Description of the eclectic style in the interior:

ECLECTIC STYLE  is not just a style of a single era in a separate state, it is a combination of styles of different times, meanings and character in one interior. bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ seems to absorb all the best features and details of various styles and together creates a coherent and harmonious picture. Eclecticism is often called a dialogue of several different cultures. 

In terms of design, eclectic sounds like a way of expressing yourself when it is impossible to choose one particular style. The eclectic style in the interior is great for travelers who bring home items from other cultures, as well as collectors who place items from masters of different styles and eras at home. Eclecticism is characterized by a contrast of colors and materials, to the extent of antiques, bold design solutions in planning and decor.

Walls in the eclectic style: On the one hand, in the eclectic style - complete freedom of fantasy and design, on the other - laying the general atmosphere of the room. Given the emphasis on furniture and decor, the wall fades into the background, in the form of a general background. But this does not mean giving up bright and saturated colors. Whatever you choose (wallpaper, decorative plaster, tiles, or just plain painting), remember the overall harmony and functional purpose of the room. As a rule, neutral tones are used. Wall decoration in an eclectic interior is made with stucco, frescoes, tapestries, etc., it also depends on the theme you have chosen.

Eclectic ceiling: Applicable to both single-level and multi-level. As a rule, it is also neutral, like the walls. You don't have to do it all in the same style. Reflect the overall theme through individual inserts, ornaments and minor elements.

Eclectic flooring: The choice of eclectic flooring is limited only by quality and durability in relation to the functional purpose of the room. Everything else is completely up to you. The main thing is compliance with the overall design.

Eclectic furniture: Combining modern elements with historical ones. At the same time, objects must correlate with each other in color, pattern, size, texture, processing or shape. Let this not be a strict correspondence, but an understandable connection according to one of these signs must be mandatory. In the interior of eclecticism, a combination of coarse fabrics with elegant ones, a mixture of worn and smooth surfaces is noticeable.

Eclectic decor items: In the eclectic style, these are collections and sets of similar items. Unique things. Souvenirs from all over the world. The main thing is not to overdo it with antiques and imported items. At the same time, curtains, carpets, wall panels and other items that complement the image are selected in the same theme, style or ornament.

 

Pro Tips:

1. At first glance, it may seem that the eclectic style is just a lack of style, mixing and borrowing elements of other people's styles, somewhere even ridiculous. However, this is misleading. Also, if you imagine an average apartment, you immediately remember the items collected in it from different countries, styles and times, bought in stores, brought and donated. Some of the items decorate, some gather dust, some are a pity to throw away. On one shelf you can find Gzhel porcelain, a figurine of Hotei and a “Turkish eye”. It is also not eclectic.

Furniture, decor and finishes are clearly thought out in eclectic interior design and are connected by a stylistic chain and a common theme. The most difficult thing in eclecticism is to make unlike objects harmonious.

2. The eclectic style becomes a style in the interior if it is designed according to the principle of combining no more than two or three stylistic types, united by color, texture, architectural solution in a single stylistic approach.

3. To enhance the eclecticism, make light mixes in the decoration or use it to contrast and highlight decor items. For example, the gray walls highlight the silver statue, which contrasts beautifully with the ancient tapestry. Mix and match items by their finish or texture, keeping an eye on how they fit together in the overall design of the room. Your goal is a controlled contrast of elements that differ from each other.

4. Combining various pieces of furniture in an eclectic style interior, choose them based on shape, fabric or finish. A curved French sofa can be paired with a modern daybed if they have something in common, like similar fabrics. Although the fabrics in an eclectic room should be in harmony with each other, this does not mean that they should be dull. Use interesting combinations of patterns and textures that have similar colors and fabric finishes.

5. If you want to increase the contrast of eclectic interior items and add a bold solution, combine items with a gap of at least two eras between them. For example, to achieve an informal, provincial look, you can combine Colonial-style Windsor chairs, French wood cabinetry, and Southwestern-inspired fabrics.

 

Eclectic style history:

ECLECTIC STYLE (eclecticism, historicism) is a trend in architecture that dominated Europe and Russia in the 1830s-1890s. In Russian practice, eclecticism refers to the use of elements of "historical" architectural styles: Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, Neo-Rococo, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Moorish style, Neo-Byzantine style, Pseudo-Russian style, Indo-Saracenic style.

In foreign art criticism, the terms romanticism (for the second quarter of the 19th century) and beaux-arts (for the second half of the 19th century) are used that do not carry a negative connotation.

To some extent, the eclectic style has always existed as an inevitable consequence of the dialogue of different cultures, but it became the fundamental principle of art in the 19th century. The foundation of eclecticism was romanticism, with its philosophy of "free movement in historical time" and the rejection of strict canons in art. Everything that was comfortable and beautiful in the interiors of past styles has become fashionable and relevant.

Many art critics have accused eclecticism of being overly congested and in bad taste, lacking individuality. And yet, she had her own distinctive features: plastic forms, an abundance of textiles, softness and comfort of furniture, a lot of decorative elements, which could be gizmos from different parts of the world, reminiscent of the cultures of the East, Mediterranean countries, etc.

Eclectic architecture has, on the one hand, all the features of European culture of the 15th-18th centuries, and on the other hand, it has fundamentally different properties. Unlike Art Nouveau, eclecticism retains an architectural order, but it has already lost its exclusivity.

The forms and styles of a building in eclecticism are tied to its function. So, in Russian practice, the Russian style of K. A. Ton became the official style of temple building, but was practically not used in private buildings.

Other major masters of the eclectic style in Russian architecture were: Bykovsky, Stackenschneider, Klein, Pomerantsev, Kaminsky, Chichagov and Parland.

The main distinguishing feature of eclecticism was its freedom and the absence of a stamp, a single style for all objects. Buildings of the same period are based on different stylistic schools, depending on the purpose of the buildings (temples, public buildings, factories, private houses) and on the means of the customer (there is a rich decor that fills all surfaces of the building, and an economical "red-brick" architecture).

There are two stages in the development of eclecticism: 1830s-1860s. and 1870s-1890s. For Russia, this division became into "Nikolaev" and "Alexander" stages. Behind this division is not so much the difference in political regimes, but the social evolution of the society of Russia and Europe as a whole, the emergence of a new class of customers and new functions of architecture.

The eclectic style itself is immortal. Its further implementation in interiors and architecture can be represented as adding the prefix "neo-" (new) to existing styles and their harmonious mixing.