One of the hardest interior decorating choices in American luxury homes, is whether or not to include upscale preppy influences. Is covering your walls with paintings of horses and dogs subtly nostalgic, or, is it tacky and fake? Anyone with old school preppy grandparents can tell you, it’s ok to be fake as long as…
Tag: interior design
Great book: Soul of the Home
Some coffee table books are so great, that you don’t just decorate your coffee table with them, you read them cover to cover. Tara Shaw’s influential interior design book Soul of the Home: Designing with Antiques is a “must-have” for anyone who has inherited antiques or an interest in shopping for antiques. Unless you’re refurbishing…
Sewing 101: how to make luxury pillow covers
In interior decorating, if you want overstuffed luxury throw pillows, your best choice is to make them yourself. In the picture, I replaced a set of Armani silk and golden silk wool pillow covers with a custom Mood Fabrics screenprint and silver glow in viscose-linen blends. The cost of fabric for designer pillow covers is…
Professional design: making an interior healthy
Healthful living starts with a healthy interior environment. Before undertaking an interior decorating project, it’s helpful to review your built environment against healthy building standards. For example, upgrades to paint colours and lighting will not have the desired impact on your wellbeing if your space doesn’t have thoughtfully installed windows. As an athletic young woman…
Decorating 101: attractive and colourful linens
When introducing colour into your home, purchasing colourful linens is a great way to test how different colours attract positive energy to your environment. Colourful curtains, pillows, throws, towels and bedding can all enhance the ambience of a room without the permanence of investing in colourful paint or furniture. Linens typically last for about 5…
#LKRB principle of design: waste not, want not
With a no-waste approach to interior decorating, environmental sustainability and financial sustainability go hand in hand. One of the primary reasons that glamorous historical properties are sold into trusts is because they were built without an eye to maintenance costs. A low-key luxury living space gives thought not only to day-to-day contemporary living, but also…
Furniture mods: upholstering like an expert
Upholstering your furniture with professional results does not require extensive interior design expertise. The papasan chair in the picture was transformed from a modern vibe to a rustic lodge aesthetic with a natural wool pillow cover. I used a wool wash with lanolin to soften the cover for an extra-cozy touch. Pillow covers versus upholstering…
#LKRB principle of design: love before you buy
The most important reason to purchase inexpensive furniture as a young adult isn’t to save money, but rather to make sure that when you do buy high quality furniture, you love what you buy. Shopping for antiques and custom-made decor takes patience and persistence. If you don’t hire an interior designer to do your shopping…
Custom decor: make your own tavern sign
You can make your own custom decor that is authentic and one-of-a-kind without spending a lot of money. A tavern sign like the one I’ve rendered in Runway in the picture can be made for $20 to 50. The centuries-old logo from a family brewery makes it meaningful to me. At-home bars have surged in…
Professional design: biophilia to lift your mood
One of my favorite design philosophies to enhance the mood of a space is biophilic design. “Biophilia” is a word that means “love of living things” and biophilic design incorporates natural elements into your home. Making use of biophilic elements in your home boosts your emotional well-being by bringing the psychological benefits of time spent…