Pal, you've got STYLE. Everything about these rooms is visually appealing and interesting!

When you look up the word "eclectic" in the dictionary, there's a picture of Pal's house.

I found the Old Faithful piece when we were cleaning out my grandparent's house after my grandmother passed away. It's a souvenir from one of their trips there-- I'm guessing from the 1930's, but possibly earlier? It's very detailed embossed metallic paper on a cardboard type backing. I love the Arts and Crafts-ish style it has.

1930's beer cans-- I know way more about them than I want to :-) DH has been collecting them for years. They are a very specialized type called "Opening Instructions" or OI's. They were the first cans, and people didn't know how to open them. The artwork is really quite pretty, and you would be amazed at their value-- look them up on Ebay. He finds them in antique stores, online auctions, abandoned buildings, people find them in walls, old dumps, etc.

Palimpsest-- I love the way you juxtapose traditional antiques with modern pieces, and it looks so effortless. That's a rare talent. You can tell each piece is carefully chosen and high quality. That four-poster bed is gorgeous!

Thanks. For me the key to this is keeping the house structure exactly in period, and then letting loose with the contents. This room actually needed a fair amount of restoration to look "intact" (Missing and damaged mouldings and millwork that needed to be replicated).

I don't think it would work as much if you let the architecture get transitional.

Butlers pantry...need more dishes..lol

Wow...

Jlc, this may sound like a random question, but in your 7th pic of the stack of books, what is the orange book with the diamond pattern? It looks very familiar--I think I have a book of children's stories with the same binding (I will check when I get home). And then maybe post some of my own eclecticism.

Here are a few random items from my house:

Left half of my gallery wall, clockwise from left: Wood-burned tree from Creative Growth (art studio for disabled adults), a painting by an artist friend (Miriam Chapman) that she gave me as a birthday gift, two Dia de los Muertos images by Calavilca (reverse painted on glass), a photo of my dad posing with my sister (age 2) on a tractor, another Dia de los Muertos image, painting of a 41 Chevy pickup painted by my brother in HS art class (he and I each had 41 Chevies in high school), and a painting given to me by a 9 year old girl at an art-themed birthday party my daughter attended.

I have a 1911 house that has picture rails in the living room, and I use it for what is was designed for. Which is to say, the gallery wall pictures all hang from molding hooks using fishing line. It's why the pics don't sit flat against the wall, which only really bugs me for the small items because they rotate. I'll find a solution someday, but I'm fine with this for now.

Right half of the gallery wall. Center: hand-colored wood-block print from Creative Growth. Clockwise from top left: Painting of a Chinese boy that I got on a business trip to Beijing, another Dia de los Muertos painting, Chinese brush painting of bamboo in winter (acquired in China on the same trip), wood block print of a bird (Creative Growth again), a painting by my daughter of a black cat from the aforementioned birthday party, another painting by my friend Miriam (this one I bought).

Print by local artist Linda Yoshizawa

Display cubby with a picture of my daughter in a frame she decorated, a sculpture by another artist acquaintance who I met through belly dancing and whose last name I've forgotten (first name Tina), and a vintage puzzle game that purportedly came west via covered wagon.

Another display cubby, with a photo of my dad, a bottle I did as a glass painting project, a clay Opus I made in high school (remember the comic Bloom County?), my collection of monster finger puppets, and a wind up fire-breather Godzilla.

The eat-in corner of my kitchen, with two pieces of artwork from Creative Growth. I like fish, especially in the kitchen.

And then there's this painting, also from Creative Growth. It hangs above my bed, only because I didn't think it was appropriate for the public spaces in the house. It depicts, if you cannot tell, an apparent murder scene, with a man lying in a pool of blood while a woman stands nearby with blood dripping from a bouquet of flowers (the murder weapon?). There's a house in the background with smoke coming from the chimney. The theme is disturbing, but when light hits the dappled leaves of the trees, they are just gorgeous.

And last, not really decor for me, but because they match jlc's book. Hers looks to be in better shape, but I've got 3 volumes. They look like they date from the 30s, so they were probably my mom's when she was a kid. Normally these sit on the bookshelf with my daughter's vast collection of books. Not that she reads these. She reads the Warriors books and Harry Potter.

Very interesting Cawaps! Have you tried museum putty to keep artwork close to wall. Good spotting on JLC's photo of the orange book. Yours look similar to some I had growing up in the 50's. I cannot make out the titles but mine were mostly nursery rhymes. Wish I still had them.

Rgrs, it could be the same book from your childhood. Volume 1 is "Book of Verse," which starts with a lot of Mother Goose, but moves on to poems by credited authors. Volume 2 is "Stories of Fact and Fancy" and Volume 3 is "Stories of Life and Land."

Museum putty is a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

Kathie - what a GORGEOUS butler's pantry you have! I too am wowed by your beautiful collections and I'd love to see more of your home.

cawaps - FABULOUS collection! You have some rather disturbing pieces, don't you? I mean that in the kindest sense, because I firmly believe that good art - really GOOD art - takes you outside your comfort zone and causes you to FEEL something. You've definitely got that goin' on. :-)

thanks auntjen, here's another.

Cawaps, yes, that is the same book! Mine is the "Book of Verse", and came from my MIL. Love your artwork and how you've hung it-- it's very individual and each piece is interesting and thought-provoking.

This has been such a great thread. I've never felt such a sense of kindred spirits here. Thanks Auntjen! I hope more people continue to post! Kathie, so intriguing - more, please!

cawaps - I'm so excited to see your Childcraft Encyclopedias - they bring back many memories. I think mine may have been a "budget-version" because I don't remember them having the diamond pattern.

We had white ones with maroon spines and black and gold titles and lettering.

Great photos, it is so fun to see the variety of styles.

Stratfordroad, I love your collected style! Looks like everything was lovingly accumulated over a lifetime ... Exactly what eclecticism should be, IMO.

here's another room gramarows

I'm so sorry, I can't seem to get a picture to load..have no idea why.

Could these be Navajo baskets? I'm not sure how to tell.

I don't think so in that the colors and design are not typical Navajo style. The coloration appears to be Papago, but not the designs. They could possibly be of African origin. I think they're gorgeous!

At our beach cottage for the weekend and thought I'd share the beachy version of eclectic...I literally just walked around a bit with my iPhone camera, so these are clearly unstaged and some are a bit blurry. I always intended for this house to be totally uncluttered and basic, but over the years we have accumulated stuff and most of it is personal -- gifts from visitors, art or antiques or flea market finds from the area, kids' art, etc...plus we like to have a lot of books around.

Books, puzzles, photos, thrift shop finds. The cabinet in the second photo was made by the PO of our house, as an anniversary gift for his wife (he wrote a message on the back). Surprised they left it behind. It's now filled with art projects my kids have done here over the years, a small collection of sea glass, etc. The photo on the right was taken by DH from the balcony of a hotel room in Miami.

The mantel. The book on the right is a vintage Bobbsey Twins story about going to the beach.

Simpsons pez dispensers to shells from our beach...

...and a troll doll that was also left behind from PO.

The watercolor was painted by our neighbor. She sells the paintings from her driveway one weekend each summer.

Another DH hotel-balcony shot...can't remember now where this was. We found the little toys in a box in the garage a while after we bought the house.

Our downstairs bathroom is enormous but doesn't have a closet, so we found this antique cabinet on CL and use it for towels.

Finally, my little collection of paint by numbers. Most vintage, but a couple I made by me during vacations here, years ago.

ETA: not sure what happened here, but at least on my iPad, after I posted the pics they appeared cropped in strange ways so now you can't even see some of the details I mentioned. Strange!

My weekend junking finds.

Just searching for a topic and came across this thread again. rgrs - those were junking finds?!?!? Amazing!

I mean - no. Wait ... they're awful. Simply awful and I don't think you should have them in your home. Send them to me and let me "take care of them" for you. ;-)

::sigh:: Fabulous finds indeed!

I do not know how eclectic I am but I do like modern and traditional elements together. I have a wall of art that is pretty bright and modern whereas next to it is pretty traditional.

gw · More Info

We sold our Maryland house in July, and these are from the pictures our Realtor posted. The wide-angle lens made the rooms look the size of basketball courts -- so not the case! The only things we removed for the pictures were several large plants and piles of to-be-read books.

Old post but wanted to add to it. :) My living room is a work in progress. But I don't want to just go out and buy things from the store to cover the walls, ect. I am slowly collecting things I truly love over time. I'd love for the blue wall to be covered in vintage picture frames one day. I only have a few now. Also, the star is a handmade primitive barn star. I have my eye on a few wooden vintage stars on eBay I would love to add and have a "star wall". :)

Dresser turned entertainment center. It's covered in scratches and I decided to leave it that way. I'll add photos of the knobs I bought for it. I want each one to be different.

My beautiful vintage Buddhas handed down to my from my mom. Also the "blue boy" on the right side of the table. I have the "pink girl" that comes with him. Found them at a yard sale. Thinking of collecting them now as I love them. I keep the girl in the bathroom.

My vintage wicker owls.

Little vintage teapot I found for $1 at a yard sale. :)

This guy sis an heirloom from my mother in law. Also the small little apothecary jar to the right holds dried roses from over the years, gifted to me from my husband. :)

So as you can see it's all a bunch of stuff I just love. :) Nothing really was made to go together but some how it all works! All of your homes are absolutely beautiful and so detailed!

oh that's great thread! I'll read it all. will take me some time..but this will be time well spent ))

Wonderful post Jen and all!! My home is eclectic...mostly handmade or handed down hand made :^) Wall art is original art created by friends/family...some of whom were actually famous!! Lots of wood that will never be painted, cat hair, braided rugs....etc..

I have loved seeing all of your homes, and LynnNM I am still coveting your Talavera centerpiece container you showed oh so many years ago!!

Blessings Jen, and I wish you MANY happy years in your new home! Hug the kitties for me!!

Jaybird

I just want to thank you for this post Ida. I have a soft spot in my heart for sentimental kitschy things, along with more arty things, and mixing them together, and now I don't feel so bad about it. My house is a mess right now, I've been sick and still unpacking from the move so can't do photos but hopefully someday.

Oh gosh, I loved this thread, too . . . I think we all did! Thanks for resurrecting it so that we can enjoy it once again, Mary!

Always nice to see how people make spaces personal and meaningful. I am so glad this thread popped up again. It was all very lovely.

What a fascinating and enchanting thread. The stories and the pictures are wonderful in the way they give insights into each person's personality and life experiences. The diversity is so enjoyable, nothing predictable or "in style" about any of them and yet what style they all have!

I fell in love with English country house style in the 80's although I had neither the house nor the money required to pull it off. Still, I enjoyed doing the poor man's version and haunted antique stores and flea markets for decades. Later I began to collect antique Chinese porcelain which fit in well since every English country house contained gorgeous examples. When I married of course I wanted to add my husband's oil paintings and drawings to the mix, and divested myself of some of the clutter of my flea market finds since I was veering toward a less cluttered look. I slowly began to add some modern paintings and I suppose you could call the result somewhat eclectic, although a truly eclectic look is something else altogether. At any rate here is my watered-down version, which I think shows mainly my love of colors and patterns, and the need for cozy and livable surroundings.

A vintage sewing cabinet with husband's painting above (too large, I know) and Ukrainian still life oil on the left.

Home office with husband's and Ukrainian paintings.

Kitchen display of 18th and 19th century porcelain and contemporary landscape of the area where I live done by a local painter.

Vintage secretary and 19th century Chinese bowl with 1960's watercolor abstract.

The young girl and lower right painting, and the small drawing of my beloved dog, were done by my husband. The birds are antique Chinese. The antlers are a memento from my late great-uncle.

Modern art in fairly traditional master bedroom.

read it all as I hoped to. It's one wonderful thread. I'm also grateful it was brought up to the surface since it really tells stories about each and everyone. And to me, that's what a house is about.

I'm thinking of putting some pics of my unfinished new house..maybe later..

I love that Three Queens painting :-). Lynn - my Wealth of Family painting doesn't fit in our new house -- I have it in the guest room but It is quite a bold statement there facing the bed :-0.

ok...so my friend who's the photographer sent me just half or less of the pics she liked enough to send to me, since she has other stuff in her life and on her mind..as I do too..but I don't know, I'll post some I guess? maybe'll help me to take my mind off things..and hopefully wouldn't be too boring for you..most paintings are not on the walls yet, especially when the photos were taken which was..I don't remember when but before the weaving. lol. so if you see smth too high..don't worry it's part of a process, I group them unless I want them alone which happens often..surrounded by other things by now, or will be

Dining-vintage mcm, Craigslist..chairs reupholstered by some guy who was nice and cheap..the rest is not that great:) captain chairs bough later in a second hand in Laguna Beach..lucky find except they don't slide under..well what can you do right? Pendant-one of the two new lights in the house-is traditional Otomi..mexican pattern, handmade

kitchen is much less gray though. the warmest greige I could find. I'm drawn to warm side of every color..I use all of them of course, but the main surfaces will be warm. right now-bordering oatmeal. Why did I remember? 'cause DH spilled smth on the third cabinet already yesterday..something like acid or bleach. Now I have streaks. That don't come out. I understand that in comparison to World Peace and other things, is minor..but frankly I'm a bit mad

Living..light vintage mcm Etsy..furniture combo of real old Natuzzi and new one..fireplce needs to be redone..the collections there-netsuke and couple other mini sculptures..too small to be correctly shot, for sure not by yours truly..but I collect only animals anyway))
the coffee table..hard to see, but it's custom made and bought second hand..best combo ever if you ask me! have a very small tray table like that right next to it..with dedication in Hebrew no less! can't be seen. found on Esy. it was crazy.,.the store was somewhere in mid west? and they describe it "We don't know the language.." I wrote a message to them "I know the language! I do! it says so and so". in short both seller and buyer (me) were thrilled lol

Back to the coffee table though-design is smth like this..the sellers9Craigslist) threw the lamp in the deal, for free..;) same ironsmith..or how shops that make things from metal are named?

(the table doesn't have a nest)) the lamp does. It's the guest/MIL room btw..side table some final sale in Macy's 40$..one of our first purchases. nothing special yet very very roomy. Tray(can be hanged on the wall)-bought in Nicaragua. BTW if you want art and ceramics..I never ever saw prices THAT low

Curtains-Anthropologie..

to be continued..but let me know if it's kinda too long

and sorry for all the typos

ok back to living for a bit

my friend was a lot into details..

my favorite pig ever. It's a gourd actually)) found it in a gallery in Ojai

I have this mcm hutch in living/dining/in between..holds linen, wine glasses, and some books and ceramics/glass/etc that I loved upon seeing them enough to make them mine. that's one of the shelves

some family room

going to paint the stupid window frame in the middle the wall color

place behind the couch-deliberately empty. saving space for some dreams of mine..not in the budget right now..))

lights-bouught from everywhere second hand different periods

the sconce is bigger than it seems

covered the ottoman since I don't like the patten and because kantha has black(hard to see), and I needed black -to tie my new favorite pillow. the whale one. it's Klaus Hapaaniemi design. I think I collect his designs..my favorite dishes are by him. Use them on holidays..:) Have also another pillow, different animals lol..in the guest room

bookcases are actually custom made and we chose modern streamlined style.

I collect postcards..a bit..mostly girls or weird girls

(hate vents. note to self-paint. change. something. sometime)

kinda hard to refuse a ceramic pomegranate..so I have several of these. it's a symbol if whatnot in Israel, very popular

portrait of a rabbi-won on EBTH..I like to pretend it's my great grandfather. I'd love to have more kids..to name after him..he was an incredible man. Well..I guess not in the stars..

you can't see it very well, but there's a ceramic donkey/horsey there. If it breaks my heart breaks. Bought it years ago in Zefad..And then, many years fast forward, we saw a painting with another donkey in St Petersburg, Russia

while saving for the frame, I leaned it

and my DH moved it in a way that both donkeys look at each other and are kinda talking

he did it as a joke but I loved it and left it like that. lol. let them talk

the paintings that you can't see but are alrady there/waiting to be there-it's kinda my places-I-love collection. Most of them collected from Zefad artists (they have an Artists colony there). It's a strange and wonderful city. Populated by strange and wonderful people..

Wow, all of these homes are so unique and tell a story of their own! I love it. :) They're all beautiful, too!

ok will try to slowly wrap it up for now

a bit of the master..

my side is the clown (I have it somewhere in full..but won't bore you. let me know though if you like clowns..he's great)

his side is the girl

lamps-the elaborate one comes from an estate sale in the neighborhood..the simple tole one-Etsy

have more of the master but whatever too many already

very fast-DD's room (where the weaving will go, after long consideration..)

(hate vents. I should put is as a signature lol.)

so ok..desk is vintage mcm..some store in LA. extremely cheap back then

chair-something Queen Anne? bought on Etsy(was looking for a small one. Has roses:) Funny thing-the seller reupholstered it. but, she didn't add enough padding..))

had to buy a pillow to make it softer

bed-Urban Outfitters. Surprisingly..pleased! I opened a thread once here..whether to buy it or not..you were helpful..thank you!

The wall chandelier-very cheap.. Ebay. Not hardwired. The only room we don't have hardwired lights, none..small, and has a skylight. Three rooms and one bath do. Helps a lot with light..and ceiling height..))

But. came with no shade..

so. I looked allover. frankly wanted different shape too. but the size is very hard. like, the least selection ever. crazily expensive, custom made. or-nothing to look at

So I saw a compromise on Amara..they had this big sale..

ok shutting up for now

great weekend, everyone! please wish me the same. in your thoughts. thanks))

( I was trying to fix the typos. Then I understood that whenever I edit a post likes are gone. So I don't know who you are but thanks)) OK..so that's how I realized that I like your likes more than I dislike my grammar mistakes. April, improve thyself. And paint the vents. lol. )

Goodness, april, I love seeing pictures of your house. Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to post all these images and narrate them so beautifully. I could go on forever commenting ... You have an amazing style. Authenticity and beauty radiate from every corner of your house. Have you ever considered staring a design blog? Aprilneverends could be the Cabana of the internet. And really think about it. I am not just paying a compliment and I used to write for a living.

ETA PS Yes, keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I hope all is well.

Love your home and collections, April! So very many gorgeous details......thanks for sharing x

Thank you so very much, you're really very very kind. And thank you for the good wishes!

Rita, you've no idea how much English I learn from you..I don't advertize it lol..I just secretly admire and learn..but sometimes one needs to ask..who's Cabana?

Cabana is a shelter magazine that comes out twice a year. Here is the magazine's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cabanamagazine/?hl=en

The founder's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/martinamondadori/?hl=en

And the blog Quintessence discussing the magazine

https://quintessenceblog.com/globetrotting-sophistication-cabana-magazine/

Your compliment flattered me tremendously. Thank you. And please believe me when I say (and you have heard many others on this board say the same thing) you write about homes in a special way. Think about it. A blog is very easy to start. One small post at a time. I'll drop this subject now.

thank you! I'll check them all