5 Ways to Get This Look: Eclectic Dining Room

The blending of styles and patterns to create a unique, yet cohesive look is the style of decorating known as “eclectic”.  It’s the perfect style for anyone who’s working on building their look over time, instead of plunking down a wad of cash at the furniture store to get a ready-made room.  And this dining room from the portfolio of designer Samantha Pynn is a perfect example of how good eclectic style can look.

Just a glance at this room, and you’ll definitely be struck by what a bright, lovely dining space it is.  Take a second look, and you’ll begin noticing that this isn’t a cookie-cutter dining room.  The furnishings aren’t locked into just one design style–they range from sleek and modern to glam traditional.  This isn’t a room that you think, “Wow, this looks just like a page from X Catalog!”  This is a room with stories of flea market discoveries and clearance tag luck–and I mean that in the best possible way!

If you’d like to style your dining room eclectically, this room is such a good starting point!  Eclectic style lends itself to DIYers and furniture rescuers, so you can definitely put together a similar room without a hefty price tag.  Here are five tutorials I found to get you on your way to an eclectic dining room.

1.  Coffered Ceiling

First things first:  that glorious coffered ceiling!  It adds such a sense of history and architecture to this space.  Remodelaholic featured a tutorial by Our Small-Town Idaho Life that shows the construction of a similar ceiling, start to finish.  Theirs is stained, not painted white like the one in my inspiration photo, but I think ‘dI like the stained version just as well in that bright space.

2.  Orb Light

Orb lights are big this year.  A pretty interesting mix of styles themselves, they blend rustic and modern beautifully.  But they can be pricey!  Save some dough and follow a tutorial like this one by Dear Emmeline to make your own.

3.  Painted Buffet

My inspiration photo includes a carved buffet in creamy white.  It’s got to be a makeover–buffets like this were popular mainstays of 1970’s era dining rooms.  Given a fresh coat of paint, they can serve stylishly for many more years, like this Craigslist find renewed at Sew Much Ado. 

4.  Mod Farmhouse Table

This table would look just as at home in a rustic farmhouse as it would a hip urban loft.  But you don’t need to have a barn in the family or a big-city job to be able to afford one, thanks to {drumroll please} Ikea!  See how Pennies a Day Decorating styled their Stornas table eclectically.  To get a table just like the one in my inspiration photo, you could paint the legs and apron of the Stornas with charcoal gray paint.

5.  Wood Tile Wall Art

The wood tile on the wall in my inspiration photo makes a beautiful contrast against the light blue walls.  I love the wall art created by House of Smiths using similar tiles.  Click over there to find out where you can find wood tiles.  

So what do you think?  Are you a fan of eclectic style, or do you prefer to stick with one particular style when you decorate a room?  What’s your favorite detail in my inspiration room?