Does everything have to really match in your living room/home?

[inthedarkx]

So does anyone have a living room that doesn't match in regards to furniture etc? All mine doesn't match and I have a few things that are a bit different from the other and being told I'm silly for not having everything matching. Im planning to make one of those really cool pallet sofas you see people make as an extra form of seating in my living area on the corner but been laughed at because it won't match the rest of my furniture? So do you all have everything matching?

I loathe matching stuff. I I think it looks prissy and fussy.

No, mix and match here. Within a general colour scheme.

Hyacinth Bucket is that you?

Not in my place no

Eugh, matching stuff is the stuff of nightmares. See it all the time on S&B where someone has a black dress and is recommended to wear it with red shoes and a red belt and red bag. Noooo.

Even worse with interior design. It just looks so naff.

Who has told you you’re “silly” not to have everything matching?

Coordinating and matching are very different IMO. I hate that “Next” home shop look of everything coming from the same range.

I do like to coordinate colours and styles but wouldn’t buy matching sofas and armchairs or have matching coffee table, bookcase and TV units.

It depends what you mean by matching - everything the same, no. But I think if everything is a different style, or colour, and its not done deliberately it can look weird.

So for example: if you have a dark wood coffee table, and a pale laminate wood-effect floor, and one sofa made out of pallets (can't visualise that to be honest) and one bleached-wood armchair and one old-school floral sofa and another leather sofa, it could look pretty insane and not in a good way.

I don't think that means everything has to be new or replaced though, I think sometimes a few cushions to link colours together or a lamp in a colour/style that matches everything else can pull things together.

Having everything matching just looks like you've bought a whole set from somewhere like Argos. It's never a good thing imo.

That sounds like a great idea and my kind of room! Having matching sets is a bit naff tbh (i say that as someone who still has the bargain matching set she got off fb sellers for basicallly nothing 5 years ago when i just needed something to sit on in my new flat!)

Ours doesn't all match. It usually looks more expensive of everything doesn't match. I hate the replica lounges that have just been picked all up at once

You don’t want multiple pieces of furniture that are part of a “set” — identical fabric, style, etc. But there is a way of putting pieces together so that they coordinate in a pleasing way. But NOT matchy-matchy! Was the person who told you to do that over 75?

I like things to mesh together. I wouldn't dream of going online/high street and buying a bed/wardrobe/bedside table to match.

A lot of my furniture is second hand, bought abroad and inherited. I have an eclectic mix but I make it all work.

I think people who struggle to visualise what really looks good are drawn to everything matching because it's less challenging. But people who put thought into what they own and where it goes always have more interesting homes, even if it doesn't always work! Noone gets it right all the time, even designers, that's why it's better to have stuff that can be moved to another room, or put with other things if needed. We've got a sofa and armchair that are in the same fabric. That fabric is discontinued but we now have a bigger house and want another sofa. I'm not going to get rid of a nice, good quality sofa and armchair and buy three new things, I'm going to find one non-matching sofa that works.

Who's laughing at you??
A home should be just what you want it to be.
I don't like matching everything. It's comfortable, clean, reasonably tidy, and lived in, and I love it!

None of mine match, apart from sofas it’s all second hand apart from one Ikea bench I painted and changed the handles on.

I’m not in to matching anything and modern furniture is such shit quality I’d rather have something older and better. To my eyes it looks lovely.

You have what you feel is right for you, I think everything matching is a bit OTT and lacks imagination,

I'm not a fan of matchy matchy at all. Eclectic is very much my home style.

None of mine matches. I've never bought a suite before. I've 2 sofas and 2 chairs in my sitting room, all different colours and styles, all from different sources. I just see individual things that I like and buy them. Although my house is a mish mash of different periods too, so it doesn't particularly lend itself to a certain theme.

This is my sitting room. Behind the camera is a navy linen sofa with turned feet. It's not to everyone's taste, but I love how it is. Makes me smile when I walk into the room.

I would never mock anyone’s furniture for any reason, nor call their taste ‘naff’ if they have it matching.

I personally prefer an eclectic mix rather than a perfectly-coordinated show home. You have to live in it, so you do you.

There is a chasm between Mrs Hinch and sixth form common room!

My living room sort of coordinates.

Two sofas, the same, with similar scatter cushions. Side board, two side tables and bookshelf are same range/colour, but different colour to sofas.
Another side table is different. TV unit is different again. Wicker chair with different cushions.
Throws sort of bring the colours together.
Curtains have accent colours but a linen background so they tone with everything. Turquoise walls with mustard throws and a large mustard jug on the side board.

Key colours are mustard, muted blue, grey, cream, wood.

Who's telling you you're "silly"? Coordinating much better than matching but have to admit I'm not sure about pallet furniture in a living room alongside other more "formal" furniture.

Mine kind of match colour wise but not from the same range and vary in shade. No two cushions are the same. And furniture is the same colour wood but that's it. Everything else around is crazy collection of stuff from travels

Pallet furniture can be perfectly smart and nice looking - depends on how it's made and what you cover it with!

Nothing I have matches. I try to have colours that tone (and I must admit there is a LOT of grey. I like grey) and natural colours and fabrics but apart from that I don't think I've got more than a couple of things that are even from the same shop!

You are the one that has to live with it, so what does it matter what everyone else does?