On a weekend away on the Isle of Wight, we came across such a lovely antique shop/scrap yard hidden away down a country lane. We spent hours rifling through great finds and all at such good prices, which is more and more rare these days. I spotted a letterpress drawer (although I didn’t know it was that at the time) that was a bit mouldy and damp but that I could see would make a great display case for all my tiny knick-knacks. It cost £4, so I snapped it up. I took it home, treated it for woodworm and gave it a really good clean and added loops on the back, so it could be hung on the wall.

I love the fact that I can store all my teeny tiny trinkets in it, as these are the things that often get shoved to the back of a drawer, never to be seen again. It adds character and a story to my sitting room, as each object has a memory attached.

I use my letter press drawer to display all my little knick knacks that I’ve collected since I was a child. Photograph by Peachey Photography.

I think the drawer adds real depth in place of a picture.

Letterpress drawers date back to the Printing Press. Each drawer has small compartments where a letter block was stored.

Since finding my letter press drawer, I have seen lots of different ways that they can be used that I would like to share with you today…

Add hooks to make this great jewellery case.

A desk tidy.

Decorate with wrapping paper and store children’s toys in it.

Cover with glass to make a coffee table – with the added bonus all your trinkets won’t get dusty.

Cotton reel holder.

A simple, yet striking, display case.

If you want to buy your own letter press drawer search eBay for either: letterpress drawers, letterpress printers case, printers type case, printers drawers or printers tray. If you find one that is cheaper than the rest because it looks old and dirty, it really doesn’t take much to bring it back to life!

It can be very difficult to decide on a ‘style’ for your home. Often this is because our taste is eclectic; a bit of Victorian, a bit of mid-century, a bit of kitsch. My favourite type of home is one that combines styles successfully and pulls off the elusive ‘eclecticism’ that many hanker after.

If pulling off the ‘eclectic’ look is something you have struggled with, I have come up with a few tips to help you. When you break it down, it really is simpler than you’d imagine. If you stick to these rules then you will be able to combine all of your most beloved possessions and pieces of furniture without your home looking or feeling confused…

Tip one: Use colour to tie different pieces together

An easy way to make any room feel harmonious is to use a colour scheme. When you are trying to combine styles, colour is an easy way to tie together different pieces from different eras without them jarring.

This fifties dining table and chairs do not look out of place in this modern kitchen as the black of the leather is picked up in the work surface and lamp.

I have used a brand new Ikea cushion for this 1940’s chair that used to be my grandmother’s. The colours combine well so the cushion does not scream ‘new’ against the faded fabric of the chair. See the rest of my home in my previous post: At Home with the Peach.

These dining chairs are all from different eras but they work together as they have been painted a similar colour.

This modern sofa has been effectively combined with a mid-century coffee table and chair by using similarly coloured cushions.

Tip two: Use pairs of furniture

To stop your home feeling too much like a junk shop by having lots of different, random pieces of furniture, try to use pairs. This creates cohesion and an important sense of balance and will allow you to combine a pair of ultra-modern chairs with a pair of Art Deco chairs, for example.

Using a pair of these Bentwood dining chairs with this ultra-modern table creates balance.

In Lisa Levis’s (nee Stickley) home, she has used pairs of different styles of furniture to create a cohesive, yet eclectic, look. Photograph by Peachey Photography. See the rest of Lisa’a home in my previous post At Home with Lisa Levis.

This pair of modern breakfast bar stools do not look out of place in this country kitchen.

Tip three: Evenly distribute different styles throughout the room

If you have a collection of Victorian furniture and a collection of mid century furniture, you need to distribute them evenly throughout the room. Don’t place all the furniture of one era next to each other as this will make your room feel unbalanced and divided. Don’t be afraid to have a contemporary table with antique chairs or a Scandinavian lamp on an Edwardian desk.

In this beautiful French apartment they have used sixties chairs and a fifties table set a long side a classical chandelier, objet d’arts and Victorian sideboard. However, they have combined all of these elements and placed them side by side, rather than ‘grouping’ them.

Eclecticism at its best with different pieces distributed throughout the room. Pieces can have many effective configurations like a triangle pattern or each piece against a different wall

These different pieces are very evenly distributed across this double reception room to the point that there is no one era or style that is dominant.

Tip four: Pair up styles

When combining styles, you should have at least two pieces from each era as this will help tie your room together. If you have a sixties ceiling light and no other reference to the sixties throughout the room, this could look a bit odd and out of place. Try to incorporate a sixties coffee table or print to add cohesion.

These sixties lamp shades tie in with the Eames chairs of the same era and colour.

In this modern Scandinavian home they have incorporated an antique sideboard. This has been balanced with the antique chair on the other side of the room so it doesn’t look out of place with the rest of the modern furniture.

What do you think? Are you a purist or do you like combining different styles? Would love to hear from you…