In the winter months, it’s even more important to create a homey, warm space for family and guests. What is your top advice for designing a cozy, inviting living space?
As the winter months have arrived, we find the interior of our homes as our daily destination. A homey, and warm living space is important for family and guest. This is easily created by first: the arrangement of the furniture, to feel homey a home must be inviting, which is achieved by placing the sofa two feet from the viewing back wall compliment by individual chairs on either side on the sofa. If additional seating is needed a set of ottomans work well as they take up little space and the low profile keeps the openness. Allowing traffic flow in and out of the room invites family and friends to pass through freely. If the floors are wood or tile, a rug of color and interest should accent the furnishings. Large windows are impressive and grand but can be cold feeling without drapery. Drapery gives the opportunity to bring in color as well. If your furniture is of a neutral palette you need to bring in color in a minimum of three areas drapery, pillows, rug or artwork. Your colors maybe warm or fun, as both bring coziness. A throw blanket, colorful flowers and magazines make a space inviting for a movie night, relaxing cocktail, or leisure reading.
Holiday décor can easily enter the realm of “hokey” or contrived. What are some important tips to keep in mind when decorating a sophisticated interior for the holiday?
The holidays are a time for gathering of family and friends and our homes need to be filled with holiday cheer and tradition. The traditional colors are red, green, gold, and silver; these should be the base of your palette. The trendy colors of pastille greens, blues, purples and pinks maybe used in a side room such as a kids room or game room only. Berries and holly are a must, glitter is fun but too much can change your Christmas glow into a disco room.
Replace or rebuild your ribbon bows after storage if not done well they can cheapen your decorating. Entry doors are welcoming when greeted by a beautiful natural wreath. Keep your wreaths in the green pine flare with holly and Christmas blubs. It’s fun to add other elements but don’t over decorate them.
As for the lights the ice sickle lights are not in favor when decorating for elegance.
If you could change one element of a room to improve people’s first impression of the space, what would it be? Why?
I could say 70% of the time we enter a new clients home we having to walk around the large sofa to view the living room. Relocating the sofa usually opens the home’s space as well as giving flow. Positioning the furniture on diagonal or having the sofa facing the entrance. Viewing colorful pillows is more desirable then the back of a sofa.
Are there any design trends you’d like to see disappear as quickly as they came?
As designers who works with clients from all over the country we see trends that last in some areas but go quickly in other areas. We are not apposed to any of the present designing trends as we design to our client’s likes and dislikes. We’re not so interested in seeing them disappear as much as seeing them used in moderation as if used in moderation a home can be timeless which is what we do.
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