9 Tips for Mixing Furniture Styles

It is a truth universally acknowledged (is that the best and most adaptable line ever written?) that most of us don't buy all our furniture in one go. Even in a newly built, newly renovated, house there will always be pieces that have come from previous homes or previous lives (not always just our own). However, that does mean that most of us will be dealing with a mash up of styles and periods and that's before we get into contrasting tastes and shared dislikes. Now I have spoken about the so-called red thread before, but today I thought I would give you nine tips for mixing furniture styles together. One of the most famous examples I can think of is from the sitcom Frasier, where Kelsey Grammer's father comes to live with him in his expensive, beautifully decorated Seattle apartment. Frasier, a terrible snob, makes a big deal about his sofa being the same as Coco Chanel's from the Ritz. His father turns up with a battered Parker Knoll style affair in shades of brown and green. It's …