Accessories: A decorator's perspective

Part 2 of 5

Accessorizing a client's home

I'm often asked what is the most difficult job I do as a decorator.  Truthfully it is to accessorize a home.  Not because I can't create beautiful vignettes or select interesting objects, it's because I have a belief in individual expression in a home, and it is so difficult to feel this, and then try to create a look for someone else. The one thing I have as a decorator is an unbiased eye for someone else's space. That is helpful, and I often see new life in their discarded items.

How I do it 

With clients I spend a lot of time chatting and gathering information.  I ask them to pull out all kinds of objects they already have, even ones they think they don't want anymore, and look for things to integrate with newly purchased objects.  Check out this post to see one client's vignette.  I find out about their interests, travels, background etc.  I consider if they have children and what their interests are.  It is also worthwhile to look at children's art work for inspiration.  Another telling activity is to look at what is currently in a home and ask questions about its origins, etc.  When I ask how they want people to  feel/think when they come into their home, I usually get guidance for the overall look clients are going for.   Then I  put all the information together to come up with meaningful accessories that work for a particular  family.

Client inspiration board - organic references 

This inspiration board was created for clients who were interested in finishing their space with additional accessories to add to objects they purchased during their travels.  When I looked at what they already had, I could see strong contrasts,  elongated textural sculptures, and several vibrant colours.  I chose an earthy green, nature references and rounder shapes to work with the more elongated ones they already had.  I wanted to warm up the predominant " blackness" of their space and play into their obvious interest in geometric motifs and texture.  With the inspiration board in hand the clients chose to shop themselves over time to complete their space.  The flowers of course never happened!  Twigs were more their style.

A long term activity

Adding the final touches to your home can take a long time.  You many have certain things in mind and can't find them; you many have budget restraints after purchasing big ticket items; you may be just plain exhausted doing everything else, and have no energy left to deal with little things. Or you can be bored with what you have and want to start over.   No matter where you are on the accessorizing continuum, you need to have a plan in place to create an interesting, personal space.

Two ways to do it

Of course the easiest way is to hire a decorator!  An inspiration board like the one above is a very affordable solution, and you can purchase all the objects referenced online, or you can use it to shop your area.  When people want to purchase locally, the inspiration board would contain objects/furniture available in the city.  Most decorators also have rates for personal shopping for clients.

If you want to do it all yourself, I suggest the following:

• Look online (Pinterest, Houzz) and collect inspiration images looking for patterns,  objects, colours, textures that  resonate with you; look at how they are displayed/arranged;

I keep way too many files on Houzz and Pinterest to use as inspiration and reference when talking to clients about concepts. 

• Make a list of possible items for accessorizing from your inspiration images; have headings (e.g. art, table top vignette, pillow arrangements and styles etc. )
• Remove all the accessories in the space you are working on and put them in another room; 
• Check your storage areas  and other rooms to see  if you have things that might have a new life in a different space;
• Look at your collection and choose anything  that you love and think could work in the space;
• Bring them to the room you want to accessorize and place any that work; 

I went to my own storage area to see what extras I didn't have in use. Then I integrated some of them with arrangements I already had in my dining room to show you how many things can work and be changed around.  Obviously I care about these objects or they would have made their way to charity. 

 These two items on the right get used for all sorts of things.  The top is image shows a Boblen  vase that I wrote about here, and the plate is part of a set of 8 that I use for entertaining.  It also works as a candle holder or propped up on a small plate holder it becomes a graphic piece of art.

 The black mesh square tray was the base for a gift  I received last Christmas.  Black and square are two of my loves, when you add texture how could I let it go?  Anything hand made is alway a keeper especially when it has the beautiful form this vase does.  A few colourful berry branches the colour of the season can change the look completely.  Use your imagination about what additional seasonal objects you place in the basket/tray.

And on to the stone eggs my sister gave me years ago.  This hand crafted white  bowl has a beautiful irregular form and can be filled with all sorts of goodies. 

You get the idea.  Once you've found homes for the objects you love,  you can...

• Make a list of what else you will need;
• Record needs and the size/height/colour of objects; 
• Take pictures of the areas you want to accessorize;
• Go shopping (with your phone)! Don't forget to look in second hand stores, antique stores, dollar stores, craft studios, and on line second hand sales sites.  

Oh yes, trade with your friends and/or siblings!

Check back for Part 3 of my accessories posts where I visit a local home to explore how the owners went about adding the final touches to their new home.

Designing Home Blog 2020

 I just wrote my 200th post on Designing Home and I've had a very laid back Christmas with lots of time to consider what is working on my  blog and what I might like to add, change, or improve.  Here are the results of my mini conference with self:

Practical posts for  homeowners

 I usually write about  topics that I think  average homeowners are interested in as they go about refreshing  or designing new spaces.  I will still continue  to address these topics  because I can see from my stats that these are my most read posts especially any that address designing smaller spaces. Aren't blog stats a wonderful thing? I also know that my  largest blog readership is in United States.  Hey, where are the Canadians?

Lori Harrison Collection

  Canadian focus 

I've decided it's time to seriously ramp up my Canadian content. Stay tuned to meet some great Canadian designers over the next year.   I will include product designers (furniture, textiles, housewares etc. ) and also Canadian interior designers and  visual artists. 

 

 I am also on the search to add more Canadian bloggers to my reading list and encourage you to do the same.  I found a good source on Pinterest (where you find everything) that I am wading through and choosing my favourites.  

Paterson Woodworking Fisher Table

Local Design

 Newfoundland Labrador has some very creative people and their products can enhance any living space.  You will meet some of them this year as I encourage  my NL readers to buy local, and other readers to spread their wings our way when purchasing.

 

  Fine art focus

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am also a visual artist  with an art blog called Painting On.  It is becoming increasingly more difficult to keep both blogs current.  I am seeking solutions to this problem and I'm sure there will be cross posting or artist highlights on Designing Home. They will support my belief that no home is complete without art.  I also want to write more posts about the arrangement and display of art in your home. 
 
Google+ 

I just took the plunge and joined Google+ .  It's a little overwhelming right now, but I hope it will be a community where I can meet other  interior design bloggers.  

 

May I suggest aqua?

Although I am interested in the latest colour trends in home decor, I am not a slave to them.  I choose gray as the neutral in my house in 1986 and it wasn't a  growing trend until 2011!  It will still be my neutral ten years from now because I feel comfortable with gray as a backdrop.

 We should all choose colours for our homes that we like.  My first order of business in a colour consultation is to determine what kind of colours a client really likes.   Next I check the room's light  orientation and lastly I look at the furniture and art in a space.

I just went through all my pins on  my colour inspiration board on Pinterest to look for trends in my own pinning.  I have quite a few with aqua.  I do not have aqua in either of my homes, but I am obviously attracted to it  because I love blue greens.  How about you?

Aqua is a versatile, fresh colour as you can see from the interiors below.   You can use it for an accent wall, to paint furniture, in pillows, or even on  a ceiling....use a little or a lot....

 Aqua as an accent wall with lots of cream is stunning.

 A more intense aqua with citron green and a pop of magenta... perfect for a teen's room!

 Serene gray with aqua accessories.

The same scheme as above with black added. 

 Aqua and white with a hit of darker  blue.

 And who wouldn't want to have a chat in this sun room? Creamy white mixed with green and aqua is so  fresh and inviting.

 Just loving the hit of red with aqua in this boy's space. I think aqua is the perfect colour to paint a piece of furniture and look at those shutters!

 I've always loved this colour combination  with rattan or any mid toned wood. A liberal amount of white is needed to prevent over saturation.

 And here we have the merest hint of a dark aqua with magenta and off white.  This is a great way to have pops of colour without over committing.

  An interesting colour combination with great pattern choices too.

 If you're feeling a little vintage aqua makes a great accent.

  And just this one little pop of aqua glass makes a nice punctuation mark to end the post. 

All links on my Pinterest board indicated above

Accenting with wood

  There are so many ways you can make your space inviting .  My recommendation today is to  consider wood because it can add both warmth and architectural interest to any space.  Choose a little or a lot, there's something for every space. If you don't  like the warm tones of wood but love the grain and texture, think about white washing or gray washing it.   How about using  wood  in......

Accessories 

source 

A few twigs or pinecones as part of a table display or sliced wood attached to board or a recessed box shape can add instant interest to small areas.

source

These houses cut from weathered 2 x 4 are the essence of simple, but when massed together they provide big impact  when displayed on simple white vertical  shelving  attached to white painted board. 

 source 

If you find beautiful wooden boxes like the ones above grab them.  They not only provide extra storage but they look great in any application.  You can tuck them away or use them out in the open as an end table in a living room or as a night table in a bedroom.  They are so versatile. 

Room Dividers 

 I am not overly fond of room dividers, but some are so well done they look like an art installation rather than a functional aspect of a home. Here are some of my favourite ones.....

source

This  divider is attached to the ceiling and floor with rods but it appears to  float.  It also allows the homeowner to place a piece of furniture in front of it.   I think I would like to see the buffet a different colour so it stands out from the wood, but there are just as many arguments for having it the same colour.

 

 source 

I just love this divider because you can move around it on both sides and it is so substantial looking and works well with the flooring.  

source

 This is perfect in every way, but the addition of a concrete sphere against all those horizontal and verticals is inspired. 

 Bathrooms  

All of these bathrooms have a mix of wood and other surfaces.  Each provides relief for the other and in this way work together to create a stronger aesthetic statement.

source 

 There is just enough wood spread around this room to create a wonderful balance with the abundance of marble. 

 

source 

This is both an accent wall and an integrated storage space.

source 

Sliding doors and drawer and open shelving.  This space has it all.

 

source

Isn't the asymmetrical placement of this wood strip just a prefect balance for all the white and glass on the left of it?

Fireplaces

source 

 Rough hewn logs in an asymmetrical placement work really well .  Chunky and demanding they make quite a statement.

source

While this is probably rough wood that is stained, it looks like charred wood.  It is this quality that is so appealing in this application.

 

I guess you are getting the message that I love asymmetry.  This delicate shelf that extends beyond the fireplace on one side is the perfect resting place for two white vases that reference the colour of the fireplace surround.

Accent Walls  

And don't forget the power of wood for an accent wall.  Either natural or stained, you can't beat the  warmth of real wood.  I especially love it paired with white walls and furniture.

source

source

 emily jagoda  Houzz

A little spring in my home

Do you like white flowers?  I'm a sucker for them.  Nothing is as fresh and inviting as white and let's face it, there's nothing white doesn't match.  Lucky for me there are so many varieties of white flowers that  I can keep finding something  year round.  A large bunch can be divided into two vases if you keep your vases on the smallish side.

 Here's my latest  addition in the laundry room.  Don't be afraid to mix up your vignette for a bit of newness.

Which of these  vignettes do you like the best?

Margaret Ryall

A modified L line of design...

Margaret Ryall

 the classic check mark / V or...

Margaret Ryall

the always predictable A arrangement?

Sure do wish this art work was a little bigger!  It is one of my mixed media pieces ( 11 x 14 in.)  titled Attempting Balance (encaustic, paper, and metal on cradled panel) created at the 6th International Encaustic Conference in 2012 at Provincetown, NJ.   My laundry room is a lovely art gallery.  I have to make it nice because it is open to the hallway and a walk through for the powder room.  

I don't only rotate the objects in my arrangement I also rotate the art hanging there.  If I want to live with a piece to determine if it is finished I hang it in the laundry room!

At Home: Finishing touches for a contemporary home

Accepting a visitor/decorator into your home to deconstruct it in words and pictures is not for the faint of heart.  There's  an element of trust in this endeavour, trust that I will represent the home in a truthful and pleasing way. Knowing this, I am always so pleased when homeowners accept my proposal to highlight their home and discuss elements of their decor that I am interested in writing about.  Once again I have willing participants in my At Home series.  

Come along to see what the Erls have been up to for the last six months since they moved into their new home in the east end of St. John's, NL.

WELCOME

The entrance to this home provides a pleasing welcome with it's bold colour scheme and inviting landscaping.  As you move inside you soon realize that the exterior is an extension of the overall feel and colour schemes utilized inside. 

A neutral background

It is very obvious that Gail and Gary are  detail oriented people because  great attention is given to  both the  permanent fixtures  in their home as well as the smaller details. This is a warm home even though the majority of rooms are painted  Benjamin Moore CC40 cloud white, a tried and true warmish white.   Thankfully I don't have to try to put a positive spin on a cool white (e.g.,  Benjamin Moore decorator's white) which I am not in the least attracted to.  Thanks for making my job easier!

High contrast

One of the most striking aspects of this home is the high contrast between the  darker wood finishes

( hardwood, doors, stairways), and the light tile, walls and windows.  The stained glass transoms created by Don Ryall were designed to parallel the one in the entry.  Two additional transoms over the entries to the kitchen carry this patterning and contrast into the centre of the house.

Vibrant accent colours

Gail has broken up the neutral framework with her love of vibrant colours liberally employed in her accents.  With each room having a different accent colour ranging from blues to orange and red you are kept interested as you move from room to room.  There is definitely an up beat feel to the space.   Knowing that Gail is a gardener, I would describe her accent colours as a garden palette.

Function and form

When you choose basic colours you can move things around to see where they look best. Gail's accessories for the most part are functional objects: pillows, clocks, baskets, vases, candles, trays, throws etc., which are easily interchanged.  While I was photographing, I had the urge to do just that to show the versatility in her collection of objects, but that might be another post. 

Use what you have

One of the struggles many people have in a move to a different style and size of home is carry over.  Often what looked great in one space, just doesn't work in another even when you keep much of the same furniture.  When I questioned Gail about this she estimated she reused about 80% of her things.  She believes  her interest in certain colours remains constant, and much of what she purchases can be used in a variety of settings.   Pillows are quickly updated with new covers, while vases, a particular favourite, alway work in a space for flowers/greenery, or to add a sculptural element to the simplest arrangement of objects.    Re-using accessories is a responsible approach to decorating, and it also provides the much needed time to find the final finishing touches.

Wood tones as a backdrop

Since the vibrancy of her accent colours are reminiscent of a riot of colourful flowers,  a range of wood tones in furniture and accessories  provide  a great foil this the bold intrusion of colour. Mixing wood tones throughout a space creates warmth and carries hints of nature throughout  a home.  While some people get carried away with efforts to perfectly match wood tones,  a more eclectic approach provides greater interest.  Choose one to dominate and be flexible with the rest.  For more on  how to integrate wood tones like a pro check out this post.

Inspiration

When asked about sources of inspiration, Gail admitted she has a  weakness for decorating magazines, and also watches  certain decorating shows.  But there is no doubt in my mind that she takes much of her inspiration from nature because it is referenced repeatedly in her home.

A good example of this is the art work over the bed in the master bedroom.  Not only does it bring us into a relaxing day by the sea it also relates to the lake that is visible through the windows.  As you can see, window treatments are minimal and frame the great views.  

European travels  have obviously had an impact on how The Erls' choose to organize and furnish their home from the single European duvets to the  clean lined aesthetic evident in every room.

The soft cream accents from the bedroom are darkened to a soft gold in the ensuite. Again, you can see nature references in the grain of the storage boxes and the content of artwork.

Seasonal decorating

If you choose the right accessories there isn't much you need to do when special events roll around. Gail and I  have the same decorating philosophy about seasonal decor!  The answer to all her seasonal decorating is colour specific to the season supported by what else - flowers and greenery.  Pop in a few orange flowers in the tray you saw in an earlier pic  and you're ready to go. That's where her vase collection comes in. She  also liberally uses fruit and vegetables in her arrangements.

Vignettes

Chuckle, chuckle... decorating speak for arranged objects.  It's the perfect word in my book, but I've gotten some strange looks from clients when I use it.   There is definitely an art to arranging objects in a pleasing way.  In essence, you are creating a 3 dimensional composition.  Check out this post for lots of tips on the various lines of design you can use when composing  arrangements.  In addition, the top three things to remember are: 1) odd numbers of objects; 2) varying heights; and 3) variety in colour and texture. Then there's: repetition, balance (symmetrical and asymmetrical) and overlapping. I see all of these elements/ principles used in Gail's arrangements.

For many people decor decisions are usually made at the  instinctual level.  Each of us is attracted to various colours, shapes/forms, textures, etc., and how  they can be organized.  Often we may not be aware of our biases.  I told Gail I would seek hers out for the post.  As you can see in the collage of kitchen shots above, she has a definite attraction to vibrant colours, repetition of form and threes.

Notice the repetition of rectangles above in the art, tray and the counter, as well as a strong vertical orientation in the vase and flowers. The curves in the apples, vase and flowers help to  counteract the straight lines.

Of course, you have to completely ignore the electrical collage behind the interesting one! Wouldn't we love a house where all the functional elements could disappear into the walls?

A fresh apple green is repeated throughout her powder room.  Here there are threes again and a strong vertical orientation in the daisy art work.  I've made my own vignette/collage and added the bottle and branches from her stairs. It really does work better on the stairs, but you get the idea about moving objects from room to room when you have accent colours that work well together.  See the hint of orange in the tissue box and the the centre of the flower.... ah, the possibilities with this green and that dark wood.

Sightlines

Sightlines are often forgotten elements in home decor.  Looking through into another room or down a hallway and having an anchoring element/focal point to tease your eye is a way of providing interest.

When you enter the foyer in the Erls' home and open the door to the living area you are greeted by this eye catching photograph of  their daughter, Karen taken by J. Reid Studios.  Not only does it provide a focal point from the entry, it continues to have a strong visual pull in the living room and dining room. 

Arranging things below such a striking piece  takes restraint because the portrait  has to shine.  You can see that the majority of  objects are darker, simple forms of varying heights.  Adding colourful things to this vignette would not have worked  half as well. The plant provides softness and connects well with the other plants/flowers in the room.   Also notice how the objects form a zig zag effect as they are arranged across the long expanse of table top - one of the best strategies for console tables. Balance is created without symmetry.

When you walk out of the guest bedroom or up the main stairway this vignette greets you.

The red is carried forward into the guest room and ....

...the orange from the kimono is used as an accent in the main bath.

There's so much more I didn't write about, but I've generously sampled the finishing touches in this home.  Thanks so much to the Erls for graciously agreeing to have us tour their home.

 Perhaps you have a favourite element or room or you  would like to share your ideas in the comments.