Color is probably the most powerful element of design for creating a mood. Emotional reactions to color are relative, but there are definitely recurring themes. Most find blues and greens calming, while reds are energizing. The shade and intensity of the color matters a lot too. A very bold, dark red may seem overbearing while a light, pink red can be soft and sweet. I’m fascinated by the effect color has on our psychology. In the above adorable nook, a lovely soft mint green adds interest and playfulness.

This space is serene and modern with white walls. All that’s needed to give it vibrancy are a couple jolts of bright color in the accessories. This is a great example of why I love white walls. You can change the whole vibe of the room so easily. Imagine if the pillow and box were both gray instead. The room would still be lovely, but with a much more toned-down, minimalist feel.

I adore this feminine sitting area. Would you say this space is colorful? I would, and yet note how muted and soft most of the surfaces are. This is a superb backdrop of neutral pattern and texture. The colorful elements are carefully chosen, and however small they are they have a big impact. Keep this in mind if you want your home to be colorful but also feel grown-up and calming. For the biggest elements like wall and rug color you’ll want to choose colors like taupe, black, off-whites, or any color with a lot of gray added to the pigment which has a neutralizing effect. Then layer in the bold colors with accent furniture and accessories.

one | via my ideal home
two | Bo Bedre via desire to inspire
three | Design Manifest via Brunch at Saks

A note: I made some little changes to the blog. Archive pages now display whole posts instead of excerpts, which I feel is more user-friendly. I also added “Explore Your Style” and “Browse By Room” sections to the sidebar. Browse By Room is nothing new but posts organized by style is brand new and not totally fleshed out yet. Only styles I actually blog about are included. Those are the best ones anyway, right? Let me know if you have any thoughts on my updates!

There are many styles of interior design that I like. I’ve always been drawn to  Scandinavian, I’m often enamored with simplistic zen spaces, I dabble in a little sophisticated traditionalism from time to time, etc. Although there is quite a variety of styles that I can get down with, there’s no question that the one word that consistently describes my most favorite spaces is “eclectic”.

Of course, this is a bit of a puzzlement because the word eclectic literally means “not following any one system [or style] but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all [styles].” With such a vague definition, the eclectic style could mean two completely different things to two different people. Her eclecticism could mean a combination of Victorian and Country influences while his might mean the mixing of Mid-Century Modern with Southwestern vibes.

To better hone in on what exactly “eclectic” means to me I would add adjectives like colorful, feminine, and quirky. Definitely a little quirky. Pattern-mixing, brass, pops of pink, animal figurines… all muddled together in a playful combination of Mid-Century Mod, Scandi, and Ethnic with a dash of traditional.

Have you ever taken a moment to really try to identify your style? Do you fit into one or two of the major types? Maybe you know what you like but you have no idea if there’s a term for it. I’d love to chat with you guys about this in the comments. :)

one // the home of Emily Henderson, photographed by Laure Joliet
two // photographed by Nicole Franzen
three // photographed by Donna Griffith for Style at Home, styled by Tara Ballantyne, via nicety