The office part two: Kill your darlings; skin the cat

I was a creative writing major in college.  I'll always remember the admonition of our Senior Seminar professor to "kill your darlings."  This means you have to cut those favorite sentences (or paragraphs, or characters!) that you love and have become attached to, but aren't working or furthering your aims with the piece.

I was always terrible at that.

Last week I showed you a design board for what the office could be, but isn't.  Why not?  Because of this rug.

This rug is my darling.

I got it at the tender age of 24, at the ABC Carpet and Home outlet in the Bronx.  It was my first major house purchase (and remains one of the more expensive things I've ever bought.)  It's big, and Turkish, and I think it represented "being a grown up."  Standing in the vast warehouse and watching the men flip back rug after rug in stacks was intoxicating.  The palette includes colors that are still favorites (aqua! chartreuse! terra cotta!  Look no further than my portfolio to know I love these colors still.) And honestly, it makes a lot of sense, stylistically, in the space I lease, which has very pretty white tin ceilings.

The other reason I based by scheme on this rug?  I already had it, and rugs are expensive.  I liked the idea that using this rug would stretch my budget.  Then I started looking for a table to use as a desk, and realized the rug was kind of bossy, and the table I needed was pretty specific.  A french farmhouse table.  Not too rustic, not too chunky, light of wood tone and elegant of line.  You may be shocked to know that craigslist did not offer up such a table to me, and certainly not at a bargain price.  All of a sudden, I was looking at spending close to $1000 on the right table to work with the rug I already had.  I also started considering splurges on other items that would complement the rug, but which I might not otherwise buy.  I bought chairs to make the rug "more modern" instead of using the Ghost chairs I already own.

When I made the neutral-scheme design board that I shared last week, and realized that the rug didn't belong in my real vision, I had to kill my darling.

And then, in a glorious mixture of metaphors, I remembered that there's more than one way to skin a cat:

Neutral rugs like the ones I was envisioning are fairly cheap.

Craigslist has tables aplenty that work in this scheme (tomorrow I'm picking up a table I previously looked at and passed on because it didn't go with the rug.  It's only $100.)

I'll return the guest chairs I bought, use my Ghost chairs for guests, and get myself an actual task chair instead.

I'll splurge on fabric to reupholster my cool vintage chair, but now I can choose any fabric I want (and I think I might want zebra.)

I'll still splurge on a lamp, but instead of keeping the one I used to want, I'll get one that represents my style, now.

And perhaps the best part?  In this scheme, I can hang any art I want.

I'll be a little sad to roll up the rug and send it back to the basement, though.

Infographic

Love this drawing.  It shows how the trend in side table + lamp has changed over the decades, but also illustrates the key point that the total height of the combo remains about the same.

I found this inforgraphic through a google search, but I happen to know that Dina at Honey and Fitz has compiled a number of infographic design cheat sheets, here.

File under: I never would have done that, but it looks good!

Sometimes I realize that I have hard and fast design rules of my own that aren't, you know, like real rules.  And of course fake rules are meant to be broken.

Case in point:

Heather's rule: when layering rugs, one of them must be solid.

Breaking the rule beautifully:

A cowhide over a large-scale printed dhurrie!

What WHAT?!

And yet it works.  I think because both patterns have organic shapes, but one is high-contrast and one is low-contrast, and one has a regular repeat while the other is random.  See the house tour of these geniuses here.

I'm a gonna try my hand at this.  Look for some pairings next week!

Have a great weekend,

Heather

How to frame a work of art

This was one of my first real lessons in decorating:

I was in my early twenties and had picked up a pair of original watercolor fashion illustrations, and I was having them framed.  I took them to a place on Union Street in Park Slope Brooklyn, where the man took them out of their cardboard sleeve gently, as if they were significant works.  He used small felt sandbags to hold down the corners while we talked.

I started to tell him about my decor, and how I wanted to frame them to go with, well, with whatever my fancy was at the time.  (This?  Maybe this.)

Oh no, he said.  You have to frame a picture for the picture, not for the room it will hang in.

He selected frames I never would have imagined, frames that suit the era evoked in the paintings as well as the color and the texture of the watercolor.

Not only are the frames just right, but they have worked in each of my subsequent homes because they are not trying to "go" with the decor.

There are exceptions, of course, but this rule always works.

Mixing sets

I'm not one for "sets" of things, any more than I am an "outfit" person.  I suppose it's that I don't like things too matchy-matchy, and I always want to keep my options open.

I have had several clients recently who tend to buy sets of the showroom floor because it is easy, or because they are not sure what they love or how to mix it.  My response?  I've never bought a set in my life.

While this is technically true, I do have some partial sets, and the truth is, put to the right use, they can be a great thing.  The key?  Separate them.  Counter-intuitive, I know, but breaking up a set to different corners of the house not only means that you cut down on a single room looking too much like a showroom, you also create continuity throughout your space.

My parents bought this bedroom set before I was born.  It moved in to my bedroom as a teenager, and I inherited the armoire when I bought my first apartment and the headboard when I bought my first house.  I love the visual relationship between the two now--in separate rooms, but sometimes visible together.

This works with bedding, too.  And china!  Anything that typically comes in a group, but two different sets and mix 'em together.

What do you think: are you a "set" person?  Or do you like more of a mix?

How to Mismatch Nightstands

Let's get right down to it:  Why might you want to mismatch your nightstands?

Maybe you've got one table and want to complement it, rather than replace it.  Maybe you have more space on one side of the bed than the other.  Maybe the rest of your room is one big matched set, or a sea of pairs, and you want to break things up and avoid the showroom-floor look.  Maybe you just swing that way.

How do you do it well?  Here's the secret: something about them should match.

1.) Same size and shape, different type

Campaign chest and skirted table

Source: decorpad.com via Heather on Pinterest

Dresser and table with ottoman

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Heather on Pinterest

Crazy stacked table and nesting tables

Source: houzz.com via Heather on Pinterest

Open shelf with baskets and draper chest

Source: centsationalgirl.com via Heather on Pinterest

2.) Same finish, different style or weight

Source: houzz.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Heather on Pinterest

3.) One square one round, unified by color and vibe

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: theworldtobegin.tumblr.com via Heather on Pinterest

Advanced technique!

If you want to get really advanced, there are some gorgeous examples of paired bedside tables with not a single thing in common. How does this work? Often by introducing a pair of matched lamps.

Source: housebeautiful.com via Heather on Pinterest

They don't even have to sit on the tables, as this image attests.  (the artwork pair over the bed is helping here, too)

Source: google.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: manolohome.com via Heather on Pinterest

This trick can even work with non-traditional nightstand items, like this pair of mismatched chairs, with matching clip-on lamps.

Source: lookbook.elledecor.com via Heather on Pinterest

Not sure you want to try this last one at home.

What do you think: is there a strategy here that would work for you?

Reader design dilemma: Balancing oversize furniture

How was your weekend?
Why is it harder to come back from a three day break than a full vacation?
I actually did a good job of unplugging this weekend.  Not much computer time, no work stress.   I need to do this more often.

But we are back today with a design dilemma.

Nowadays, we all have a lot of stuff, and if you live in an older house there isn't always a ton of built in storage. A reader writes in that she bought a number of dressers for a master bedroom that turned out to be bigger than expected.  She needs the storage space and returns on furniture are expensive, so she wants to work with them.  Because of the layout of the room, all three dressers are on one side, across from the king sized bed.

What she needs is BALANCE.

Here's how to get it:

Option 1: Use furniture
All that furniture on one side of the room is most easily balanced by more, right-scale furniture.  Swap out one of the three dressers for a pair of bachelor's chests which double as nightstands.

Option 2: Use color
If furniture is not an option, two pairs of panels in a heavy fabric (think lined velvet, not sheer silk) and a darker color will give plenty of weight to this side of the room.  Keep existing night tables.

Option 3: Create architecture
Prefer to keep the colors light?  Add valances or pelmets and trim them out with ribbon or trim for an additional sense of architecture.  Fake a bigger window by extending the valances a foot beyond the window frame on the outside of each window, and create a curtain with double fullness.

Instant balance!

Got a design dilemma of your own?  Shoot me an email at heather [at] heatherpetersondesign [dot] com

Design Dump: Design by the Numbers

Do you read Design Dump?  You should.  Interior designer Autumn Clemons is super stylish but also budget minded, and not afraid to share her sources.  She also has a great sense of humor, and I am a big fan of her "Buy this, not that" series.  Check out this transformation:

Before: a standard dining room



After: a fabulous library!


Hard to believe it's the same space, right?  Amazing how the dark color actually makes this room feel twice as big.  Ready for some advice from Autumn, "by the numbers"?




Decorating really is not an exact science, but remembering a few simple ratios, and numbers, the task can seem a little less daunting. Take these for instance:

1/2

when hanging a curtain rod above a window, try to make sure that it is at least 1/2 way between the top of the window casing and the ceiling or crown molding. doing this makes the windows appear taller. I often install rods within just an inch or two of the molding.

2

Consider adding a pair of items in a room to help create balance. Usually, the first thing that comes to mind is a pair of lamps, but also consider adding a pair of chairs, mirrors, or even larger pieces of furniture like bookcases.

In this room, several pairs of items including lamps, chairs and oversize mirrors help create balance.

1 can equal 3, 4, 6 or even 12

If you have one large piece of art that you would like to display, consider splitting it up and putting it in multiple frames. doing this not only makes the piece feel more prominent, but also keeps framing costs down.

(images: 1,2,3)

thanks so much to heather for having me today! happy decorating!

-autumn clemons

Go visit Autumn on her blog, and say hello!  Thanks for visiting, Autumn.

The rest of you: don't forget to enter the silvercocoon jewelry giveaway.  It ends tonight at midnight, central time.  Winner announced tomorrow.  See you then!

Design Rules from Danielle Oakey

I'm so happy to have my blogroll back on the blog!  I took it down when one of the links was causing google to tell people not to come to my blog, but that's all cleared up.  While it was down, I missed some of my usual reads, but also discovered some great new ones.  Check it out.

A long-standing blog on my roll is Danielle Oakey Interiors.  Danielle is a young designer in Utah, mom to preschooler Emory, and works magic in her own home on a student budget (her husband is in med school).  How cute it Emory's room? (And Emory, for that matter?)

So when I decided to bring back my 3 design rules series from the summer, Danielle was the perfect place to begin.  I'm so glad she's visiting today!

Hi, I am Danielle from Danielle Oakey Interiors.

I am happy to be here sharing a couple of my top design rules.

1. Spend money on textiles.

Designer fabrics can transform a space.

You may only need a couple gorgeous throw pillows to update an entire room.

{image via Lonny}

2. Don't be afraid to take risks.

If you love it, go for it.

Taking risks can be scary but the payoff is big.

{image via Lonny}

3. Combine cool and warm colors in every space.

It is really important for every room to have a good balance of warm and cool colors.

This is one of the first things I consider when designing a space.

{image via Lonny}

Oh, and my number one rule is, don't be afraid to break the rules!

Have I confused you yet?

Thank so much for having me Heather!

xoxo,

Danielle

Now I'm thinking through my own home, wondering if I have enough cool colors around the place.  It's always so fun to hear top rules from fellow bloggers and designers.  Autumn from Design Dump will visit us next.  And if you missed it this summer, check out Carol from The Design Pages, Anne-Marie from 10 Rooms, and Elizabeth from Modern 24/7.

Come on back on Monday, too, for a giveaway you won't want to miss!

Matters of Scale

One of the more challenging things about design, particularly in this internet age, can be getting the scale and proportion just right in a space.  Floor plans and measurements can tell you a lot, but I always think it's better to be in a home to get a feel for the space.  I mean that literally: you need to be in a space to know what it is to move in them.  And then we do our best to make sure the dining chairs are big enough for the table, the pendants not overpowering to the chandelier, the sofa weighty enough to handle the club chairs, and so on and so forth.

Of course, as with so many rules, sometimes breaking them can make the most unexpected magic.  I love the use of this tiny settee and overscale painting in this Barry Dixon space, photographed for House Beautiful.

Technically, the mirror is "too big" or the settee is "too small," but the result is inspiring.  Here, just the really big mirror and little delicate settee would have created a dramatic effect, but I love the way Dixon pushed it with the tall floor vase, big basket, and small sconces, surrounding the bench and amplifying the effect.

After seeing this image, I found myself noticing this kind of play on scale all over the place, and loving the effects.  When you exaggerate scale, you start to play with the sense of reality, don't you think?  There's a little bit of an Alice in Wonderland quality, and the drama is worth the risk.

Small furniture and really big art:

 [Farrow and Cobb]

[Muriel Brandolini, via 10 Rooms]

Love the addition of those huge glass jugs here, too.

[Gubi Catalog, via The Zhush]

Dramatic fabric on huge windows dominate a pair of tiny but detailed settees

[Elle Decor]

And a pair of huge lamps on a sofa table elevate this chintz living room to a more artful place.

[Lonny]

How about you: do you play with scale in your own home?

Pairs and pairs and pairs and pairs of pairs

Last week in my post about my tendency towards artwork in pairs, I mentioned some advice I read in an old House Beautiful.  Number two on a list of 101 easy makeovers, it went something like this:


If a room has three or more pairs of anything, put one half of a pair away. Too many pairs, too stiff.


I found myself counting up the pairs in various rooms in my house, and found that I am in violation of this rule once or twice, and I found myself tempted to break up the rooms: if I suffer from any great problem as a decorator, I think it might be this: Stiff is my s-word.  


Then, perusing the current issue of HB, I came across this living room by Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

How many pairs do you count?


I see at least a dozen.  A dozen!  And yet, I don't find this room stiff.  Balanced, oh, yes.  Stiff, no.  Of course, I'm not MLB, and, love him or hate him (he was much reviled in early episodes of Bravos' Million Dollar Decorators), he is a Big Name for a reason.


I will say this:  most of us have far fewer items in a room, period, than what can be found here.  I think we just don't have the money or the space for so many layers of functionless objets, like the two pairs of foo dogs in this room.  And in a way, I think having so many of these items in pairs lends order to a room that is big enough and full enough that it could easily have slipped into chaos.


What do you think: Are you a lover or a hater?  Is there an upward limit on pairs in a space?  And, perhaps the most telling, what is the greatest number of pairs you have in a single room in your home?  (For me its the girls room: headboards, bolsters, throw blankets, lamps, and silhouettes, though as a group of three now, I suppose they don't count.)  5.  Or really, 4.  Not as bad as I would have guessed.

Guest Post: Three Design Rule from The Design Pages

Let me just say, I am LOVING having these fabulous guest posters take over my space for a few days.  Do you know The Design Pages?  Well, I've got Carol here today.  Carol is a designer and blogger in Vancouver, B.C., and in addition to her excellent, self-deprecating sense of humor, I'm a fan of her DIY projects, which range from this charming striped dresser to make-your-own subway art, to her latest and greatest, a ball of twine light fixture.  I kid you not: check it out here.  Also, she has an astounding number of comments on most of her posts, so Love Your Spacers, please show her the love she has grown accustomed to, and comment away.  One of my original requests to by guests was to share design rules, inspired as I was by House Beautiful's recent "Design By Number" feature. I love that Carol took this piece of it to heart.



I am so envious of you Heather while you're vacationing in NYC but happy to be asked to fill your boots at the same time:)

I love the idea of discussing how numbers affect design because we don't necessarily think about it but it exists in all our rooms.  Here's what I mean...

1/  One is powerful and it's important to think about that one special thing in each room.  Maybe it's art, a beautiful rug, a chandelier or a statement piece of pottery but it all starts with 1.

2/ Symmetry is all about the number 2.  Most traditional rooms incorporate the number 2 but more and more we see 2 in contemporary settings as well.

3/  Most of us know the rule of accessorizing with odd numbers.  It's more interesting than even numbers and 3 is easy on the wallet.  Most importantly, 3 is a manageable number for pulling it all together and that's really all that matters, isn't it?

Heather, I can't wait to see all your photos and tales from your vacay.  Thank you again for inviting me to be part of your fabulous blog:)

[Images 1-4, House Beautiful; 5-6, decorpad]



All right people, I'll be back tomorrow, though my post will be late since I get in late night and hit the ground running.  I'm having a fabulous trip, with many thanks to my guest posters!  Oh, and of course you're running out of time to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway.  Go here for the deets.