First, my all-time hands-down favourite interior designer, Anna Spiro, is a master of colour and pattern. How does she mix so many patterns and have so much happening in this vignette without it looking out of control? To start with, having the wallpaper with a small print in black & white means it doesn't fight with the bolder colours in front. Anna has pulled colours from the Otomi picture on the right and repeated them throughout the collection which unites everything. Your eye is drawn to the bright orange vase first and moves up to the Otomi print, then naturally around the setting. Some solid blocks of colour, like the blue shade, the orange vase and the butterfly background give your eye a place to pause. Each item is grouped neatly - books are perfect to use in vignettes to add height to a piece and ground it.
If you are more of a neutral person, to keep your space from looking bland make sure you add lots of texture. This room photographed by Jeroen van der Spek uses subtle tones of white, cream, and soft brown to add dimension. The pattern introduced in the cushions is also subtle but helps to add interest. The stripes echo the panels on the wall behind.
If you want to add a touch more colour, take a leaf out of another of my favourite designer's books. Emily Henderson favours a colour palette of blues and greens, whites and greys, and adds warmth with the natural tones of wood, leather and brass. The painting here sets the palette for the rest of the room. A large neutral rug adds texture, warmth, and anchors the furniture. The round coffee table and poufs help to soften all the straight lines of the windows, fireplace, art etc.
Look out for more "why it works" posts in the near future, and let me know if there are any specific areas you would like me to address.
Thanks Vic. This is a great idea for a blog series! We have just moved house and I am frustrated by my lack of ability to find cohesion in this space. These ideas give me a little jumping off point. I would be especially interested in a post on how to bring together different types of art cohesively in a space. I have acquired some art from my mother-in-law which is quite old school with ornate frames, they are mostly landscapes. Along with these paintings I have collected some retro pieces, mostly sweet little prints of children and some still lifes. I also really love modern abstract pieces and the cool 'motivational' prints from places like Blacklist that are so in right now. How do I use all of these without it seeming as though they are competing against each other?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback Rhonda. Picture walls are very popular right now and they look great with a mix of subject matters. I will definitely include some ideas in a future blog post for you. x
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