How predictable is your decor?

 Yes, I've been Pinteresting too much again. It's one of the best ways to see what the common trends are in interior design.  I am not talking about the "cutting edge" ones touted as design trends for a particular year, but the ones that you know average people usein their homes.  These common elements are sometimes referred to as "decorating crutches" because anyone can use them in any space.   I bet you know them already because they are constantly flying by your eyes on Pinterest or Instagram or in home decor stores.

 Check out some of the hallmarks of decor predictability in 2016  compiled from an evening of online viewing. Here are a few pics for you.   Can you see any similarities in these spaces ?

Here's what I came up with...

• overly coordinated fabrics and accessories 
• trays used to corral vignettes on tables
• stacking books in vignettes 
• pale rugs 
• lots of  candles 
• box store art
• art that gives you directions (word art)
• antlers and faux taxidermy 
• empty frames ( is it a conceptual art statement or just a thing?)
• dishes that match a room's colour scheme
• accessories covering every flat surface
• cute holiday and seasonal vignettes
• beachy colour schemes 
• hurricane lanterns
• girlie chandeliers 
•  mirrors everywhere  
• mason jars used for every conceivable purpose
• fake topiary
• changing  seasonal/holiday displays 
• gallery walls with everything apart from real art 
• large wall clocks 
• bleached wicker 
• overuse of baskets for storage
• and abundance of pillows and throws
• gray everything
• pale wall colours
• family references and a touches of sentiment

How predictable is your decor in 2016?

 Is it a bad thing to be predictable?

  Probably not.

 We like what we like, and likes are developed through exposure (repeated viewing). In today's world of social media we do a lot of viewing.  Likes are also shaped by your social circles, your decorating budget, and what is  readily available in a local area.  Sometimes we want to be the same as our friends and we model each other.

We all have things we are attracted to and use in different ways in our homes. From the list of overly used elements above  I  am guilty of: stacking books as fillers and to vary heights,  using trays to corral objects in vignettes,  layering with  throws and using an antler in various arrangements (but it's a real one found on a hike) and I do have a thing about pillows.  I am happiest in light rooms and gray has been my go to neutral since 1985.  How about you?

Stay tuned for 10 ways to interject a little decor rebellion in your space.

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Does burlap work in contemporary decor?

Ideas for using burlap in crafty, country decor have taken over my Pinterest feed lately.  My own decor is a mix of contemporary and mid-century modern with a generous application of contemporary art.  Burlap just doesn't seem to fit with that mix.  But wait...  just tell me something doesn't work, and I am on a journey to prove otherwise.

 Currently in my art practice I am questioning public expectations for certain materials.   Perhaps that's why I am thinking about burlap.   All those country/homey pins for burlap  got me thinking about raising the ante, by taking burlap  out of its country comfort level.

So let's explore the question.

I like burlap because it ...

• has texture;
• is a natural fibre from the jute plant;
• is a renewable product because of its source;
• is  available in several  neutral colours and can be dyed; 
• is relatively inexpensive;
• can be used without sewing;
• accepts paint well;
• comes in a variety of widths and qualities;
• has an open weave for introducing  different materials into design. 

On the other side are several drawbacks...

• it is smelly; 
• cheaper varieties are very coarse; 
• it is usually stiff and doesn't gather well; 
• the weave is uneven

Here's a collection of commercially produced products using burlap.  Obviously, this isn't the burlap you wrap your trees with in fall!

There are also lots of options for DIYers or to purchase from sites like ETSY. 

Pillows 

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Window Treatments 

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source 

 source 

Runner 

Bedskirt 

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Art 

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Now it's your turn....

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Going Coastal

As our lives become busier and more frantic there seems to be more interest in decor styles that are calm and comfortable.  As a result coastal influences are popping up everywhere.  Perhaps coastal decor is for you.

 Check out this ideabook I just developed on Houzz. 

To see the ideabook in its entirety click on the title.  

Going coastal

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Arranging vignettes: Do you know your design letters?

 Are you challenged when it comes to arranging  accessories? Do you look at details in  decorating magazines and marvel at how everything  looks just right? Many people think the final touches are the most difficult part of home decor, but they don't have to be.  There are all kinds of tips and tricks of the trade. 

One of the simplest design tips I can offer is the use  of  letter formations to organize interesting accessory vignettes. I'm calling on my background in visual art and floral arrangement to offer you this advice.  Other decorators may have different ways of describing their approach. 

The most useful letters for designing vignettes are ....  A, V,  O, C, L, and M.  

Here goes...

A

Niche Interiors

This is a very tight A line of design.  The visual height is always through the middle and the base is wider, but the bottom width can vary.  My eye wants to see something slightly taller than the dish - a sphere  would be lovely here. Perhaps the owner is like me,  always looking for just the right object to finish a room.

source

Another A with a tall vertical.  Because this is a monochromatic scheme the overall A shape is more evident.  Are you noticing how the height is usually a piece of art?  It  could also be a sculpture, a mirror,  a  tall vase of twigs or flowers or photos hung on the wall.  The base can also  be much wider and the height much less than these examples. 

V 

source 

 

The reverse of A is V. In a V the lowest point is usually in the middle of the arrangement.  Sometimes thinking about it as a check mark is helpful because one side is usually taller and one is shorter.  A V line of design doesn't  have the height through the middle that an A line of design does. Sometimes only these two shapes are presented in vignette discussions, but there are so many more ways to think about it.  

C

 Lucid Interior Design Inc.

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 You don't often find C lines of design and they are the most obvious when there's only one object banked by something that is circular as with the mirror and twigs.  Your eye just wants to make that sweep.  But sometimes it is the placement of objects that creates a C sweep with the largest object placed at the beginning of the C as in the photo above. 


 o

 Joni Spear Interior Design

 Some designers may argue this is a classic V formation but I would disagree because the mirror causes the eye to move in a circular fashion around the display.  The lamps are taken in with that sweep.

 

 Rachel Reider Interiors

 Another  symmetrical O line of design.  The base is set so broadly that your eye just wants to do the circular movement around the objects. The three rounded shapes  add to the circular movement.  

Another very strong O line of design.  It is even more obvious when you have a narrow base. 


L 

  CNW PRODUCTION

Urrutia Design


The requirement for an L line of design is a very tall object placed on the edge of the design with a broad base.  Of course you can also reverse the L.  If the hurricanes were taller I would call the  vignette above a V. 

M

source 

You don't often see the M line of design used, but it works well when you are displaying collections where you have several heights with dips in the middle and you start with shorter objects on the ends.  

W 

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If the shorter objects are on either end it is an M, but when you start with taller objects on the ends and it is also high in the middle  it moves into a W.  

What line of design do these vignettes follow? 

1.

2.

3.

Source 

1.This is  an A because of the wide base and the tall height through the middle. 

2.  Whenever you see a  lot of objects of similar heights spread out and starting and ending with a shorter object it is an M.  The more objects there are it can turn into a long zig zag of Ms. 

3.  Oh so tricky.  Without the curved object to the right it would be an O line of design, but your eye stops on it making it  a C. 

 

And there you have it.   Keep your eyes open when you see arrangements and observe the  lines of design  used. Then start arranging! 

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5 decorating solutions for one traditional mantle

Mantles can bring out your inner decorator or cause you frustration.  I hope at the end of this post your inner decorator will be leaping.  If you don't have a mantle, but have a buffet, console table or even a wide window ledge all the principles/design tips  still apply.  for additional information about  decorating above a fireplace check here.

Come along to a traditional home that is getting a foyer facelift.

Fireplaces and mantles are usually a focal point in a space.  Often there are other architectural details that ensure it is a dominant feature.  In this case, there are two archways on either side of  the fireplace, one into  the living room and the other into the dining room.  While the fixtures in the home are traditional, the homeowners have mixed in contemporary furniture while still honouring the original feel of the house.

Original photo from homeowner

Initial observations:

The mirror:

• reflects the chandelier adding interest 
• has simple traditional styling  that relates well to the  the other architectural features
• will  reflect what is put in front of it adding  visual depth
• frame has same tones as floor only darker
• fits the width of mantle, but seems to overpower it (less so when you are in the space)
• is heavy and mounted on original plaster walls, it stays 

Thanks to the program Olioboard, I can import the original photo from the homeowner and layer options on top of it. That's designer's dream when presenting ideas to a client.

With the central position of  the fireplace between two archways, a symmetrical design would  be a fitting line of design. l

Solution One:

 Emphasize a vertical layout using art to bring the eye up.

Including art work with a white matt  connects with the mantle colour (try to match the white matt with mantle, yes, this one is a tad too bright). You can play with the style of art work.  Sometimes adding a modern piece is a way to combine styles. 

Thoughts:

I like the simple calla better  because  the lines are vertical and the simplicity of composition and colour scheme is calming and works better with whatever objects you choose to put beside it.  I like rounded shapes next to verticals or if not rounded, something with soft, irregular  edges.  My choice would be the vases  rather than the topiaries because I like a lighter, softer look.

Here's the same idea with a more traditional painting without any white.  The look is dark and a little overpowering and with no overlapping it looks a tad to boring.  All of this can be adjusted of course.  Which  painting works best? 

Solution Two 

Bring your eye in from the sides of the mirror by creating two strong verticals. 

This is the opposite of the first solution but you are still using verticals to direct the  eye up. Having the flowers in a dark/clear frame connects with the darks in the fireplace, and also with the white in the mantle.  The vases are contemporary as is the sculptural piece but they all "play nicely together".


Solution Three 

Go neutral contemporary and layer symmetrically.

This arrangement still brings your eye in from the sides of the mirror and emphasizes the vertical, but it is an overall softer look.


Solution 4

Pick up the  colours in the fireplace and layer symmetrically with a mix of traditional and contemporary.

Solution 5

Use battery operated console lamps and soften  the arrangement in the centre.

Just for fun...

the girls in the house would pick this one!

and I am  more comfortable with asymmetrical designs.

There are so many options  and each has its own reasoning.  In the end it all boils down to personal taste. Which would you choose if you were the homeowner? 

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From snow to eggs

 We are hunkered down for a winter storm with 40 cm. of snow predicted.  Everything is closed so there are no schedules to keep. It's the kind of day where I have lots of time to let my mind wander where it may.  That's a dangerous thing when you can go from one thought to a hundred in a minute.  So let's see how I got from snow to this post.

White, cold, wishing for spring,  Easter, eggs, decorating eggs, symbolism of eggs, egg imagery through history, eggs in art, design trend for 2015 (read it on Houzz this week),  Las Vegas Market trends Winter 2015, should write a new blog post because I have time today, anyone else predicting eggs are hot, search Pinterest.  Yep!  That's how my head works.

What is a trend?

Decor trends  are predictions based on patterns recognized from multiple viewings of similar material.  Anyone can make trend predictions if they have enough information and time to look for patterns.

 Here are some of the patterns I'm seeing on Olioboard, Pinterest and design blogs that indicate that eggs and egg shapes or oval shapes are appearing in textiles, lighting and home accents.

Sometimes  eggs are represented literally and recognizable as what they are.  You will often see nests accompanying the eggs as in the pillow and art works above.  Sometimes the egg shapes are abstracted and used in repetition to create patterns.  These are the ones I find most pleasing.  

Is it just me or do you find anything egg shaped or hinting of it pleasing/soothing to the eye? This characteristic makes it a perfect shape to choose when you want a lighting fixture to just sit there and hold a place without being  too dominant in the decor.  Sometimes this is not what you want!  For excitement do not choose  of the lights above (except the red one).

Jeff Koons, Cracked Egg- Blue

Egg shapes have always been a favourite of artists through the centuries.  Not only is it a pleasing shape, but the symbolism of promise of things to come, fertility, and creation  makes eggs a multifaceted starting point for many artistic explorations.

Paul Lichetenhan - Nest 

This work created by Paul Lichtenhan couldn't be more different than Koon's  reflective, slick and very large cracked egg above.  In this piece the aged patina of the recycled metals stand in striking contrast to the delicate ceramic eggs. 

Andy Goldsworthy 

 Goldsworthy, an environmental artist, makes a different statement with his large, stone egg defying our usual interpretation of this delicate, fragile shape. 

Ron Layport

Finally Ron Layport creates  intricate, egg shaped carvings from wood.  In all of the presented  works the material used to create them is as important as the subject matter.  Each has its own beauty. 

Eggs, simple or complicated, realistic or abstracted, may appear in some form in your decor this year. Perhaps you are ahead of the game!  Have you noticed egg motifs in your online viewing or shopping experiences?

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