One of the biggest design trends I’m seeing emerging for 2010 is juxtaposition. Juxtaposition is pairing high sheen with rough hewn, luxe with recycled and re-purposed, traditional with contemporary.

Juxtaposition is about opposites attracting. Yin and yang balancing. The pull and push of two magnets. Pairing blue jeans with a silk shirt and diamonds.

Juxtaposition describes a traditional sofa paired with a sofa table made of raw wood and stainless steel. Or when a traditional chest has contemporary art and accessories accenting it. I’ve seen juxtaposition in upholstery, when a designer used a high sheen silk with a raw burlap. And I’ve seen it in dining rooms when architectural and industrial pieces are blended with recycled art and a clean-lined table.

Juxtaposition also describes a home with a French provincial exterior that has an interior furnished in a mix of contemporary and modern pieces, accented with a chandelier that drips with beautiful crystals and upon close inspection the frame is made of rusted metal!

It’s really a change in thinking because people are embracing the fact that homes don’t need to have an all-one-style décor. People are accepting that contrasting design elements can work together, even if tradition or custom has taught them differently. Today’s best designers are enjoying the challenge of making opposites work by freshening up old interiors with interesting, unexpected touches, achieving what’s known as a “collected” look… as if items in one’s home have been carefully collected over many years.

More than anything, juxtaposition is about making your space comfortable and intriguing to you…not someone else…by incorporating items that have meaning and interest for you and those you live with. The Obamas are even doing it at the White House by selecting modern and contemporary artwork for their living spaces in the nation’s most famous traditional home.

Juxtaposition is not about what others like, it’s about what you like.
Can you think of opposites in your life that have worked for you? If you’ve never done it before in your home, why not give it a try? And please, share with me blended design elements in your home… I love to see ways people make opposite attractions work for them!