All Styles Considered

We have been doing interiors and providing our friends with unique and comfortable home furnishings for over 30 years. Classic Style always remains fresh, sophisticated and new, if you have the talent to blend it wisely.  So get those creative juices flowing. Here are some tips to soothe the decorating angst of the most frustrated home owner.
  
Stop the Madness
  
First, you are NOT the only one having trouble decorating your home. Stop throwing money at a problem yet to be identified correctly.  Many people make this very common mistake.  Buying more "stuff" doesn't necessarily fix something that just doesn't feel right even if you are trying to merely fill a void.  

So, take several pictures of the space in question from several angles.  You'd be amazed at what you can see in a photo that you don't really see with the naked eye.  Study the photos over time and look for clues to what's really bugging you.  Chances are the problem(s) fall into one of the following elements of style.
  
Scale.  One or more pieces may be disproportionate to each other or to the interior architecture of the space itself. Upholstery, as an example, must relate to each other in terms of size. Think of the upholstery as one unit and furniture as another.  Remember, a small chair can gain presence with a skirted slip cover in a neutral color. It also takes the fragility feel away if it is the only small chair in the room.
  
Color.  There just may be too many colors or some may be just missing the mark.  One rule of thumb is that if you are going to have more than one shade of blue, have at least three or it can look mismatched and your eye will not be happy.
  
Pattern.  Multiple patterns are tricky to do well, but if done right, the result is a big Wow!  We have done rooms with dozens of patterns and some with none or very few.  Scale, again,  both in color adaption and pattern is important and it should be mixed up.  Like plating a great meal, a room has to have complimentary ingredients for it to look good.
   
Here is your homework... Take a picture or two of your room and study it from all angles. List the problems you find. Tackle them one at a time and do not stop until all the fixing is done!  Otherwise, you will continue to buy more stuff to pile on the real problem instead of fixing it. Buying less and buying the best that is right for your home will make you happy.
 
Stop by MAISON by Paysage in Rocky River with your before and after pictures. If you get stuck, bring in the before picture, we can help. 
  

Richard Marquard

Richard and Jane Marquard are the proprietors of MAISON by Paysage in the Beachcliff Market Square in Rocky River. 

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Volume 3, Issue 10, Posted 3:24 PM, 04.07.2016