Time-worn is trendy, but tricky to pull off well. How do you keep from crossing the line from fashionable to frumpy?

New San Luis Obispo furniture and home accents store, Marcela’s, hopes to make this designer look more accessible. They’ve put together room ensembles that can be tak en home as is, or used as a template to create a custom look.

Owners Marcela and Carlos Rodriguez run this store, as well as a Visalia store, with their three sons and daughter. Marcela has been in the furniture business for nearly 25 years.

Marcela’s style is largely transitional, comprised of contemporary pieces and traditional items with simple, elegant lines. There is contemporary seating in microfiber and leather, elegant wingback chairs, and lovely accent tables in rich dark woods. Many of their tables and cabinets are made from solid wood.

To give these refined furnishings edgy appeal, Marcela adds in elements that are a little “rough around the edges,” such as rustic woods and industrial metals.

“Even the rustic pieces have clean lines, so you can put them together with contemporary or traditional pieces,” Marcela explained.

A large selection of both furniture and accents has an antiquated look, but all pieces are newly built. Some are made with reclaimed wood from old boats and buildings, such as rustic tables in simple, unfussy designs. There is garden and patio decor made from salvaged metals. A line of cabinets in elegant designs is built from old wood still bearing traces of paint, each one a little different from the rest.

“When we order them, we never know what color they’re going to come in as,” said Marcela.

Other pieces are made to look old. A large trestle table that seats eight is built from contemporary dark wood that has been hand-scraped for a rough-hewn texture. Mirrors and metal accents bear patina finishes. Other wood pieces are elaborate ly carved and lightly distressed so that they could easily be mistaken for antique.

Marcela and her son Andy stage room vignettes that incorporate art, accessories, bedding and even florals. They demonstrate how to achieve a good balance between refined and rustic. They also show how consistency in color lends a well-thought-out look to an eclectic ensemble.

Some arrangements are set against accent walls painted in of-the-moment colors like turquoise, mustard yellow, and moss green. Others deftly use small, colorful accents, proving that you can incorporate new hues without investing in a houseful of furniture.

Marcela’s offers several semi-custom furniture options. Sofas can be ordered in a choice of fabric and design. A line of beds with elegant upholstered headboards offers a choice of style and size, as well as a selection of over 250 fabrics.

Marcela’s Home Store is at 3195 South Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo, 544-4500.