A Hot New Trend For You to Try

One of the hottest trends in home decor for 2011 is the mix and match look. The essence of this style is combining contemporary and vintage design pieces for a look which is quirky and stamps your personality on your home. Experimenting with the mix and match trend is perhaps easiest in the bedroom, where you can play with different colour combinations and furnishings to create your unique look. Making your bed a starting point will help to stimulate the flow of ideas, and the way to do this is to layer your bedding. Layered bedding makes your bed the focal point of the bedroom, and is a quick fix that will add flair in an instant. What exactly do we mean by the term "layered bedding"? Layered bedding uses quilt covers, throws, blankets and sheets made from different fabrics or of various prints. If planned carefully, this look can be extremely stylish, but will be completely unsuccessful if the bedding used is uncoordinated. There is a very fine balance between mix and match, and jumbled up, and the key to finding equilibrium is to stick to colours from either the warm or cool colour family.

Warm colours are those which have a yellow base, while cool colours are those with blue base. This means that sometimes a colour which you may think would fit into the cool category - for example an olive green - is actually warm. You should combine doses of pure colour with classic neutrals - white, black and beige/sand. This will add a modern edginess to your bedroom and will prevent the space from becoming overwhelmed. Do try to be as bold as you can with colour though - an excess of the neutral shades mentioned can be a little drab. The most popular colour combination for 2011 is brown and purple - and these vary from rich, opulent colours to light, summery tones. Once you have decided on a cool or warm colour scheme, you have little to worry about in terms of "getting it right". Bedding of the same colour family which features textures - smooth or ribbed, ruffled or lacy, can sit beautifully together for a unique look. You can also vary patterns - a large floral print with stripes, for example, looks very chic. When making up your bed with your choice of bedding layers, think about how you can create contrast. Fold back a blanket to reveal a splash of colour underneath, or top the bed with lots of interesting cushions or pillows and you soon have a bed which fits perfectly with the mix and match style of this year.