We’ve been moving away from the “matchy-matchy” for awhile now, marking it as one of the biggest interior design shifts we’ve seen in the past 10-15 years. This style only remains in hotel rooms rather than private homes, as gone are the days of bedroom sets with coordinating linens and wood tones. Now with the resurgence of vintage and antique, we’re seeing more homes incorporating older finds with their newer pieces, mismatching patterns, and decorating with meaningful objects. The trick is how to make a collage of different styles work together instead of clashing or fighting for attention. At Coast Consignment, we rarely have complete matching sets so we’ve become experts on how to put together vignettes using mismatching pieces of different styles, textures, and age. In this post we’ll share 4 simple tricks from us and other sources (linked below) on how to make mismatch furniture look intentionally curated.

Use Different Fabrics

Different fabrics can shift the mood and direction of a space, therefore quickly shaping an idea of the space by layering and utilizing different fabrics/upholstery. In the room above, the black leather Barcelona chairs provide structure and a contemporary edge while the brown velvet Robert Ledingham sofa adds some vintage glamour and softness – what feel like opposite forces balance each other out. Have fun playing with different textures like linen, canvas, bouclé, wool, and rattan and build a room that fits your lifestyle while incorporating the unexpected.

Items Featured:

• Robert Ledingham Custom Brown Velvet Sofa
• Reproduction Barcelona Chair with Ottoman
• Restoration Hardware ‘Cayden’ Desk
• Vintage Marcel Breuer B34 Armchair
• Vintage Handknotted Pale Green Persian Rug – 9’3×12’10

Use a Mix of Vintage and New

Vintage provides authentic, one-of-a-kind rooms with a quality that often can’t be matched by modern furniture makers. Vintage pieces provide a great opportunity to introduce different patterns, textures, shapes, and decorative details like fringe or tassels. In the photo above, we’ve mixed newer pieces with vintage to create a unique space that maintains a cohesive aesthetic – even with the different wood tones.

Items Featured:

• Oval Extendable Dining Table
• Canadiana Wall Sized Cabinet
• Canadiana Pine Dresser
• Large Arch Mirror with Red Glass
• Red Persian Rug – 5’6×9’5
• Alternative Chairs: Set of 6 Vintage Gio Toni Style Ladderback Dining Chairs

Use Colour

Painting the walls, trim, and ceiling one colour can help make a room feel more cohesive regardless of the furniture that might be used. If painting a whole room one colour feels a little extreme, you can easily introduce colour by using different coloured upholstery or textiles (sofas, armchairs, rugs, drapes), this is especially a great option if the room is painted all white. Using a cohesive colour palette keeps the flow of the room while still maintaining diversity though the unique pieces and their shape, style, or material. Ground these colours by incorporating a rug or a piece of art that echo the colours in the furniture. With most rugs being multicoloured, it’s bound to fit with something! This is a great way to balance the contrast of different items and colours by having one cohesive element. Check out The Red String Theory to learn more about this common practice used by interior designers. Lastly, pay attention to the small details like hardware, legs, and wood tones so even if they don’t match they all still work together in tone or patina.

In the photo above, we started by pairing this sofa and coffee table that have matching black metal legs. We’ve added throw pillows and linens that co-ordinate with the colours in the rug (red & blue) and the sofa (white & beige). While the patterns and styles are mixed, the overall looks stays cohesive yet fun.

Items Featured:

• LH ‘Forest’ Sofa in Manchester Beige
• LH 5th Avenue Coffee Table
• Similar rug: Wool Rug with Red, Blue, & Cream – 7’10’
• Throw pillows and blankets available in-store only

Use Your Imagination

Don’t be afraid to experiment by trying something new, but also don’t be afraid to change your mind if it doesn’t work out. At the end of the day, if you love all the pieces in your space, it’ll all come together and work alongside each other. If you’re choosing pieces to fit a certain aesthetic or to follow a trend without truly loving the piece, you might not have as much success.

In this photo we’ve mixed some vintage with new, keeping in mind the overall soft feminine aesthetic we’re trying to achieve. We’ve mixed rattan, fabric upholstery, and marble stone to add different dimensions and textures. We used soft pinky orange accents that are echoed throughout the room in the throw pillows, armchair, the rug, and even featured in the floral design on the table lamp.

Items Featured:

• LHF Destiny Premium Modular Sofa
• Mobital ‘Elysee’ Round Coffee Table
• Crate & Barrel ‘Blake’ Light Brown Rattan Armchair with Ottoman
• Rust Sleeper Chair
• Round Marble Side Table
• Floral Asian Style Table Lamp
• Antique Chandelier

Do you have any tips for mismatching furniture? Or do you prefer to keep it more “matchy-matchy”? Let us know in the comments below. For more information on how to mismatch furniture, check out the links below:

• https://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/article/three-piece-suite-mismatched-furniture
• https://chrislovesjulia.com/how-to-purposefully-mismatch-furniture/