As everyone now knows, life is different this year than in the past few years. "Value engineering" is definitely on everyone's mind! However, our home is where we enjoy privacy, comfort, and safety. It is a refuge where we takeshelter from worldly cares and family and personal treasures become the focus.
This is where decorating comes in. Taking all of your possessions, incorporating them into a dwelling, and creating a livable and pleasing interior within your budget is a real luxury we are all after.
I have been in the interior design business for over 30 years and there are eight basic rules which I believe are essential to creating livable interiors that make a house a home. I emphasize livable because anyone can throw a lot of money at the finest fabrics and furnishings. It will most likely be pretty, but that does not mean it will be livable. It will be stiff, overworked, and take itself too seriously.
Rule #1 "Mix it Up". Be daring, mix new with old, refined with rustic, and bold with retiring. The result will be a room that expresses your personality and will capture the imaginations of your guests. This mix is a design philosophy I adhere to and is evident throughout my work. Something too must be a little wrong or else it will go unnoticed. It should not be too perfect. Too perfect is not perfect.
Rule #2 "Color is the Foundation". Color is the most important decision you will make while decorating a space. If you get it right the room will sing, if you get it wrong the room will fall flat and you will never be entirely happy with the final product. It is therefore so important you take your time to find the palette you wish to use. Once this is determined there should be a common thread of color which ties it all together in a subtle way. Each room can be a different color but there should be one color that leads one room to the next to create a common flow.
Rule #3 "Details". The "Devil is in the Details". Details definitely take the most work yet make the biggest difference in creating a truly luxurious interior. Dressmaker details on furniture and drapery make an interior custom and special. Antique textiles used instead of a contemporary fabric can create a one of a kind, "couture" addition to a room.
Rule #4 "Layering". Layering is essential. This part of design work should occur over time. It is the layering of personal collections that takes a room from a designer showroom to a home because it reflects your interests and background. You can always start out with the less expensive and upgrade as you collect more as your home evolves.
There are eight basic rules which I believe are essential to creating livable interiors that make a house a home.
Rule #5 "Comfort above all". I don't need to tell you how important comfort is. If a room isn't comfortable, it's a failure. No matter how pretty it is, every room should have adequate seating that is appropriate and comfortable. As you stand at the entrance of a room, it should beckon you to seat, eat, or sleep. Many times when a client sets up the first appointment they will say "I think I need a new sofa or a comfortable chair". Or even more extreme "I need to add a room!" Usually its because there isn't a comfortable place to sit. What they really need to do is move the room around or even the house around. You need at least a comfortable chair with a table for a drink and adequate lighting for reading in every room. If you add the pieces you enjoy to a room you will more most likely use that room more. A drink tray filled with glasses, ice, soft drinks, water, and if you like spirits it is convenient and keeps a guest from having to ask.
Furniture should be properly scaled. As houses have gotten bigger, intimate spaces with more human scale furniture is much more inviting.
You know more than you think you know. Trust your instincts.
Rule #6 "Lighting sets the tone". Probably the biggest component of comfort is appropriate lighting. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having at least three levels of light and be sure that every light is on a rheostat so you can get the ambience just right for all times of the day and all types of occasions. Im sure we've all suffered through a dinner party where we feel as if we're in the O.R. with harsh lights or the other extreme where we were wondering what we are eating or who was sitting across from us because it was too dark to see! Be objective about your lighting and don't be sparse with your lighting. Lots of table lamps, floorlamps, sconces, and pendant fixtures can really bring a room to life and create drama. Putting lampshades on your chandelier and sconces also eliminates glare.
Rule #7 "Edit, edit, edit". The Duchess of Windsor was once asked the key to always looking so chic. She replied that just before walking out the door, she would look in the mirror and remove one accessory. If there is too much competing for your attention in a room it will not be pleasing. Not every fabric needs to be a star--so choose wisely and let some recede so others can stand out. Also respect the architecture and setting. Don't overplay a room with beautiful views or exquisite architectural details. Billy Baldwin said "Good taste is nothing more than parts of suitability and restraint".
Rule #8 "Take you time, relax". The best advice I can give to those of you who are just starting a home, don't rush to fill every corner with mediocre things. It is better to have one or two nice pieces of upholstery or one good antique than a whole room filled with things you will eventually want to get rid of. The most elegant and interesting homes are those which have evolved slowly and carefully over time. A few tricks that will tide you over between big quality purchases are as follows:
--Use sisal rugs. They are inexpensive, always chic, and you can lay carpets over time.
--Draped tables.
--Use candles, flowers, live greenery to fill empty spots.
--Frame a collection of inexpensive prints or engravings to fill a wall.
And we are so lucky to have stores such as Mecox Gardens where anyone who appreciates beautiful interiors and enjoys the process of getting there can have such a source at their fingertips.
Cathy Kincaid Interiors
ckincaidint@aol.com
