Mix and Match Interiors
Let's talk about mixing and matching, a little bit like when you were a kid and you would get a pick and mix. Well, interiors kind of work the same way. You're not just limited to one specific look or one specific style trend or even retailer. Obviously not. We have a wealth of choice now and therein possibly lies part of the problem.
It seems as if there is the need for people to choose their interiors to either be following the latest ‘it’ core or be more "stylish” by being filled with vintage items. Side note, what exactly is vintage now as it's a word that's being thrown around far too much. Something that is merely 5 years old could be classed as (air quotes) vintage when you go on places like eBay!
For me personally it comes down to a combination of quality, what I love and how I want my home to feel, not just how I want it to look. It is well known that to some extent things were better made in years gone by and given the advancement of technology and manufacturing, it is easier for things to be mass-produced and thus possibly not the same quality as it would have been done once upon a time when they were made in smaller quantities.

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Of course, being older does not mean well made for everything and so like with anything there has to be some discernment. Likewise, price points don't always equate to a quality correlation that the more you pay the better the quality so it’s worth doing your due diligence before automatically paying a high price for something under the notion that it will automatically be the best quality.
This is where good old fashioned mixing and matching comes in. Sometimes you can have things that are handed down through generations and they have lasted so long because the quality is so good. Therefore, you can mix something that is old with your new purchases. There is no reason as to why the old and the new cannot coexist and do so harmoniously in a way that works with the way you live as well as with your aesthetics.
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One of the things that gets overlooked sometimes for example is seating such as armchairs and sofas. The ever popular mid-century modern furniture was well made hence why it has stood the test of time and is so coveted now. If you happen to find yourself in possession of such an item because somebody no longer wants it, consider taking off their hands and having it professionally reupholstered. This is a way to give the item a new lease of life but do so in a quality way that will help it to continue to stand the test of time and you could maybe pass it on down the line.
Just as slow fashion is very much a thing, so is slow decor and interiors. This, if you're not familiar, is the act of buying more intentionally and looking at what you buy looking at whether or not you truly love it, sourcing them from not necessarily mainstream retailers, but from artisans and small retailers. This can cover homeware, furniture and artwork. Sometimes it's really taking the time to consider what you're putting into your home even though it can be really tempting, especially in the age of social media to continuously change out your decor.
Sought and Styled seeks to provide items to enable you to indulge in slow interiors. The items that are made generally incorporate elements of recycling, reusing and repurposing. There have been times when I have considered whether or not to continue down that path because it would actually be a lot easier to do things that are brand new, to mass-produce items. But when I stop and think about it, that is not what I aim to do. I love interiors and I love some of the things from retailers such as Dunelm, H&M home and Next for example. However, it’s the second hand or items I made myself that make my home mine; that makes my home about me and gives my home something different to someone else's.

Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash
It is in the mixing and the matching that I think the real uniqueness and personalities can be added to our interiors. That is why things like Ikea hacks can be so impactful because it's taking something that everybody has and making it yours and it's the same with your home. To me, your home should be about you or an extension of you, you've probably heard this bandied around plenty of times, but it's the truth. As the saying goes, “there are no new ideas under the sun”, but you can always put a slightly different spin on things and that is just the same with interiors. Whether it's changing the color of something or reusing something for a purpose other than the one that it was designated originally. Don't be afraid to mix things up.