Dwell On This: Not Everything Needs to Match

Several years ago, my wife and I hosted a dinner party for an eclectic group of friends: Some we’d known a lifetime, and others only a few months. We liked everyone individually and hoped that an evening together would be a memorable one, and it was—two of the guests introduced that night went on to get married. That’s the beauty of mixing and matching.

Like creating a good guest list, bringing disparate decorating styles into the home can have some serendipitous results. You may be acquainted with the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of a room be done in neutral colors and 20% in bolder colors, or vice versa. It’s a helpful principle that creates more sophisticated spaces that break out of the confines of a sedentary color palette. The rule of thumb can also apply more widely to decor, offering us the opportunity to bring objects, art, and furnishings that, at first glance, may not "match" the rest of the room. Try throwing a surprising personal item on a bookshelf alongside objets d'art, books, and photos. What once looked out of place may now become a visual point of interest that speaks volumes about who you are. 

You might also try mixing things up in the dining room. Stylists often specify chairs from different eras, sizes, and shapes to surround the table. Alternatively, choosing the same chair in a spectrum of colors can punch up a space without the bric-a-brac aesthetic. Either way, an assortment of chairs allows you to see where others choose to sit...and whom they choose to sit beside.