Our homes should always reflect who we are and how we like to be represented to our friends and family; it makes a house a home when you give it an identity.
We sometimes need family heirloom pieces to remind us of good memories with family and friends.
I love walking through a clients home to see what is important to them and what they feel they need to surround themselves with. Sometimes I find that a person will put personal pieces into a closet because they don’t know how to display them. Or maybe they think it will take away from their overall aesthetic that they have meticulously curated.
Consider your landing spaces.
By that I mean any table top, whether it is a coffee table, end table, nightstand, dresser or console.
Maybe it is that dreaded bookcase that you are too afraid to clutter.
Always consider grouping pieces together. Maybe a picture of your grandparents grouped with a trinket you were left from their estate. Add a small green accent and rest one of the items on an antique book and you have made a design statement that will put a smile on your face every time you see it.
Displaying your memories will allow you to remember a story you can tell your friends when they ask you who is in the photo; a story that otherwise may stay untold.
I have made shadow box art for friends that have delighted them.
I had a friend from upstate New York and I got on eBay and found an old hotel key from a hotel where her father had a retail store on the first level. I found an unused amusement park ticket from a long gone park she visited as a child and then I found an old postcard from the town.
The shadowbox I created as art hung on the wall, creating a fun dimensional piece for all to see and ask about! It brought back so many fond memories to my friend.
Recently, I was working with a client who is a classic film enthusiast. He has a theater room where he has thousands of DVDs. Next to this room he has a multi-function room that has a Murphy bed on one wall and bookshelves lining the two long walls filled with thousands of books on classic movies and actors.
The farthest wall needed some help.
Because it was the farther wall, we needed to create a focal point to draw your eye into the room. The wall consisted of storage cabinets and a lower cabinet that was built under the window.
My client didn’t want a window treatment further than a shutter that added no impact or depth visually. So, I designed a cushion that would add some pop and create a space that would allow for a seat when my client wanted to look through his library of books.
To add further impact, I wanted to add a couple of pillows. I sent my client some images off fabrics that had to do with classic film….and BINGO…a star was born!
Visually, the little nook balanced the room, added some impact and followed the theme of the overall space.
Don’t ever consider your ideas are too simple, silly or boring. If it “speaks” to you and who you are, then take it and run with it!
