I recently gave a presentation at the shop on the ABC's of Design so I thought I would share the info with you readers as well. The list is not definitive, but it gives you some great guidelines for including items and ideas in your decorating plan that will make a big impact. A is for Atmosphere. Mood can be our biggest make or break moment in our homes. Make sure you use lighting, color, and pattern to create the atmosphere you desire. B is for Balance. Don't pair too big with too small whether it is furniture, artwork, or accessories. Things don't need to be equal size but big disparities will create visual problems. C is for Comfort. This has to be the most important thing. If you aren't comfortable, life at home won't be much fun. And remember you don't need to sacrifice style for comfort. There are many beautiful pieces that are a joy to sit in. D is for Depth. Flat interiors are boring. Add color, texture, and layers of interest to create a rich and deep environment. Not everything in your house needs to be brown! E is for Energy. Dead is typically not a good description of anything. Uses touches of vibrant color, rounded furniture, and plant life to boost the energy in your home. F is for Flow. Think about flow in your furniture arrangement. Are your chairs, sofa and tables in the right place to allow functionality and traffic? Does your decorating scheme relate from room to room or are your spaces discordant? G is for Grace. Just as comfort is important to us as inhabitants, grace is important to guests you invite into your home. Make them feel welcome with gracious and hospitable rooms and actions. H is for Height. I told you flat interiors are boring...so are interiors where everything is on the same plane. Vary the height of your furniture, lamps and accessories to create different vertical and horizontal planes. This keeps the eye interested. I is for Interest. Don't settle for buying everything at once. Find items, whether furniture or accessories, that have a past or a unique shape. This will seriously turn up the cool factor. J is for Juxtaposition. Don't be afraid to mix refined with rustic, high with low or even new with old. This simple act will make your home interesting. K is for Knowledge. Before doing anything to your home, know who you are, how you live and what you want. This is the ultimate guide for creating a home you love. L is for Light. Light is life! Very little can affect our moods more. Use ambient, direct and indirect lighting to create the desired levels in your home. Also, employ color to achieve lightness and energy. M is for Mixture. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb and mix patterns, style, color. This is the mantra of the English school of decorating and the results they achieve are breathtaking. N is for Neutral. Buy wisely. Make sure your investment pieces are neutral enough to survive your next redecoration. O is for Orientation. What items go with others and how does everything relate in your overall scheme? Getting the proper pairings will provide ideal scale, balance, and flow. P is for Pattern. This is the jewelry of the home. Don't be afraid to mix, match and play with pattern to create interesting pops around your home. Q is for Quality. A wise person once said, "Buy quality and you will only cry once." Buy the best quality you can afford at the time and you will rarely be sorry. R is for Rejuvenation. Make your home THE place that can get you back on your feet after a long, hectic day. Your home should relax you and restore your soul and energy. S is for Shade. As important as light is, sometimes we need a cocoon to feel safe. Determine how you can add some darkness and mood to your home. T is for Trend. It is just that...a trend. It may here tomorrow, but it's not going to stick around forever. Having said that, don't be afraid to mix in inexpensive nods to trend. It's easy to achieve and keeps you au courant. U is for Unity. Common styles and common palettes from room to room can enlarge your space and create needed flow. Using a common color scheme throughout allows you to rearrange and have a new home every three months. V is for Vignettes. When accessorizing, pair items together that tell a story or hold special memories for you. A vase may only be a vase, but a collection of stones from your travels abroad are more interesting. W is for Windows. I'm not talking about the glass kind. Think of windows as views of your interior from different perspectives. Is the view interesting as you look from one room another? It should be! X is for X Marks the Spot. Don't rush into completing your home. Just like the X on the treasure map, some of the best things are worth the hunt. Be willing to wait. Y is for Youth. Don't be too serious in your décor. Everyone wants to see a little bit of your personality and you shouldn't be afraid to show it. Z is for Zebra. And all other animal prints for that purpose. Animal print is a neutral that we easily commit to when it comes to clothing but shy away from in our homes. The same principles hold true. It mixes will with most patterns and colors. Don't be afraid to bring the animals indoors.
1 Comment
annie booth
11/7/2014 06:09:18 am
Hi Dan & Steve,
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AuthorI'm Dan Brungardt and have been the proprietor and designer at Home at Last for the past 15 years. I'm constantly inspired by the things I see around me and now I get to share them with you! Archives
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