How to Create a Bold Interior: Real Example

Many people reject the idea of decorating an interior in an eclectic style because they fear combining incompatible pieces of furniture and decor. In fact, to achieve a worthy result, you only need courage and the desire to express your individuality in the interior. This is convincingly proven by our example: designer Lili Diallo transformed an old Brooklyn loft into a stylish eclectic apartment where Parisian chic meets American practicality.

Historical Colorfulness

This apartment is located in a factory building from the 19th century, and its current owner, a professional designer, chose to use the advantages of the old structure: parts of the brick masonry and wooden ceiling beams were preserved in the interior. The floor remained almost untouched: the concrete surface and "chessboard" tiles in the bathroom were only slightly cleaned to maintain the historical color of the house.

Capital renovations affected only the walls and ceiling in the living room: they were leveled and covered with white plaster. Against this background, a panoramic photograph found its rightful place, capturing the former look of the factory.

Mix of Styles

By choosing eclecticism, the owner of the apartment complemented the rough finish with furniture of various styles: a white leather sofa appeared in the living room, plastic chairs in the dining room, and a futuristic red cabinet in the bathroom. If you look closely at the interior details, you can find elements from eras that span centuries — from classical banquettes with carved legs to a wooden kitchen table reminiscent of our recent Soviet past.

The bathroom was especially creatively decorated: to avoid damaging the floor tiles, the bathtub was raised on a platform made of rough untreated wood, and a large copper chandelier in retro style appeared under the ceiling. The bathroom window was covered with lace curtains, and the area was separated from the common space by a partition with a leopard print.

Contrast in Details

In addition to expressive furniture, accessories that the owner collected during her travels around the world helped create an authorial interior. Chinese paper lanterns, posters and prints with rock stars, ceramic animal figurines, and handmade textiles — all these elements found their place on shelves and dressers in the loft, revealing the owner's individuality.

Despite the obvious geographical and stylistic contrast in details, any element of this eclectic design can easily be replaced with another one without compromising the overall coherence.