Many times as architects, we’re asked to do the seemingly impossible task of creating a cohesive design that incorporates two different design aesthetics. Whether a singular client likes two different styles, a couple has opposing tastes, or an existing structure has an identity of its own, the challenge of melding differing design aesthetics is very real.
Luckily, we’ve put together a few helpful strategies to consider when blending architectural styles.
In this article, we share our 4 favorite tips and tricks for creating a cohesive home design that marries the best of very different aesthetics.
1. Create a primary and a secondary style.
When mixing architectural styles, an easy strategy is to make one style the primary aesthetic and the other a supporting one.
Think of design styles like casting for a play. There is the leading actor and a supporting actor. Prioritize one style and use it for a majority of the design elements. Then, accent the design with features from the secondary style.
The two different aesthetics shouldn’t have equal representation because you might end up with a ‘split personality’ look, rather than a unique and unified style.
Think of this strategy in terms of the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. In mixing styles, make the primary style represent 80% of the design moves while the other style represents 20%.
For example:
To create a modern farmhouse, you can have 80% of the design exude a farmhouse style, while the remaining 20% hint at a modern aesthetic (or the other way around depending on your preferences).
In the image below, we like how the project incorporates modern elements into a rustic farmhouse. Notice how most of the bigger design moves are of the rustic farmhouse variety: wood siding, gambrel pitched roof, exposed wood structure. Then, a large modern window wall is inserted into the design to provide sweeping views of the landscape.
A small modern insertion to an otherwise rustic farmhouse yields an impressive solution to an otherwise challenging request.
[The Barn by mw|works. Photo by Tim Bies Photography.]
By devoting approximately 80% of the design to one style as the main focus, you are now able to make easier decisions based on this weighted ratio.
When choosing the big design elements of your project like roof profiles, window types and style, and materiality, you can easily determine what style to use because you have a logical rule to follow: the 80/20 rule. After those big design decisions are made, your secondary style can come into play when selecting accessories, fixtures, and certain details like hardware and trim.
2. Remain faithful to the old, but modernize with new.
The need to elegantly blend two design styles is most apparent when renovating a house or creating a home addition. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to want to update the look of their existing Dutch Colonial, Prairie, or coastal home by going modern.
The key to blending old and new, though, is to acknowledge and embrace the existing vernacular for what it is and then allow yourself to insert some elements of modernism to create a fresh reinvention of the traditional look.
For a farmhouse renovation concept we created, we were respectful of the traditional existing vernacular while upgrading the interior. Knowing that the “bones” of the house (thick brick walls, steep gable roofs, and large double-hung windows) would stay as is in the farmhouse style, we went to work on the interior with an open concept and a new kitchen. At the same time, we made sure to salvage the existing baseboards and window and door trim for reuse, making sure we kept to the original trim profiles wherever we could.
You can utilize the 80/20 strategy we mentioned above if that helps guide you. In most cases, the existing house style will represent a majority of the big design moves (i.e. house shape, roof profile, window and door locations) while your new style provides a subtle accent, perhaps updating as the trim, the stair railing, and tile selections.
But, keep in mind that the 80/20 rule is just a guide. In updating an older house, you can be bolder in your interventions if you think you can pull it off. Blowing out interior walls to create an open concept or creating a large window wall facing the backyard are bigger design moves that can pack a one-two-punch in creating a really interesting renovation project if you’re confident in getting the design to work. Porches, eaves, and fireplaces also pose great opportunities for modern updates.
In the project below, an old barn is converted into a rural retreat. Much of the original form and character of the build are intact. New interventions like a large window wall and sliding glass door are incorporated into the design for a slightly modern industrial feel.
[Canyon Barn by mw|works. Photo by Tim Bies Photography.]
In addition to creating a good blend of design styles, respecting the integrity of a traditional house also has two other advantages.
For one, it’s actually a good way to create a more affordable home. In being selective in what you update or replace, you’re conserving resources and reducing the scope of work.
And two, being faithful to the existing vernacular with only small interventions of new is a good way to strike a compromise if you are trying to build in a historically significant neighborhood or one with a strict architectural design review board. Many times, the committee will see that you’re trying to work with them to keep to the general aesthetic of the time but incorporate some subtle modern touches.
3. Simplify the design styles to their basic principles, then combine.
Another great strategy to blend architectural styles is to follow the “less is more” approach.
Pare down the design styles to their most basic principles and design a home with those principles in mind.
For example, in the project below, the project brief called for a modern rendition of a traditional Midwestern house.
[New Buffalo Residence by Booth Hansen. Photo by Steve Hall of Hall + Merrick Photographers.]
As you can see, the project creatively combines both styles in an elegant way.
Rectangular (geometric) forms and gable roofs provide the main shape of the house (a nod to both styles). There is a combination of punched windows (Midwestern) and large openings to the exterior (modern). Also, there is cedar shake siding (Midwestern) and clean details throughout -no fussy details like exterior trim or roof soffits (modern).
Here’s another example we like:
Combining modernism with a Spanish mission style (characterized by modest stucco and stone exteriors with small window openings and red clay tile roofs). The design blends tenets of both styles in its simple boxy form, plain stucco walls, and simple clean lines (swapping out the clay tile for a metal roof for a streamlined sleek profile).
[Canal House by The Ranch Mine. Photo by Roehner + Ryan.]
4. Create a project theme from a common thread.
Another strategy when pairing two seemingly different styles is to consider a common thread. This is one of our favorite strategies.
More than likely, the two styles you’re considering have innate similarities. Find those similarities and turn them into the project theme.
For example, think about rustic and industrial aesthetics. A rustic look embraces natural materials, earthy colors, organic textures, warmth, and handcrafted details. An industrial style, seems quite the opposite, with its utilitarian feel that showcases a raw, unfinished look with exposing raw piping, steel, and machine-crafted materials.
But if you think about it, you can find an underlying connection or common thread between the two: their emphasis on a rugged stripped down environment.
The warehouse conversion project below creatively combines these two styles by exposing the timber roof framing, raw concrete wall, piping and electrical conduit throughout.
[Oriental Warehouse Loft by Edmords + Lee Architects. Photo by Bruce Damonte.]
Use the idea of a common thread for the main theme of your project.
To start, think about the design styles you want to blend. If it helps, draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On one side write all the characteristics of the first design styles. On the other side, do the same with the other design style. From there, compare and simplify the list, reducing the characteristics to their basics (like we did in the strategy above). Are there any underlying commonalities between the styles? If so, use this as the anthem for your project.
Some of the best hybrid designs are ones that have blended similar characteristics similarities like this.
One last thing…
We want to offer you a few words of caution when blending architectural styles. Two things to keep in mind:
Keep it simple. Don’t overly complicate the design by continuing to throw in design ideas. Paring down as much as you can create a streamlined design that effortlessly looks cohesive. It’s easy to get lost in the deep webs of the internet pinning and saving images.
Try to refrain from “wanting everything”. Instead, think about your main priorities and the big picture of what you want. Try to summarize your design aesthetic to a few sentences that really get to the essence of what you want to create. Then let your designer do what she does best and create a design aesthetic that is the best of both worlds.
Think about balance. Visually, spaces need to stylistically feel balanced. Don’t restrict a certain design aesthetic to just one room of your house. Instead, continue and repeat design elements throughout the house if you can.
If you like a rustic style with exposed wood, don’t just make one area of your house have exposed rafters. Continue the exposed rafters in other areas of the house or throughout that level of the house.
Also, remember that balance doesn’t have to mean symmetry. You can have an asymmetrical layout or design, but consider ways of balancing the look, like repeating materials and using them in different ways to help tie the entire design together in a cohesive way. If you’re like exposed wood, consider using the same wood for your stair railing, your fireplace mantel, or your cabinetry. Repetition is key. But so is contrast… If you do happen to have a one of a kind design element, make this oddity be the focal point. If nothing is worth repeating or it’s just too good to do without, don’t compete with it, don’t be afraid to let it stand alone as the main attraction, like a unique fireplace or large light fixture.
Have you ever mixed two different design styles? If so, do you have any tips of your own to add? Let us know in the comments below.
[Feature image: Tre tudor housing By Vandkunsten. Photo by seier+seier via Flickr.]
By devoting approximately 80% of the design to one style as the main focus, you are now able to make easier decisions based on this weighted ratio.
When choosing the big design elements of your project like roof profiles, window types and style, and materiality, you can easily determine what style to use because you have a logical rule to follow: the 80/20 rule. After those big design decisions are made, your secondary style can come into play when selecting accessories, fixtures, and certain details like hardware and trim.
2. Remain faithful to the old, but modernize with new.
The need to elegantly blend two design styles is most apparent when renovating a house or creating a home addition. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to want to update the look of their existing Dutch Colonial, Prairie, or coastal home by going modern.
The key to blending old and new, though, is to acknowledge and embrace the existing vernacular for what it is and then allow yourself to insert some elements of modernism to create a fresh reinvention of the traditional look.
For a farmhouse renovation concept we created, we were respectful of the traditional existing vernacular while upgrading the interior. Knowing that the “bones” of the house (thick brick walls, steep gable roofs, and large double-hung windows) would stay as is in the farmhouse style, we went to work on the interior with an open concept and a new kitchen. At the same time, we made sure to salvage the existing baseboards and window and door trim for reuse, making sure we kept to the original trim profiles wherever we could.
You can utilize the 80/20 strategy we mentioned above if that helps guide you. In most cases, the existing house style will represent a majority of the big design moves (i.e. house shape, roof profile, window and door locations) while your new style provides a subtle accent, perhaps updating as the trim, the stair railing, and tile selections.
But, keep in mind that the 80/20 rule is just a guide. In updating an older house, you can be bolder in your interventions if you think you can pull it off. Blowing out interior walls to create an open concept or creating a large window wall facing the backyard are bigger design moves that can pack a one-two-punch in creating a really interesting renovation project if you’re confident in getting the design to work. Porches, eaves, and fireplaces also pose great opportunities for modern updates.
In the project below, an old barn is converted into a rural retreat. Much of the original form and character of the build are intact. New interventions like a large window wall and sliding glass door are incorporated into the design for a slightly modern industrial feel.
[Canyon Barn by mw|works. Photo by Tim Bies Photography.]
In addition to creating a good blend of design styles, respecting the integrity of a traditional house also has two other advantages.
For one, it’s actually a good way to create a more affordable home. In being selective in what you update or replace, you’re conserving resources and reducing the scope of work.
And two, being faithful to the existing vernacular with only small interventions of new is a good way to strike a compromise if you are trying to build in a historically significant neighborhood or one with a strict architectural design review board. Many times, the committee will see that you’re trying to work with them to keep to the general aesthetic of the time but incorporate some subtle modern touches.
3. Simplify the design styles to their basic principles, then combine.
Another great strategy to blend architectural styles is to follow the “less is more” approach.
Pare down the design styles to their most basic principles and design a home with those principles in mind.
For example, in the project below, the project brief called for a modern rendition of a traditional Midwestern house.
[New Buffalo Residence by Booth Hansen. Photo by Steve Hall of Hall + Merrick Photographers.]
As you can see, the project creatively combines both styles in an elegant way.
Rectangular (geometric) forms and gable roofs provide the main shape of the house (a nod to both styles). There is a combination of punched windows (Midwestern) and large openings to the exterior (modern). Also, there is cedar shake siding (Midwestern) and clean details throughout -no fussy details like exterior trim or roof soffits (modern).
Here’s another example we like:
Combining modernism with a Spanish mission style (characterized by modest stucco and stone exteriors with small window openings and red clay tile roofs). The design blends tenets of both styles in its simple boxy form, plain stucco walls, and simple clean lines (swapping out the clay tile for a metal roof for a streamlined sleek profile).
[Canal House by The Ranch Mine. Photo by Roehner + Ryan.]
4. Create a project theme from a common thread.
Another strategy when pairing two seemingly different styles is to consider a common thread. This is one of our favorite strategies.
More than likely, the two styles you’re considering have innate similarities. Find those similarities and turn them into the project theme.
For example, think about rustic and industrial aesthetics. A rustic look embraces natural materials, earthy colors, organic textures, warmth, and handcrafted details. An industrial style, seems quite the opposite, with its utilitarian feel that showcases a raw, unfinished look with exposing raw piping, steel, and machine-crafted materials.
But if you think about it, you can find an underlying connection or common thread between the two: their emphasis on a rugged stripped down environment.
The warehouse conversion project below creatively combines these two styles by exposing the timber roof framing, raw concrete wall, piping and electrical conduit throughout.
[Oriental Warehouse Loft by Edmords + Lee Architects. Photo by Bruce Damonte.]
Use the idea of a common thread for the main theme of your project.
To start, think about the design styles you want to blend. If it helps, draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On one side write all the characteristics of the first design styles. On the other side, do the same with the other design style. From there, compare and simplify the list, reducing the characteristics to their basics (like we did in the strategy above). Are there any underlying commonalities between the styles? If so, use this as the anthem for your project.
Some of the best hybrid designs are ones that have blended similar characteristics similarities like this.
One last thing…
We want to offer you a few words of caution when blending architectural styles. Two things to keep in mind:
Keep it simple. Don’t overly complicate the design by continuing to throw in design ideas. Paring down as much as you can create a streamlined design that effortlessly looks cohesive. It’s easy to get lost in the deep webs of the internet pinning and saving images.
Try to refrain from “wanting everything”. Instead, think about your main priorities and the big picture of what you want. Try to summarize your design aesthetic to a few sentences that really get to the essence of what you want to create. Then let your designer do what she does best and create a design aesthetic that is the best of both worlds.
Think about balance. Visually, spaces need to stylistically feel balanced. Don’t restrict a certain design aesthetic to just one room of your house. Instead, continue and repeat design elements throughout the house if you can.
If you like a rustic style with exposed wood, don’t just make one area of your house have exposed rafters. Continue the exposed rafters in other areas of the house or throughout that level of the house.
Also, remember that balance doesn’t have to mean symmetry. You can have an asymmetrical layout or design, but consider ways of balancing the look, like repeating materials and using them in different ways to help tie the entire design together in a cohesive way. If you’re like exposed wood, consider using the same wood for your stair railing, your fireplace mantel, or your cabinetry. Repetition is key. But so is contrast… If you do happen to have a one of a kind design element, make this oddity be the focal point. If nothing is worth repeating or it’s just too good to do without, don’t compete with it, don’t be afraid to let it stand alone as the main attraction, like a unique fireplace or large light fixture.
