Don’t purchase anything until you have the entire room worked out — the rug, furniture, window treatments and lighting. While it’s not necessary to identify the precise pieces, you should have a sense of what you want each piece to look like. In fact, you might even want to assemble a project board, with clippings of the kinds of pieces you’re looking for.
Read More
Dark wood floors can be incredibly chic and sophisticated, bringing richness and polish to a space. But when paired with the wrong furnishings and colors, those floors run the risk of making the space feel dark and heavy. If you’ve been wondering what to put with your dark floors to bring out their best features, try these ideas.
Read More
If you’re like me and you love to include antiques in the “set design” of your home, then antique lighting (which can be a bit of a challenge) is something you should definitely consider. In talking about antique electric lighting, we’ll be using the term “antique” loosely. Remember, practical electric lightbulbs weren’t invented until 1879. So true antique lighting (over 100 years old) often consists of candle, oil and gas lights converted to electricity.
Read More
I have just given you a magic wand. Cool, huh? Step outside and wave it over every bit of greenery you see. Say, “Abracadabra — I change you to beige!” Now peruse the result of your handiwork. All the life, vitality, joy and color have vanished, haven’t they? Now wave your wand again and restore the green. Does this make you think any differently about what constitutes a neutral color?
Read More
A coffee table does a lot of work. It needs to hold books, magazines, drinks, food — even games on game night. You might want to put your feet up on it, or the kids might need a place for coloring. Plus it’s usually smack dab in the middle of the room, where you can’t miss it — so make sure it’s a good one. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re picking a coffee table.
Read More
Seaside scenes, landscapes and abstract works all have their place, but portraits have something that other forms of artwork simply don’t. When you look at a portrait, whether it is new or old, painted or photographed, you are seeing a person. A life. Portraits ignite the imagination and populate a room with hidden stories — you can’t help but wonder what the subjects were thinking, feeling and doing. From vintage paintings to blown-up family snapshots and commissioned work, here are some fresh ways to use portraits around the house.
Read More
Rudyard Kipling’s famous quotation, “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet” never proved to be less true than during the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Orient captivated the West in the form of chinoiserie design. Chinoiserie (French for “Chinese-like”) is defined as a fanciful European interpretation of Chinese, Japanese and Indian styles in the design of interiors, furniture, pottery, textiles and gardens.
Read More
Whatever your taste in decoration, an element of visual contrast is a great way to make your home more interesting and personal. Something oppositional or unexpected awakens the senses. There are many ways to introduce invigorating contrast into a space, and art is one of the best. Here are some examples where modern art breathes life into traditional rooms.
Read More
In the market for a new bookshelf? If you have an old ladder lying around, you might not need to hit the store. In fact, there are countless ways you can turn old objects into amazingly practical solutions for storing, displaying and organizing your stuff. Here are some of my favorites:
Read More
I hate to break it to you, but designers don’t follow a secret rule book. There are no hard and fast laws governing what we do. We are creative types by nature and love to imagine, dream and explore, following our intuition. That said, there are some rough principles that guide us to ensure a great result every time. They are just tried and true things that work. And these aren’t tricks or skills that take years to master. Anyone can do them from day one. Consider this a foundation for developing your own quirky, creative, rule-breaking intuition.
Read More
