Eclectic style is defined by an exuberant self-confidence. The eclectic decorator knows what works together by seeing relationships. An eclectic room may be defined by play with color, shape or function. It is a light-hearted style that is never boring.
An eclectic decorating style is easiest to define by what it is not. Eclectic style doesn't rigidly adhere to any one major style. It is characterized by a freedom of expression and a vibrant individuality. If you were the kind of child who deliberately colored outside the lines, this is the style for you.
Eclectic style is also great for those individuals who love too much. For example, if you love the richness of Asian and the serenity of contemporary, you may find these two styles combine in a unique way in your personal eclectic decorating style.
For all the years that Anthony and I have been together we have never decorated our master bedroom. We had an odd assortment of items we liked in the room but there was cohesion, rhyme or reason to the items. And to be honest they did absolutely nothing to enhance the space. We have a beautiful set of bedroom furniture but aside from that the room was a visual disaster.
I devised a plan to decorate our room while Anthony was in New York. I spent weeks plotting and planning with Kelly Reed as my accomplice and partner in crime. Kelly has the amazing ability to take the madness in my decorating mayhem and by utilizing the basic principles of design she was able to pull together a unified overall bedroom scheme.
Kelly assured me that I actually have a decorating style which she called "Eclectic." I think it might have been a nice way of saying that I jumble together whatever catches my eye. Kelly used her visual skill with line, color, texture, mass and form and took my jumble and created a unique work of art that embraces my decorating style.
Kelly and I talked, texted, e-mailed and swapped ideas at an alarming rate for several weeks. It was almost like what we do when we plan letterboxing events. As I acquired items that I loved she worked on the overall scheme and layout of the room utilizing drawings and sketches. We met in parking lots to swap items that I had purchased for fear that Anthony would discover our plan accidently. Our color scheme and inspiration all stemmed from the bedding I selected. Overall we were looking for earth elements and jewels in rich and warm tones. We steered away from greenery, flowers and distinctively feminine decorating touches and instead incorporated sticks, feathers and wood as our earth elements. We framed all pictures in gems and jeweled encrusted frames and brought in the colors of peacock feathers.
The real magic of the room is in the soft candle light flickering once evening has fallen. We selected a combination of flameless wax candles (remote controlled) and traditional candles to add light to every corner of the room. The flameless candles are positioned in hard to reach places and inside the lanterns. All are close to the ceiling and are not only too high for me to reach without a step ladder or chair but there was also potential of soot from the candle wicks to dirty the ceiling.
Another favorite of mine is the Hera and Peacock statue (from Greek Mythology). Hera is the queen and sister to Zeus, making her one of the more prominent Goddesses of the entire Greek Pantheon, often appearing within Greek Legends and myths. Known primarily as a goddess of women and marriage, she was known frequently to lash out at her adulterous husband, and was quite jealous and vengeful. She was also quite known for taking vengeance on the slights of mortals who offended her. Hera is also one of the eldest Gods of the Greek pantheon, appearing in Homeric legend as the eldest of Kronus`s daughters, and she is even believed to predate most Greek folklore, appearing to have been an adaptation of a more primal, Minoan mother Goddess. Her motherly protection and womanly wrath are thusly well founded in history, marking her as one of the most ancient Goddess of hearth, family, and women. The statue is strong and feminine all at the same time. With the candles behind here she is a striking vision situated high in the room.
My pictures do not do justice to the room or the special touches it contains. The minute Anthony took off for New York on Saturday I zoomed upstairs and stripped the room. On Kelly’s end she started laundering the new items (towels, sheets and blankets) and I laundered the old items to store. I cleaned every speck of dust from the furniture and readied the room for us as a clean slate. The one item we decided not to tackle (due to time restraints, mess and extremely heavy furniture) was painting. This turned out to be a very good decision on our end. Starting on Sunday and working through the week (once I was home from work each evening) Kelly and I transformed the room nail by nail, screw by screw, tweaking, moving and fine-tuning what we liked and what was not working. We both ran errands multiple times and I even sat in 100 degree heat two nights in a row to stain the picture frame ledges.
Fast forward to last night and Anthony’s return to Boise. Did I mention that Anthony hates surprises? I lit the room up and waited at the Boise airport to pick him up at 10:35 p.m. Upon returning to the house he entered the room upstairs and said “Wow! Am I in the wrong house?!?” He absolutely loved the room and said that he should go away more often so Kelly and I can work on the rest of the house. I am not sure how long it will take for Kelly and I to recover from the time, energy and effort of pulling this off in such a short amount of time. Not to mention the expense of decorating. I purchased many items on sale and clearance but even so it was an expensive undertaking.
During this whole process I also learned that Kelly has amazing skills with power tools, a leveler, screwdriver and hammer. Who knew? I now know how to use a drill bit and together we figured out how to put wall anchors (I call them umbrella bolts) in the ceiling and we only lost one in the process. We shared lots of laughs after we figured out what we were doing. Kelly also generously gifted us some amazing wall art, a beautiful orchid plant for the bathroom (we also redecorated the bathroom) and she decorated a tissue holder, soap holder and created a very special “D” initial with my favorite quote and peacock feathers. Even when Kelly was not here at the house she was creating magic for us from her home. I am not sure how she managed all of this as she was preparing to leave town for a trip to Mexico but what I do know is the room would not be what it is today without her vision, creative talent and ability to make sense out of my eclectic taste. Thank goodness I didn't decide to decorate the room as a Nightmare Before Christmas room. I will admit I have considered it.
Next time Anthony travels we will ask him to leave behind a credit card and to select which room he would like transformed. Although Kelly and I both love surprises so it was extra fun to be sneaky and covert while he was gone. Thank you Kelly for everything! You are one of the most generous and talented people I know. Lunch is on me when you return to Boise.
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