Or Donna Karan's apartment:*Photos by Richard Powers
But other times I crave a space filled with romance, drama and history. Rooms with cleverly juxtaposed styles and a sense of humor. Like the home of Lisa Borgnes Giramonti, who blogs at A Bloomsbury Life. I love the sheep by the door at the entry, the mix of ikat and cherry blossoms, and the dining room with trompe l'oeil library wallpaper.
I shift back and forth between these almost opposite aesthetics, so maybe I should conclude that my taste lies somewhere in between. What would that look like? Clean lines, a balance of negative space, pops of color and pattern, and a few unexpected quirky items. Is that possible? Maybe the solution is two homes... and I'll move back and forth between the two as my mood dictates. In my dreams... wouldn't that be nice.Ultimately, and it helps a great deal to come back to this list when you're in a design quandary, what makes a room work comes down to the principles of design:
Balance
Rhythm (repetition and contrast)
Focal Point
Scale and Proportion
Harmony
Execute these principles well and magically things just feel right whatever the "style" of the space is. It's what I love about art and design. That magical feeling you can't put into words when suddenly everything aligns in perfect harmony. I know that it's at least in part, and perhaps wholly due to mathematics (i.e., the golden ratio). The more you think about it, it's really fascinating. I'll have to return to this topic at some point because this subject really deserves it's own post.
I love the juxtaposition of varying styles, patterns, textures, etc. I think that's what makes a room interesting. I used to lean more toward a very contemporary minimalist look, but have recently embraced a warmer eclectic style. I think it parallels how I feel about other aspects of my life, as weird as that sounds. (I used to be more perfectionist and rigid, and in recent years, have learned to lighten up a lot.) It's interesting how our design styles reflect our feelings and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up an interesting point. I think that I gravitate toward a minimalist space when I'm feeling stressed and an embellished one when I feel happy.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need to make sure there are a couple of really minimalist (calming?) spaces in your home, and then freely indulge the embellished look elsewhere?
ReplyDeleteI think I'm somewhat torn between styles, too... some days I want grown-up/neutral/restrained, whilst at other times I'm drawn to very colorful items and accessories.