To each his own. I would not necessarily agree these all "work" let alone "fabulously". Picture # 2 where does one put their knees? Actually all these rooms are examples of POOR chair choices, IMHO. Eclectic works when there is a repeat of the element,when the items married reflect the owner, when elements have characteristics they share.

Valerie, I like your photos and agree that they are good examples of a nice eclectic mix. To me, eclectic says "collected over time." It's not a room that was purchased over the course of a week where everything matches. It may even have an item or two that seem a bit "off", but manage to convey the personality and spirit of the people who live there. Old, new, and in between ... The items in an eclectic room were amassed because the owner (with a good sense of scale and color) loved them and intends them to express something about their personality. It isn't simply décor; it's a tangible representation of a life.

I like your examples.

Imo Annies photo is more transitional as opposed to eclectic due to the formality.

For me successful eclectic starts with a strong statement piece and builds from there.

Your first photo, nearly every element is an icon. The chandelier, the chairs, the rug. You can put this together with a lot of $$$.

Your 2nd and 3rd photos are your best, for the average person. There are not that many elements, yet each one looks like it is quality on its own. Like my mom used to say, you have two beautiful things...they will always go together. Then it is just a matter of the surrounding context.

Have fun!

If you google eclectic rooms they all seem to be on the funky, predominantly modern, very colorful and adventurous side with very few traditional elements added. That's not my idea of eclectic. A predominantly traditional room with modern art is to me eclectic. A room filled with antique Chinese porcelain is eclectic because it deviates from the norm and is a unique statement. A modern room with antique Oriental carpets is eclectic because it has modern and traditional elements. A wall full of African masks in a traditional home is eclectic. It's quite possible that these are not true examples of eclecticism, in which case I wish someone would give me a clear explanation. The term transitional also puzzles me because when I look at pictures of transitional rooms they seem mostly contemporary, with no clearly definable characteristics. Right now I'm sitting in a room with a sofa in a traditional somewhat Chesterfield type style with a long and low metal and glass coffee table from the sixties, an oriental-type Karastan rug, mostly traditional paintings, a Japanese scroll monochromatic painting of an eagle on a tree branch, a realistic paining of an abandoned old pickup truck in the desert painted by my husband and Chinese vases, bowls and figures. What exactly do we call that?

Per HGTV: Eclectic style encompasses a variety of periods and styles and is brought together through the use of color, texture, shape and finish.

That's consistent with my understanding...a mix of periods and styles with a unifying element to make the room come together.

Transitional is a transition between traditional and contemporary. It's usually a style that is more relaxed than a formal traditional but more trendy than a full-blown traditional.

For example, the traditional canopy bed done in a contemporary way...

What Annie says, and frequently this may be achieved with "classic" items, i.e. things that have stood the test of time.

One of my favorite Houzz ideabooks...

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/houzz-tour-a-toronto-home-comes-back-from-the-brink-stsetivw-vs~25970622

I thought (rather fondly) that my style was eclectic, because that somehow seems more sophisticated but, as I looked at transitional rooms that I googled, that seemed to be my basic style, somewhat traditional soft furniture, but very often in beige and solid in color, with metal and glass coffee tables, area rugs that were modern rather than Oriental, and mostly modern or contemporary art. Of course I'm now wondering how that differs from contemporary decor......

Honestly, I've always perceived of eclectic style as someone who says, "I don't care what you think" and does what they like regardless of convention. Eclectic style is a buzz word in decorating because people get flustered and can't define or label something that isn't easily categorized. In each of your photos above, I can point to what I like and what I don't like--but I bet the homeowners don't care what I can point to.

If you consider the philosophical definition of eclectic, it makes more sense:

of, denoting, or belonging to a class of ancient philosophers who did not belong to or found any recognized school of thought but selected such doctrines as they wished from various schools.

Here is a [houzz article on eclectic design[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/so-your-style-is-eclectic-stsetivw-vs~1331123).