Forget Neutral. Here’s How To Style With Eclectic Decor

homedude is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, We may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Do you prefer your design brave and bold over safe and neutral? If your style leans more toward the eclectic than traditional or timeless, then you may already have a quirky kitchen, or as design trendsetters call it, a “kitschen.” But what if you’re thinking of redoing your safe, all-white kitchen to give it an eccentric edge, or do you simply want to add a smidge of kitsch to create a whimsical vibe?

If you’re hesitant to go kitschy in your kitchen because you think it will look too cluttered or busy, don’t give up on your funky fantasy. Eclectic doesn’t mean you throw a bunch of stuff into a space and call it a day. There’s an art to curating a “kitschen,” and you get to decide how far you want to go.

1. Eclectic Decor: Mix And Match Patterns

Experiment with your favorite patterns to bring your kitschy kitchen to life. Try a bold stripe on the wall using tile, paint, or wood slats running horizontally. Incorporate geometric shapes through shelving or a patterned rug, or use polka dots on curtains and decor. When mixing patterns, tie things together using a similar color scheme.

2. Try Bold Colors

Say goodbye to neutrals and an all-white kitchen and hello to a color explosion when you opt for an unconventional kitchen. Always wanted to have bright red cabinets or a vibrant blue kitchen island? Now’s your chance. Quirky kitchens are all about embracing color and making a statement, so show off your favorite hues by selecting a bright, bold color scheme.

Learn more: Are you making these 15 kitchen design mistakes?

3. Blend Old And New Styles

When designing a non-traditional kitchen, you’ll likely find a lot of inspirational pieces that blend old and new styles into one seamless space. Popular blasts from the past include a classic black-and-white checkerboard floor, chrome fixtures, and brightly colored tiles. Choose some of your favorite elements from kitchens of the past and pepper in a few modern touches to create a space that reflects your style.

4. Carefully Curate Clutter

If your goal is an eclectic kitchen, you can’t reach it without infusing your space with a collection of items (preferably interesting ones). However, it’s essential to choose your decorative pieces carefully and place them wisely to avoid things becoming more cluttered than kitsch. Those who favor a more minimalistic design style would claim there’s no difference between the two. However, it is possible to have a kitschy look without things looking out of control, as long as you know when to stop.

5. Go Bold With Appliances

What better kitchen than one with a fun, quirky style to use boldly colored appliances? It’s the type of space where you get to break a lot of traditional design rules. This is the time to get the turquoise refrigerator you fell in love with or take the plunge and choose the orange oven.

It’s easier than ever to find appliances that reflect styles from the past. Companies like Big Chill even carry a retro line. Remember that large appliances typically are expensive, so once you pick the color you want, be ready to commit for several years.

6. Layer Different Textures

Designing an unconventional kitchen shares a few characteristics with several design must-haves, including the use of texture. When people enter your kitchen, you don’t want them to just see the space but feel it. An off-beat kitchen should fully surround you, tantalizing all of your senses. Add elements that invite you to reach out and touch them, like woven chairs, a beautiful basket, a plush rug, and gorgeous greenery.

7. Add Handmade Items

Kitsch is often synonymous with handmade, so add a few DIY pieces in your kitchen, whether you made them yourself or purchased them from a vintage boutique. This is the perfect time to fetch your grandmother’s lace tablecloth out of storage or display the kooky vase you made in your high school ceramics class.

8. Get Creative With Storage

Every kitchen needs to function well, no matter what the style is, and that means it needs storage. But when you’re creating a more curious than conservative space, the standard pantry and wall hooks just won’t do. Think outside the box when it comes to storing utensils, potholders, dishes, and other kitchen essentials. Look for a few off-the-wall pieces that serve as storage and conversation starters.

9. Embrace An Artsy Vibe

A daring focal wall with colorful blocks of paint or a giant hand-painted mural always has a home in a kitschy kitchen. If your vision includes three different cabinet colors and a giant painting of birds, so be it. Let your imagination soar, and see where it leads you. Turn your kitchen into one giant canvas, as long as you retain the necessities so that your kitchen functions as it should.

10. Choose Vintage Tiles

Bring in a bit of the past and put a unique stamp on your kitchen with vintage tiles. Talk to your local tile supplier about sourcing vintage pieces. Or check out sites like Etsy or Clay Squared to Infinity for a wide selection of reproduction tiles from every era, handmade tiles, and more.

11. Design A Retro Kitchen

If you’re ready to take the plunge into full-on top-to-bottom kitsch, give your space a complete overhaul and go all-out retro. Vintage kitchens are making a comeback and people are loving the nostalgia of a retro kitchen. But there’s a difference between outdated and purposeful retro when it comes to design. If you’re unsure where to start, consider consulting with a designer to ensure you move in the right direction and get the look you want.

12.  Repeat Elements Throughout The Space

Even though an eclectic space gives you a bit more leeway when it comes to design rules, there are still rules nonetheless. The key when creating a mixed-style space is to choose a few things that repeat throughout the design. A color scheme is a good place to start, with similar colors popping up regularly throughout the kitchen, drawing the eye smoothly across the room. You can also repeat a specific shape, pattern, symbol, texture, or finish.

13. Add Thrifted Treasures

When it’s time to add decorative treasures to your kitchen, skip the big-box stores and typical home shops. Instead, browse through a few local thrift stores, antique shops, or flea markets. Poke around your favorite vintage boutique or scroll through Facebook Marketplace. Your eclectic kitchen is the perfect place to give someone’s discarded or forgotten treasure new life.

14. Style A Rustic Kitchen

Another popular kitschy kitchen is the rustic cottage or cabin-style space. If retro isn’t your cup of tea, or you’re not quite ready to embrace vibrant colors, consider going a bit more country in your kitchen. This style tends to use more light and muted tones, natural woods, and warm-tone metals (like copper), but still layers in thrifted and vintage finds, quirky touches, and a handmade aesthetic.

15. Use Playful Lighting

Add a touch of whimsy by choosing playful light fixtures that complement the overall design aesthetic of your space. For example, if rustic kitsch is your preference, a mason jar chandelier or pendant is the perfect finishing touch. If you’re going with a more retro vibe, a colorful, oversized drum shade or hanging diner-style pendants fit the bill.

16. Be Intentional With Design Choices

As you create your fabulous kitchen, it’s important to remember to remain intentional. It’s easy to veer into the realm of cluttered and too-busy when you’re designing a kitschy space. Make sure everything you add, every decision you make, you do it with purpose.

Visualize how each choice fits into the big picture. If something doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to remove it or change it. This style allows you to bring plenty of things into your space, but that doesn’t always mean more is better.

17. Grow An Herb Garden

Greenery is another hallmark of a kitschy kitchen, so why not choose plants that do double duty by planting an herb garden? It can be as simple as a few pots on the window sill, or install a set of honeycomb shelves to hold rosemary, basil, mint, and your favorite plants. The pots you choose for your garden also provide an excellent place for you to incorporate quirky touches.

Read more about 20 Unexpected Ingredients To Supercharge Your Garden.

18. Include Open Shelving

In almost any design article you read these days you’ll find a warning about using too much open shelving. Indeed, replacing your upper cabinets with shelves eliminates hidden storage. You need to be very careful with what you choose to display on the shelves (and be ready to dust a lot). However, when you’re curating an eclectic space, the idea is to layer functional and decorative pieces and keep them on display, so having a few open shelves is a must.