Over the years, we’ve found that four key styles define our aesthetic. To be sure, you can find plenty of items on our website that don’t fall into these categories, and we aren’t suggesting that these are the four “best” styles. But these are the styles that have resonated the most with us and with our customers. Take a look and see if any of them speaks to you—or if you prefer a combination of styles. (After all, we’ve long been all about the mix!) So long as the items in your home share one characteristic—that you love them—they’re sure to work beautifully together.
The abstract art, the minimalist chandelier, and the natural-fiber rug add the “new” to this traditional living room. Room by Katie Davis/Katie Davis Design; photo by Melissa Fitzgerald West.
In this entry from the 2023 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, Elizabeth Stamos Design mixed patterns and provenances with abandon. Photo by Dustin Halleck.
The New Traditionalist
For the New Traditionalist, “classic” isn’t set in amber to remain unchanged forever. Instead it’s timeless style that is updated to work with ever-changing lifestyles. Embracing everything from Louis-style chairs upholstered in stain-resistant fabrics to abstract art interspersed among a gallery wall of antique portraits to streamlined dining chairs around an ornate 18th-century dining table, the look is refined, serene, and above all, elegant.
Standard-bearers: Alexa Hampton, Suzanne Kasler, Mark D. Sikes, Bunny Williams
Muses: Kate Middleton, Nancy Myers, Reese Witherspoon
Materials: burlwood, Carrara marble, cherrywood, mahogany, velvet
Patterns: Greek key, latticework, paisley, ticking stripes, toile de Jouy
Cornerstone pieces: button-tufted upholstery, four-poster beds, gilt-frame mirrors, ginger jars (and chinoiserie in general), majolica (particularly leafware), Persian rugs
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The Eclectic
If the Eclectic had a motto, it would be “Why match when you can mix?” Eclectics invented the mash-up; there is no such thing as clashing colors or patterns. Hues can never be too bright, though quieter palettes are fine too. Kilims layered atop Beni Ourain rugs, suzani pillows atop a striped sofa, a Chippendale-style mirror hung against neon palm-frond-print wallpaper: Why not?
Standard-bearers: Dransfield & Ross, Ken Fulk, Madcap Cottage, Michelle Nussbaumer, John Robshaw
Muses: Wes Anderson, Iris Apfel, Drew Barrymore
Materials: bamboo, lacquered wood, Lucite, rattan, sheepskin
Patterns: animal prints, batik, chevrons, dots, ikat, palm fronds, suzani
Cornerstone pieces: Beni Ourain rugs, bone-inlay accents and furniture, peacock chairs, sheepskin rugs and throws—pretty much anything that catches your fancy
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Upholstery inspired by Indian block prints—the Tarifa Daybed in Mudetti Indigo and the Turf Room Screen in Madura Vista—rest atop a rug with Chinese Deco influences and alongside a Greek-style column: Now, that’s eclectic. Photo by Joe Schmelzer.
The Naturalist
As the name suggests, the Naturalist goes all in on natural materials and textures: richly figured wood with minimal finishes, sisal and jute rugs, rattan and rush baskets, grass-cloth wallpaper, plenty of plants. Artisanal craftsmanship from around the world, however, is also key to Naturalist style. Pillows made of mud cloth complement a linen-upholstered sofa; unglazed hand-thrown ceramics sit atop a live-edge table. The overall effect is earthy, laid-back, warm, and inviting.
Standard-bearers: Fragments Identity, Lauren Liess, Kim Salmela
Muses: Ulla Johnson, Jenni Kayne, Carolyn Murphy
Materials: hemp, jute, raffia, linen, rattan, seagrass, sisal, wood
Patterns: basket weave, batik, ikat, shibori
Cornerstone pieces: artisanal pottery, Kuba cloth and mud-cloth pillows and throws, natural-fiber rugs, woven baskets
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A pampering velvet-upholstered bed, a sumptuous sheepskin rug, and gleaming gold accents: Nothing but the best will do for the Curator.
The wealth of luxe textures, from the herringbone-pattern hide rug to the linen sofa, negate the need for additional colors. Find the floor lamp here and the Tibetan wool pillow here.
The Curator
For the Curator, quality trumps quantity every time. The clean, modern lines of the furnishings allow the luxurious materials—silk, shagreen, suede, marble—to command attention. Gold, brass, and sparkling glass lighting and accents heighten the element of sophistication.
Standard-bearers: Kelly Hoppen, Alyssa Kapito, Thomas O’Brien, Kelly Wearstler
Muses: Tom Ford, Solange Knowles, Julianne Moore
Materials: alpaca wool, cut or printed velvet, etched glass, faux fur, leather, marble, shagreen, silk, suede
Patterns: animal prints, geometrics, Greek key, medallions
Cornerstone pieces: Aalto vases, abstract art, arc lamps, metallic-frame accent tables, Sputnik light fixtures
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