I don't know what the current wisdom is on this, but I have successfully (I think) mixed woods by keeping to mid- and lightish toned finishes. I like the way lighter finishes seem to take the stuffiness out of traditional and formal shapes, and arrived at this method accidentally. You can mix styles and periods as well, as long as they have something in common, i.e. the color. Light "antique" mahogany, tiger maple, pine, walnut, and the odd painted piece live side by side in all of my rooms, collected over the past 40 years.
If you're looking at higher end furnishings, you will not likely have to avoid fake-looking distressing and too-glossy finishes. I would suggest picking out the essentials first, and filling in with antique and vintage pieces over time. You can probably buy heirloom-quality antiques for what you will pay for top quality new furniture, and it will retain its value much better. And think how much fun it would be shopping for antiques. I wish I had room for more furniture, LOL. Hope this helps.

How many pieces are you thinking of buying? Do you want every piece to be different, or could two pieces be from the same collection? Sometimes a collection is not all matchy-matchy. My bedroom set when I was a teenager had a chest and vanity table with different style legs, but the same hardware and finish. I think the only realistic way to go about this is to buy your major pieces first, and then fill in as you go along with either new pieces or antique. I would stick with medium tone wood - not too light or dark - so the final collection is similar tone and no one piece sticks out as odd.

Here;s an example from Phoebe Howard's website -- featuring a living room -- notice that the tables are very mixed -- BUT that the room setting comes together nicely.

So you will need a mix of sets AND then add in painted and metal elements too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Phoebe Howard -- website

Here's an example of a bedroom from the same website -- I do suggest that you spend some time looking through her website -- LOTS of inspiration photos ....

In the bedroom -- again -- a mix of matching pairs -- PLUS different pieces to highlight an arrangement. For example -- a small table with brass legs to place beside a chair .... OR a painted coffee table to center a seating group.

Add in a mix of artworks -- maybe an old portrait with an old map or a group of old botanicals ... then add an area rug ....

Here is a link that might be useful: Phoebe Howard - website

I think you can mix things very successfully. The one thing I think you need to be careful about is scale. It can be hard to mix massive pieces with delicate pieces. I'd also say that Mission styles often do not play well with others.Lastly, wild variations in wood tones can be hard to pull off.

If I were you, I would not look for new furniture. The old collected look works better with a little distress. Have you looked at antiques or even used furniture that is not antique? You can find Stickley, Kindel, Baker at big discounts and in great condition.

Here's the Drexel Heritage site -- might be some ideas there ....

The BEST place to watch -- your local Craigs List -- you never know what might turn up! :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Drexel furniture

Great advice so far.

You can't get an old collected look buying only new pieces. For the most part, I buy new beds and upholstered pieces because in my area, old pieces in decent shape are extremely hard to come by. Everything else is vintage or antique.

Don't get too matchy matchy with lamps and tables. If you insist on buying new, most lines have more than one table to choose from. Try not to be in a huge rush, that's when mistakes will be made.

If you think about how the "collected look" was originally arrived at, it might help. People would acquire basic furniture and then add pieces over time as they needed, or found, them often without much thought as to how they went together. IMO we often over-think these things. If you were to find either a new or antique basic bedroom set, perhaps head/foot board, a dresser and one bedside table you can then add more pieces that have a similar feel to you and that you love. That's the most important part IMO of the collected look, loving the pieces and how they look together. Don't forget to look at painted or embellished pieces that are one of a kind or unique in some way. Do some research on furniture styles so you are familiar with the various periods.

Certainly it's important to use fairly similar wood tones, finishes and scale, however I've often seen designers use one piece in a room that is quite different and it adds a nice accent. One bedside or chair table might be a simple round table with a floor-length skirt.

Keep in mind that some woods fade over time so will change. I have a walnut Grandfather clock which over decades had faded a lot (noticed this when looking at old photos) so I used a darker Restor-A-Finish on it and it darkened it nicely. This won't work with the newer sealed finishes but works well with a rubbed oil finish. Also some antique furniture will appear dark because it hasn't been maintained well and is dirty but when cleaned with a good wood cleaner will become lighter. Something to keep in mind if you purchase older furniture.

With non-matching furniture you can use fabrics to pull the look together. Something to look carefully at in those inspiration pics.

Most importantly, have fun searching for those pieces you feel you cannot live without and you will design a room that you love.

I would also consider not going with one manufacturer, so that there would be actual variations in finish. I understand not necessarily wanting genuine antiques for pieces that get daily use like bedroom dressers. Even a really good piece can have problematic drawers and such.

I would also look at GreatWindsorChairs as a small company that makes reproduction pieces for things that don't have that large manufacturer look. You can always use genuine antiques for pieces that won't get heavy use.

Have you considered antique stores/auctions?

Here's a site to give you an idea of what can be found, but definitely more quantity will also be found at both. The prices are also MUCH higher that the auction house I frequent here in Austin, but you get an idea of the product.

Here is a link that might be useful: not so new.......

Getting that 'collected over time' look is easy with Stickley, as you can get items from different collections.
Pair a mission end table with a Harvey Ellis chest.

You can also mix woods.
Pair solid cheery pieces with cherry pieces with curly maple fronts.
Etc.

I agree with mtnredux that Mission furniture (Stickley) is not the easiest to mix with other styles. Painted furniture in particular does not blend with it, imo. You are going to have to be consciously creative. For example, you could pick out a Mission style bed, and pair that with unmatched nightstands either in the Mission style but from a different Stickley collection, or with plainer examples of another period. Your Mission bed would not look good with a skirted table as a nightstand, but might be ok with a small round drum table or an Early American game table as a nightstand. For seating, you could use upholstered wing chairs with a straight leg, or Martha Washington or os mouton chairs with either an upholstered ottoman between or a small table made from an interesting tray with those iron legs that can fold when not in use.
I would suggest you take some time with this project instead of trying to create an instant room. The reason those "collected over time" rooms look so wonderful is because they were collected over time and reflect the changing tastes and fortunes of their owners.

wow, thanks for all the great info. Here's what we're playing around with:

Two hepplewhite chests used as end tables from Kittinger
A serpentine dresser from Kittinger
A bombay chest of drawers/highboy from Kittinger
A Cal King four poster bed from Stickley

These photos are from Stickley and Kittenger's website and are in "stock" finishes. They can be be finished in almost any color, gloss and distressing. The bed is made of cherry and everything else is mahogany.

Color scheme is yellow/gold, with a damask wallpaper (darker yellow on light yellow) with maybe some wainscoting on lower portion below. Crown and other moldings done in high gloss pure white. (Using an oil/waterbased hybrid alkyd so it will yellow slightly over time. This stuff is called Benjamen Moore Advance and is AMAZING!)

That wide dresser is a modern form. Double-wide immediately smacks of a new piece done "in the style" of the old. It throws off the proportions of the room, far worse than the king-size bed does. Can you do something else instead? Or use built-ins in your closet and just do away with the dresser altogether?

You've selected nice pieces that go together, but I would try to change out at least two pieces so that everything doesn't have all drawers. That's a lot of drawers in one room. I would try to find something with top drawer and doors for one bed side table and use something else on other side.

For example, I use my grandmother's pie crust table on my side of the bed - open, no drawers. DH has a small chest that's new. We also have an antique medium dresser/chest and an antique armoire.

Another suggestion, do you really need both the highboy and dresser? Maybe a seating area to replace the dresser since most master bedroom closets have drawer storage.

I would consider switching out the bombe highboy for a highboy up on legs to create another variation. Right now all the case pieces are on bracket feet which gives them a similar appearance, despite being technically different styles.

Kittinger KC 2662
Kittinger KC 5413

or

Here is a link that might be useful: Tiger Maple Highboy

Or a door chest instead of the highboy~a different look, but still fitting in with the style, IMO. Note the rounded look of the 2 bottom drawers matching others you've chosen.

Here is a link that might be useful: door chest

I bought a double dresser to go with a chest-on-chest in a similar style, and have always regretted it. I would rather have a smaller dresser or second taller piece. The double dresser looks out of place and "wrong" in my period home.

That looks like it all matches.

I agree that it all looks very matched. I would perhaps get a piece in a different finish-that's a lot of wood. (and I love wood!). But the above, while all lovely pieces, don't look collected over time. IMO, the most interesting rooms have a variety of finishes: paint,metallic, upholstered, painted. The phoebe howard site linked above is a great example of that.

What about finding a table in an antique brass finish to use as a nightstand?

Those all look like you bought them new but maybe at the outlet store since they don't quite match. :)

I think this is going to be tricky to pull off with only new items!

Not so tricky with new, they just need to come from different companies and/or lines within a company. Varying wood/finishes. Mixing in a painted piece helps break it up.

My parents built a new home 26 years ago - went to market 3 times to furnish. My father and his father before him owned furniture stores, so my father did not start buying antiques until I told him about a silver Tiffany serving set/after build. So while most of their accessories are antiques or purchased when traveling, locally or at market, their case goods are not. They pretty much had their house done within 2 years (only kept one original bedroom suit - the first one they ever bought together in 1956). It took me about 4, but I buy vintage/antique and needed to fill in here and there, along with what we brought with us. I'd have to say both of our houses look collected when in reality, mine is the only one that was.

TeaCats, great link. Good expamples of different styles in one area. Thanks for posting it.

I used to love Ralph Lauren rooms, they would be packed with different styles and layers of items. Always wanted to try his style, but never got there.

My only suggestion is to look for one item and then take your time finding other pieces loved. The first piece would be the bed since it will be the largest focal point in the room. Although you could just walk in a store and everything will be there just for you. You will know the right pieces when you come across them.

I'm not a decorator, just do what I love. So, take my thoughts with a grain of salt compared to others here giving great advice with knowledge.

You might want to think about finding example of collected rooms (in magazines or books) that you love, and then trying to replicate it. Not necessarily an exact replica, but it might help guide you. Just as an example of a fews styles and finishes that work well together.

Moreover, we are talking now about case goods. What about other finishes? I envision a wood floor with a faded Persian rug. Your floor, window treatments, and wall treatments can carry a lot of the burden of pulling off the collected look. Not to mention, IMHO the most important part, books, art, and artifacts.

To me, the collected look is supposed to say: I didn't just use a checkbook to make this room look the way it does. This room reflects my history and my personality. It has family heirlooms in it (humble or grand, its just the history that matters). It has mementos from travels (again, that could be beach pebbles or a Florentine box). It has elements that reflect my hobbies or interests (specimen boxes, books, etc etc). And, these things are combined in an aesthetically pleasing way, but the combination is driven mainly by my personal visions of the things I love.

With that in mind, have you fallen in love with any pieces yet? I would start with say, the bed, and buy one I am crazy about. And take it from there. You almost have too many choices if you are not starting with a few things that are "must haves"!

I have new pieces and I have antiques. One word of advice on antique case pieces: If it smells, don't buy it! I have a lovely antique sideboard. {{!gwi}}

IT STINKS! literally. I stored some styrofoam coffee cups in it once and had to toss them. They smelled like old, musty sideboard. I've done every trick you can do, short of varnishing the entire inside. I've stuffed it with newspaper; I've stuffed it with aquarium charcoal; I've washed the interior with bleach. I've set it in the sun. Some of these "fixes" are a bit over the top, but I was so desperate, I didn't care if it ruined the piece or not. I have resorted to storing vases, silver and DH's shoe polish kit in the sideboard. Not the best use of space, but at least the things don't absorb odors.

Whew! Now that I've got that off my chest, I agree with the advice you've been given so far.

If you haven't tried coffee beans or even ground, you really should! I've found it always works. ;o)

Lol, mtnredux, my "collected" look also says dead relatives and a parent who moved house in her 60s and went all Louis Quinze in the new digs. Remodel2013, go raid your mother's house, or your granny's!

patty_cakes, I don't want to hijack Remodel's thread, but I think I've tried coffee beans before, but I'll give it another shot.

Remodel, if you want some absolutely gorgeous antique reproduction furniture, look at Barton-Sharpe. Their pieces are all gorgeous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Barton-Sharpe