My theory is that everybody is creative, and everybody has originality. The challenge is to harness those qualities and become confident about expressing them. Within each of us are aesthetic chords that resonate, and we really have to listen to them if we’re going to create a home that’s the ideal environment for us and a true reflection of who we are.

When designing your space, you have to be aware of the way you live: One room could be a dining room or an office or a playroom or a studio, depending on your needs. Are you out trekking in the woods all the time in heavy boots? You’ll want a place for them. What kinds of fabrics are you going to have on your furniture if you live with young children or animals?

In my own experience, the rooms that were structurally the most difficult—dark, small, irregularly shaped—have ended up the best because I really, really had to think hard and tap into my most original ideas. There are ways to dramatically reconceive, say, a piece of furniture—by re-covering it, refinishing it, relocating it. Sometimes something looks terrible in one place and great in another.

As far as objects go, people tend to own a lot of things they once liked, things they received as gifts, or things that were just mistakes from the beginning but were never edited out. So when they say, “I don’t know why this area has never looked right,” it may be because it’s a mishmash of disparate things. If you consider what attracts you most to objects (shape, color, pattern, material?) and get your own preferences clear in your head, you can sort through your stuff easily and create a more cohesive look. I suggest leafing through magazines and tearing out 10 or 20 or 30 pictures of rooms you really love. Go with your gut—even if photos are of a Scottish castle or some other fantasy, rip them out. Do the same with images you don’t like. What’s the common denominator? You’ll begin to see recurring themes and hone in on what’s really you.

To me, finding your own taste goes much deeper than rooms and decorating. It’s about understanding yourself, gaining confidence, unleashing your creativity. Once we’ve become liberated in that area, we become liberated in others. We might then say: “I gravitate to pots, so why not try making pottery?” If we express our real selves in our homes, our lives there are richer. And that’s not just some frivolous thing for people who have a lot of time and money. It’s for everyone. All of us can come to know our own originality.

Traditional

The design equivalent of a vintage Cadillac or a Cartier watch, this room is solid—all tassels and florals and curved furniture in dark, polished wood. A touch of family pride: the silver-framed photographs.

A classic but unstuffy mix of things—like fine china, swagged curtains, silver trays and lamps with pleated silk shades—looks gently used, beautifully kept. Notice how the swirling leaves and flowers of the curtain fabric are echoed in the ginger jar, pale floral carpet, fresh lilies.

Many styles are reworked every few decades.  Does the 80’s sound familiar?  Think; ruffled “Pirate” shirts (or Seinfeld’s “Puffy Shirt” episode).  What was popular 30 years ago…. is back again, in a more updated form.

The same goes with Designing around the Home.

Today’s popular home decorating style is Baroque.  According to Wikipedia…. Italian Baroque interior design refers to high-style furnishing and interior decorating carried out in Italy, during the Baroque period, which lasted from the early 17th to the mid 18th century.   Rococo (less commonly roccoco; pronounced /rəˈkoʊkoʊ/, /roʊkəˈkoʊ/) also referred to as “Late Baroque” is an 18th century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly more ornate, florid, and playful. Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and  tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings.

Modern, Baroque furnishings, design elements and accessories are available everywhere and you might even find that you have something in your home and didn’t know it.

Target, has a whole line DwellStudio at Target geared towards this style; affordable for everyone.

Rugs

Mirrors

Fabric

Lighting

Feminine Baroque

Create a soft feminine bedroom with this combination of Modern and antique Baroque style.

Traditional style Baroque Design

Traditional style Living Room with gilding and heavily ornate furnishings (characteristic of the Italian Baroque style)

Modern Style Baroque Design

Hard graphic prints designed with classic Baroque style and clean edges.

Baroque With a Southwest Flair

Mixing in traditional southwest colors with the classic yet simple Baroque style shown below.

For more information on this and any other style or design….

Contact PC Design llc or email pcdesign@mac.com.

Built-in, Custom and Free-standing bookcases are multi-functional pieces of furniture; and aren’t just for books anymore!

Bookcases anymore should be considered a visual piece of art unto themselves.  They create atmosphere, personality, contrast, and visual pleasure; amongst other things.

From wall mounted bookshelves

To Free-standing bookshelves

To Custom-built-in’s

Bookshelves give the ability to represent past, present and even….future.

They offer harmony to a room’s decor, character in an old home, and function in modern design.  Bookshelves can also act as a piece of ART…

Whether you color coordinate your books…

add a Modern Flair….

Incorporate…

Or use a traditional item…. in a non-traditional way.

Styles range from Modern…

To transitional…

To traditional…

You can use a bookshelf as a station for your home office.

As a piece of furniture to sit back and read.

In your Living Room as an entertainment storage bookcase with a 2-in-1 fabric cover/projection screen.

and…Bookshelves can be used to for traditional purposes such as displaying; art, photograph’s, collectibles, lighting and foliage.

For more information on how to incorporate bookcases into YOUR design…. Contact pcdesign@mac.com.

But the thing is, articulating your style is the key to creating a room that really reflects it. If this sounds esoteric, have no fear: We’ve have some simple steps to help you identify the look you crave, a few visual tutorials to make you a mini expert on design, and dozens of sources to let you shop your style and bring it home. So whether you’re overhauling a mishmash of furniture bit by bit or doing a rapid-fire redecoration, you’ll learn how to make great choices and get cohesive results that you’ll love.

3 STEPS TO NAMING YOUR STYLE

Decorating is an extension of your personal style, but so much better, because it comes without the concerns of sizing and fit. That should make it fun, but for a lot of us it’s incredibly stressful — a too-blank canvas that involves big commitments and potentially pricey mistakes. Aside from the money part, choosing a sofa is not all that different from picking a pair of shoes: It’s all about who you are and what you like on a gut level.

Finding your decorating groove depends on getting in touch with that;  We’ve created a plan geared toward home decorating. Here’s what to do.

1. Tour your home, and really look at your furniture.

With a pad in hand, walk from room to room examining your belongings and make two truthful lists: “Love It” and “Wish I Could Replace It.  Catalog everything you can, including art — and be real, even if it’s difficult.  It’s all based on how things make you feel. Maybe you come across a piece of art that bugs you, but you’ve kept it around because it was your grandmother’s. Pay attention to that — and categorize accordingly.  You can also photograph the room, print out a copy of the photo and cross out what you don’t like and circle what you do.  You can think of that photo, as a bouncing off point and use it as reference when shopping or getting advice.

2. Pull together small items you love, including clothes.

Check the top of your dresser, your mantel, your bookshelves, your china cabinet. Sift through collections and mementos. Make a pile of favorites on your bed. Then pull special clothes from your closet. Focus on the items that make you feel beautiful and joyful, the ones that inspire you to stand tall. Take the same eye to your jewelry and accessories.  Open your closet doors and see what colors pop out the most.  You can see which color dominates and use that as a reference point for the “colors” that you are drawn to.

3. Tap your memory and your imagination.

Get comfortable, then close your eyes and think about places you love to be and why you love them — from a local cafe to a faraway beach. Recall paintings, movies, and books that have stuck with you for some reason. Then go into fantasy mode.  Imagine that real-world constraints don’t apply.  Picture your dream home. If you could live anywhere in the world, would you choose a loft in New York? An English manor? A tree house in the tropics?  Then think outside of home:  If you were invited to the Oscars, what would you wear? Include jewelry and shoes.  This moves you beyond the limitations of your own lifestyle and budget and into a new realm of creativity. Jot down your answers.

Now for the hard part. Look for common threads — design, colors, shapes, materials, vibe — among the things you love. You may find yourself attracted to a blend of styles rather than just one. Notice which features appeal to you and which don’t. This will help you translate your taste into smart decorating choices.

4.  When all else fails, call an Interior Designer.

“Style Samples”

SOPHISTICATED CLASSIC

An elegant blend of refined traditional furniture, jewelry-like accessories, and pale hues. Patrician old-world elements pair with cleaner Art Deco shapes. The look evokes a more formal lifestyle. Think Grace Kelly, Tiffany & Co., and Charlotte  from “Sex and the City”.

FEATURES
 Delicate furniture pieces with feminine lines and tapered legs.
 A palette of neutrals and soft colors.
 Grand chandeliers.
 Luxurious fabrics, like silk and velvet.
 Rich dark woods with polished veneers.
 Luxe accent materials, including metal, marble, and glass.
 Symmetrical floor plans.

COZY CASUAL

A warm, traditional look made for relaxing with family and friends. Draws on English and early-American furniture designs, as well as laid-back country, cottage, and farmhouse styles. Weathered, low-maintenance furnishings are easy, inviting, and built for daily life. Think golden retrievers, fuzzy slippers, and just about any movie by Nancy Meyers.

FEATURES

 Plush upholstery, often slip-covered, with roll or square arms and skirts or ball feet.
 Indestructible tables with turned legs, trestles, or substantial pedestal bases.
 Warm wood tones with rustic or distressed finishes.
 Natural fabrics, like cotton and wool.
 Solid textiles, simple stripes, or unfussy floral’s in muted colors.

MODERN GRAPHIC

A fresh, fun, contemporary look that combines urban styling (imagine a downtown loft) with edgy, colorful elements and mid-century design. Simple furniture forms balance out bold accents and patterns. Think the Museum of Modern Art, Frank Lloyd Wright, a Rubik’s Cube.

FEATURES

 Furniture with clean lines and no extra adornment.
 Blocks of saturated color.
 Boxy upholstery with plain legs or skirt-less bases.
 Lacquered finishes and a mix of woods, both light (birch, oak) and dark (walnut, mahogany).
 Geometric or abstract patterns and Pop Art–inspired accessories.

VINTAGE ECLECTIC

A rich, layered look combining flea-market finds, furniture designs from various time periods (including Victorian pieces and 18th-century French styles), and a diverse collection of accessories and artwork. Dusty colors, timeworn or handmade textiles, and collected objects create a lived-in feel. Think Paris flea markets, Granny’s teacups, the film Grey Gardens.

FEATURES
 Furniture with shapely, feminine silhouettes, intricate detailing, and weathered finishes.
 Jewel tones mixed with washed-out, chalky shades.
 Antique and vintage elements interspersed with newer, offbeat items.
 A varied mix of fabrics (on pillows, upholstery, and window treatments), including Jacquards, paisleys, ethnic tapestries, folk motifs, botanicals, and florals.
 Crystal chandeliers and embellished lamps.
 Abundant art and decorative accents on walls and surfaces.

For more information regarding these and other styles, contact pcdesign@mac.com.

]]> http://www.affordableinteriordesigners.com/blog/2010/04/22/define-your-style/feed/ 0 http://www.affordableinteriordesigners.com/blog/2010/02/23/dont-forget-the-ceiling/ http://www.affordableinteriordesigners.com/blog/2010/02/23/dont-forget-the-ceiling/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:28:54 +0000 PC Design http://www.affordableinteriordesigners.com/blog/?p=921 After reading a recent article Benjamin Moore published on their website, I began to think how many homes I’ve been in that had “Ceiling White” on the Forgotten 5th Wall.

Too often, little thought is given to a ceiling’s contribution to the overall room design, which is typically just coated in some ubiquitous white paint.

Look at your ceilings from a new perspective. Color, sheen, pattern, and texture (not the stipple or popcorn texture that contractor’s use because they are too lazy to finish a ceiling properly) on the ceiling can transform the entire look and feel of a room.

Create a warm… cozy environment…

If you have a large room with high ceilings, consider using a darker, deeper color up there.  Use this theory if you have a lot of darker furniture and need to balance out the “bottom” of the room – considered the floor, with the top, so it creates a balanced effect.Take a look at all the furniture that occupies the floor and the fact that there is nothing to draw your eye upwards.  By creating a darker ceiling effect, you are giving your eye a smooth transition from top to bottom.

Adding Jewelry….

Most women won’t leave the house without their “face” on.  Why would you leave the ceiling, or the “5th wall” bare as well?  Just because the 5th wall is located up from the other’s doesn’t make it any less important.  Remember…. you want to consider the whole room from TOP to bottom!

When you add a chandelier, think about adding architectural details around like a double crown moulding,

or add a ceiling medallion situated around the chandelier mount that is proportionate to the size of the chandelier and the room.

Keep in mind that these can be painted to match or coordinate as well.

Try using a a glaze mixed with the ceiling paint.

You can create a metallic/pearlescent finish and a nice design element by adding this to the paint and a little bit of “Sheen” to the ceiling as well (which will also draw your eye upward).

Plaster is also something you could add,  but consult a professional before trying this yourself, the experiment could turn out horribly wrong if not applied correctly.

Some other options:

Wallpaper

Tin

Fabric

Mirrors (venetian, colored, distorted)

Inspiration found through Color.

Part 5…

Trend 5: New Darks

Last year, black was the big colour for interiors. This year, the New Dark’s signal a bold move away from the hard, dull greys and blacks towards a softer, palette that is accented by bright, vibrant hues. Purples, blues and blacks take centre stage but texture is also a consideration. Patent and lacquered finishes contrast with smoky, matte metals and velvety fabrics. What is created is both dramatic and beautiful. Lots of texture and a more subtle scheme than from the above is used.

Living room
Choose a dominant piece of furniture, such as a sofa, in the dark, dramatic shade that encapsulates this look, but use lighter, toning shades for the walls. Not every home or room suits dark colors – and if you spend a lot of time in a room during the day, you might want to choose lighter colors for walls and floors to make the room feel bright and spacious. Ask yourself if you liked to be “hugged” by the room or feel as if you could see for miles???

Bedroom
This look is perfect for a posh bedroom.  Rich colors and soft natural fabrics create a cushy feel and warmth to keep you warm at night.  Do be careful to not go too dark, unless you have lots of natural light, to make sure the room does not create a “depressing” atmosphere.

In the end, when designing and decorating for your home, decide the overall feel and concept you would like to achieve and pull-out lots of pictures to show your Designer to make sure you are all on the same page.

Happy Decorating!!!!

Part 4….

Trend 4: Treasure Trove

We all have our own personal treasures that we want to display in our homes. They usually take the form of furniture, fabrics, paintings and objects that have been passed down through generations, as well as vintage clothes and objects found on holiday or when browsing in antique markets. These are the things that we want to preserve and admire. Intense, deep colours such as opulent gold, rich burgundy and bold teal; lavish and glittering, concealing our keepsakes and priceless pieces. It’s a colour palette that forms the backdrop to our own treasure and is guaranteed to bring out the inner magpie in all of us. Not ideal for every room in a home, but great in Living Rooms, Studies and Guest Bedrooms.

Living Room

Reminiscent of an old Country Manor.  Alternates to the heavy wood paneling on the walls could be paint in a deep chocolate brown to make it cozy, or a pale yellow-green to make it feel brighter and more spacious.

Bedroom
Deep earthy shades are ideal for a bedroom due to the mood the room transcends.  The result? A welcoming space that you’ll feel relaxed and cozy in.

Inspiration found through Color.

Part 3…

Trend 3: The Recycled Look

Head out to your favorite flea-market or vintage store and rummage through to find pieces to compliment your design.  Whether edgy, subtle, minimalist, cluttered or over the top, you are sure to find that… “one person’s trash is another’s treasure”.

Living Room
What’s good about this look? Essentially, its eclecticism and its eco-friendly attributes. What it’s telling you… get yourself down the local antiques/junk arcade and rummage…

Bedroom

So, rummaging isn’t your thing?  The key… choose a dominating colour that has a faded look, furniture that isn’t the same style, and think out-of-the-box for placement. Take this room as a great example. The bed is upholstered in a dove grey, while the throw’s colour is a faded version of the bedside table. The bedside table itself doesn’t match the rest of the room, and is really a side table, yet it works within the room because it’s colour ties into the beds throw.

Kitchen
Ideal for a kitchen, simply choose units painted in faded shades, recycled worktops (like Cork/ Bamboo/ recycled stainless), rustic style tiles (mismatched/ hand-painted/ vintage) , match it with furniture that’s recycled rather than brand new and, finally, pick wall colours to complement, adding splashes of bolder shades in accessories.

Inspiration found through Color.

Part 2….

Trend 2: Femininity With A Hard Edge

This is a more dynamic trend, which includes pretty yet powerful colours, from their palest to most dramatic shades. Think of peonies that burst into colourful life and then slowly reduce in intensity as they fade. Imagine delicate whispers of texture from vintage lace and silk, offset by hard modern ceramics and metals. You could sum it up as femininity with a tough edge.  While not ideal for every room in the home, this does work best in living rooms and bedrooms.

Paint Colours
It might be that you choose a white or pale green background colour for your walls, then add a touch of ‘wow!’ with stronger shades of the accent colour  like, raspberry or periwinkle with accessories and soft furnishings. This scheme does not need to be dramatic, if you want something easier to live with, try something a little more understated.

Wallpaper
Just as choosing a paint color can be difficult and tiresome between a man and a woman…ditto for wallpaper!  Go for soft, feminine shades as a base, add sharper (or more masculine) tones to pep up the scheme.

Living Room
This room, with all the tendencies of a more feminine room; also, sways toward the masculine with the finishes and shape.   Find this look a little heavy? Keep the wallpaper, but swap it for a lighter colourway and change the flooring to a pale, soft carpet…

Bedroom
The idea of a pale lilac bedroom would turn most men’s stomachs, but this one is edging into grey, while the contrasting colour – mustard yellowy green is a fabulous foil for the walls soft tones. Add to that the contrast of white furnishings with a single high gloss black piece and you’ve got femininity, masculinity, light and dark all in one space. Brilliant.