Eclectic style makes it possible to design unique, highly expressive interiors. Read the article to find out how to achieve it with Karman lighting.
Eclectic style is a highly sophisticated design approach, requiring an in-depth understanding of different stylistic codes and how to combine them harmoniously.
Without this knowledge, there’s a real risk of creating disjointed compositions, compromising the coherence of the overall design, generating sensory overload, and, all too often, veering into kitsch.
In this type of design, which leans towards storytelling, lighting plays a key role in shaping a narrative that is both distinctive and believable.
That’s where Karman lighting comes in. With its unconventional aesthetic, each lamp becomes the perfect voice in what we might call a polyphonic style composition.
In this article, we’ll explore what eclectic style really means, offering advice and inspiration on when and how to incorporate it into your projects.
Asso
To explain what is meant by eclectic style in interior design, it's helpful to take a step back and look at its inspirations.
Indeed, the meaning of eclectic style can be found in the term "eclecticism," derived from the Greek word “ἐκλέγειν” (eklegein), which means "to choose" or "to select".
In philosophy, an eclectic was someone who did not adhere to a single school of thought but drew from multiple doctrines to construct their own personal vision.
In contemporary design, eclecticism acts as a cross-style approach based on integrating elements from different styles.
Applied to lighting, we can say that eclectic lighting integrates luminous elements drawing from a plurality of design languages.
An emblematic example of this is the Beautiful Mess suspension lamp. Designer Marcantonio created the unusual, deconstructed silhouette precisely by mixing shapes, materials, and styles that, while all belonging to the semantic field of lighting, refer to diverse times and places.
The meaning of eclectic style is further amplified by a few small "intruders," such as the wriggling glass fish and the pink neon heart – the only touch of color.
Beautiful Mess
In an interior lighting design project, an eclectic style can be achieved by carefully selecting one or more artistic lamps.
The very mention of artistic lamps evokes a dimension where light becomes a narrative protagonist, a stage presence that strongly defines the space.
An artistic lamp is one that surprises, subverts expectations, and moves beyond a purely utilitarian view of lighting to draw the eye even when turned off.
It can be the differentiating element, for example, when used as a focal point or disruption in intentionally minimalist architectural contexts. In such cases, a designer lamp introduces an interesting level of visual and narrative complexity.
Furthermore, a sculptural lighting fixture can be planned for any situation where the design goal is to deeply personalize a space, giving it a strong sense of identity.
The use of sculptural lamps is one of the hottest lighting trends, partly due to their ability to add a strong emotional or symbolic component. In other words, these lighting design pieces become clear vehicles for an idea, a concept, or a cultural reference.
Rainbow
When discussing eclectic lighting, it's important to clarify that it refers to choosing light sources that differ in multiple ways. Indeed, the "mix and match" approach involves not just style but also elements like silhouette, materials, color temperature, and light intensity.
Generally speaking, we can say this type of lighting is the right choice when the goal is to create surprise, making each light fixture part of a narrative.
More specifically, an interior lighting designer might choose an eclectic lighting style for one or more of the following reasons:
Ultimately, eclectic lighting is a design strategy that allows architects and interior designers to move beyond the limitations of conventional decorative lighting.
This freedom to pair light sources that differ not only in aesthetics but also in function within the space allows for the implementation of projects where art and technique reach their peak.
Clearly, this type of design should be proposed when the setting, or perhaps the client, is willing to be bold.
Boom
At Karman, eclecticism is less a stylistic choice and more a natural calling. It's an innate inclination towards expressive freedom and the unconventional, where light serves as the ultimate language, blending irony and precision, memory and the future.
The cross-pollination of different aesthetic codes and experimentation with materials and forms represent our signature identity.
This vision materializes in Karman lamps. Consider a suspension lamp like Boom, for example, which reinterprets the chandelier concept in a uniquely contemporary and dynamic way.
Or take a wall lamp like Rainbow, which allows you to play with light and space. Thanks to its refracting prisms, which create luminous patterns on walls, ceilings, and floors, each lamp becomes unique and unrepeatable.
Alternatively, the eclectic style takes shape in a lamp like Asso, a perfect synthesis of form and function.
These are just a few Karman designs that embody and elevate the meaning of an extraordinary style.