Creating beautiful designs that make people feel wonderful when they walk through the door is what I love to do. I recently had a great conversation with a new client. She moved into a new house with her fiancé and he is not on board to buy all new furniture or get the house in order right away. My response is to create a whole house design plan to see the value of their beautiful home and how it will look in the near future. We talked about where they came from and how they want the new home to look, but most of all FEEL. She has some great family pieces I cannot wait to check out.
The first step in creating a home full of new meaning is to build a plan and discover what we are working with. We start with what pieces of furniture and accessories they have and see if they would work in another place. After a move, it can be challenging to create a great feel in a new space. Having the ability to see things in a new space is really important. I had a client who had a chair in her bedroom, but I saw that it would look great in the living room.
I asked about moving it to the living room, and reminded the homeowner that the chair did not have an address and we were free to move it. When we brought it out into the living room, it created a place where stories could be shared about where it came from.
I love to create a gallery wall, particularly with wonderful art that has been collected on great travels or art that has been passed down through your family. If you are just starting out and want to begin the collection, you can add pieces that you love now and can switch out or add other pieces from travels later.
And you can really use anything that you love! I found some beautiful postcards while in Paris, and some simple watercolors in Africa. The pieces were not expensive, but I love the memories. Photos can also be a great source for meaningful design. Say you took a picture of a beautiful garden, and there is one flower or sculpture you really love, enlarge the photo to showcase that specific section and frame the piece or have it printed on canvas. You can also apply a different finish to the photo like black and white or sepia. Mixing these with color creates an amazing look for a gallery wall.
I was just reading the new Southern Living August 2023 issue and was thrilled to see an article on thoughtful design. The article was about all the things we are talking about here, pieces in a room that create conversation and make the space beautiful. If you get a chance check it out.
Moving is not the only time to create meaningful design. I find we can move into our space and set it up and leave it. Take the time to look at the spaces in your home. If you need some fresh thoughts, bring over some friends, have a glass of wine and ask questions. My favorite is, what would you do here?
Friends love to share ideas and thoughts on your home. They have spent time there and can give great insite. If you want even more help, ask a designer. Many designers, like myself, can share an hour or so of time to present ideas and add fresh thinking to your home. This gets the thoughts going and change can begin.
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