Focal Wall
The focal wall was originally the traditional fireplace which looked nice. Later, the homeowners added two built in bookshelves on each side and the TV was placed off to the side where it can blend into the shelves and the curated items from the homeowner’s travels that are displayed. Also, the artwork is allowed to shine as the focal point and the two buffet lamps add the perfect amount of low light. The living room is comfortable for entertaining and TV watching.
• Living room furniture curation
The living room furniture is nicely curated and a great example of a collected look rather than everything matching. The sofa is a standard creamy tan sofa that will stay light when looking out the window. The recliner looks like a handsome chair rather than a recliner and the leather is deep teal. The chairs across from the sofa are wood that has a cut out pattern. They look a bit transitional but work great in the space next to the traditional pieces. The coffee table is an old semi-rustic antique in a lighter wood that visually ties into the sofa table which also has a semi rustic antique look. The rug in the space is a traditional rug print that has crème, teal and a pumpkin red that visually ties into to everything in the space. Finally, the pillows pop as an accent in the room. Scattering the pumpkin red around the space creates a rhythm in the design. Rhythm is one color standing out as an accent and found throughout the room at regular intervals like the beat in a song. This creates a connection for the eye to follow.
• The side table
The side table to the sofa is a bar cart that plays double duty in the space. I like the rattan tray on top and the addition of the metal frame to the space. The table holds a few more of the homeowners travel treasures and a pop of greenery underneath. There is also a reading lamp with the bar cart that could act as extra light in the space at night.
• Sofa table
The sofa table holds a lamp that is a piece of art as well. The lamp is an Asian fighter on a horse with a beautiful pagoda type shade in black. Also, the table has old pottery from Italy and a seagrass basket from Charleston. Everything was purchased and placed in the home with a memory in mind.
• The piano room
The dining room of this home was made into a piano room. The piano looks amazing in the space and the chandelier was removed. The homeowners have an amazing view and it would be a sin not to reflect it back into the space uninterrupted. They purchased a large arch mirror 72” high by 48” wide. The mirror captures all the view and throws so much light back into the space that it is often mistaken for a window.
• Wall opposite the piano room
The large wall opposite the piano room was a great place to put a long buffet. The buffet is flanked by two wing back chairs that provide a curvy feminine line to the space. The chairs have silver wood and look a bit modern which provides balanced tension with the traditional items in the space.
• Artwork
The artwork is art that the homeowners chose together and they love.
Both pieces of art are abstract and abstract is usually on the modern side but these work well in the space. Again the artwork is great example of tension in the space. Tension in design is when two opposing objects work together.
• The style mix
This home is a home in which so many styles and cultures are represented in the décor. Why does it all work you ask? Though many styles and cultures are represented they are connected by color relationships. The common ground is color. Everything in the space has colors found throughout the space and visual thread of color moves throughout the space like the rhythm of a song. So, remember in the world of decorating you can have lots of different things and they will perform well together if you focus on the common ground of color relationships.
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