As much as I love stacks of mags littering my office floor (they make me feel welcome and well read) a purge had to happen in preparation for an upcoming move that would find all of my treasured monthlies in storage for the better part of a year. So I went through all 300 and was struck by a few things.
My personal style has changed drastically over the last few years. I mean, has jaw-droppingly changed.
In a former life, I had a retail store and design studio. And in that retail store, I realized pretty early on that the design message had to be spot on, all the time for a few reasons. The square footage was such that trying to have more than one furniture conversation would have become really loud, really quickly. I was also plum in the middle of cottage country so that in turn dictated a lot of what I was going to say and who I was saying it to. And as a designer, the last thing you want to be perceived as is able to be all things to all people. I wanted to be focused and clear. So with head down, I stayed the course for five years and although was often distracted by the calls of the always-morphing design world, I stayed on brand with very little veering.
Now I find myself without the reins of a retail message and it is like black freaking Friday. I have gone mad with inspiration.
I love, love, love mid-century cool. I love it folded in with more classic pieces to soften up the edges. I love it with controlled colour. I love it cuddled by more traditional architecture. I love it with a side of fries!! I love mid-century modern. Those Danes and Brazilians knew what they were doing when they started to play with teak.
Still love layering but in a far less organized and controlled way. I used to select a colour and really explore it in every shade. This worked well in the great room that has become common place in newer cottage builds. They tend to require a ton of furniture and careful planning and a colour scheme that is too complicated can overwhelm. Look at me…defending it!! But there is something to be said for the haphazard approach to colour that just looks ‘lived in’. It becomes a mass of favorite things without being cluttered. I think it this one may just be age. You have to let go of the control. Can’t wait to play with this one.
Asymmetry. Balance is critical in great design and was always my elemental go to when tackling layout. I would weigh the sides of the room – two substantial, upholstered arm chairs and a small occasional table equaled the weight of a three seater sofa so could nicely offset one another across a room, right? But I find myself a long way from home on this one. So what if the sides of a room aren’t perfectly weighed?
And Best in Show: ELLE Décor is the best shelter magazine on the market for your dollar. It is global in scope, accessible, livable design at its very best. I went through magazines that were – gasp – six years old and was as inspired as I was with last months pub.