Are you a seasonal decorator?

 All those pictures on Pinterest  over the last several weeks make me wonder to what degree the "average" person goes to celebrate changing seasons, holidays, etc.  I feel like I am letting my profession as an interior decorator down when it comes to special events decorating in my own home!

I  make some effort to decorate, but notice I said "some".  It will never wear me out or cost more than $20.00.   I usually choose several very simple changes to  give a gentle nod to any special event.  I am also a firm believer in using what you have in your house and garden.  If I can't figure out  something to do with what I have supported by a trip to  Dollarama, nothing happens.

 When I was younger I admit putting more effort and money  into seasonal decorating, but it all seems so over the top now, and surely I can find better things to do with the money I would have spent!  Simplifying has been my mantra for the last ten years. That goes for decorating too.

My current effort in the family room....

One gray tray; three gourds from  the supermarket; a ceramic paper bag vase purchased three years ago at Homesense for $ 9.99; a mercury stylized bird that is really a little too big, but I love it and it gets used everywhere; and daisies from the dollar store.  Sometimes I buy fresh, sometimes I use artificial. And best of all is the sun patterns on this glorious day.

It's colourful and simple. Here's more inspiration from Pinterest all with trays.

  One tiered tray; gourds; hydrangea, pinecones... so simple but would work well on a dining table because of  the height

 This one has a collection of objects from around the house (books and jars), pinecones and three clear jars with sedum.  The art work behind the vignette adds the autumn colour.

I can't say no to sunflowers and this vase just gives us more of that glorious yellow. Baskets of pinecone add texture and help play up the colour of the flowers.  Love the old woven basket.

Love the ceramic pumpkin on a cake tray surrounded by fall berries. Variety in heights and textures make this work well.  If you can have just one tray, a silver one shows up best on dark furniture.

This is as simple as you can get with candles in plain glasses, a distressed tray and some autumn foilage.



 And finally, good-bye from the table of my summer place.  No tray but lots of plants and shrubs from my garden.  White ceramic anything is a good purchase.  I love the shape of pears.

And I finish by asking again... are you a seasonal decorator?

What does your home say about you?

Is your home different from your friends or very similar?  Could someone match you to your home?  Are there things around that denote your interests,  pursuits etc.  or do you have a generic home?    I asked my husband if our home is like other homes we are familiar with or is ours different?  I found it interesting that he did not  readily identify the things in our home that make it different from other homes e.g., he made most of the furniture, stained glass, railings, etc.  It has the distinct marks of both of our interests. 

In an effort to describe the individual aspects of one person's home when compared to another, the design world often refers to a home's "personality".   I love to go into a home that "feels like" the people who live there.   In my book, designing a home with "personality" (the homeowners , not mine)  is one of the most difficult aspects of being a decorator.  I spend quite a bit of time getting a handle on the people I am working with and trying to  reflect that knowledge in the choices I make for their home.   I don't understand decorators who are known for a set "look" and anything they do is recognizable as their work  I loved the lady who told me she was looking for a Pottery Barn decorator!  Silly me had to ask what that meant. I'm much better dealing with an individual look.

 I am helping a friend solve several home dilemmas. We have agreed to work on this project over a long term basis.  She has little interest in  new trends for 2014 or what the most popular colours are this year.  Here house is totally wood except for ceramic  floors downstairs, and it has  personality galore, but it is not a house for everyone. We talk about function, natural materials, textures, warmth, minimal living, wabi sabi, zen spaces and  the "feel" she wants.  We talk about how her interests have changed and how this influences her living space.  It is not my usual decorating job, but I enjoy our chats and the progress we are making.  I am up to the task because I truly believe that my job is to listen well and lead the homeowner to a place where they make their own decisions. It takes longer, but it is more rewarding for everyone in the end.

These rooms all have very different personalities.  What do they say about the owners?  Look at your own space.  What does it say about you and the people who live there?

 source

interested in what is currently in style and being in style, seems more comfortable in darker spaces that are soothing, likes luxury,  some personal touches in photos, likes symmetry and order. 

 source

not concerned with current trends,likes the warmth of wood and can't get enough of it,    likes contained spaces,   hand made objects are important, likes a simple life 

     

Urban Abode

current trends are important, likes luxury, entertains larger groups, likes comfort,  interested in the trappings of "the good life"

not interested in current trends, recycling is important, likes the marks of history on objects, not afraid to be an individual,  likes comfort and a functional space, likes nature, has an artistic eye



Insert  a room in your home here.  What does it say about you? 

It's all about scale

  Designers/decorators are like acrobats, always juggling the elements and principles of design to create  inviting and interesting spaces. These tools of the trade come easily when you spend your time immersed in design, but for the average person it takes a little more effort to pull together a truly well designed space. 

 One of the the most noticeable problems I see in many spaces  is a  lack of understanding/ application/ use of  proportion and scale. It's a biggie in my book. Playing with scale can be used to great effect, but  when done wrong it can creates visually uncomfortable spaces.

 Proportion and scale go hand in hand since both relate to size and shape. Proportion is about the ratio between the size of one part to another, and scale is how the size of one objects relates to another, to the space as a whole and  to the people who will inhabit the space . My best example of  disregarding scale is choosing a large overstuffed love seat, chair and sofa for a small space. Then imagine a petite couple living there! 

Yea or Nah, let's see what we think about these.... I've had my say....  (all images from my Pinterest board Pondering Scale)

When I feel that the scale of something is off I say the object in question looks "uncomfortable".  In the room above the clock looks very uncomfortable.  It has no room to breathe because it is totally hemmed in by the  the headboard and the night table.  Is it a great clock?  Yes...  Would it look better in another setting ?  I think so.  How about you? 

The urn next to the dresser  looks out of place in this space. While it is quite stunning and it fits in with the style of the other objects and furniture, it  needs a much larger space to shine.  It works with the scale of the dark dresser with TV on top, but it it just too large for the space between the two pieces of furniture.

 This is an elegantly designed space, but I am fussy about the scale of pillows to chairs/sofas.  To my mind they have to look good and be functional.  How would you ever sit on this chair?  Pillow to floor immediately!  A 12 in square or a lumbar pillow works well in a side chair.  If you want to add lots of pattern consider a throw folded over the back of a chair.

Cynthia Lynn Photography

 We don't usually see pendants this large but in this space I think they work very well.  It helps that they are transparent.  The choice of  oversized pendants seems to be on the rise lately. 

  You will often see a small decorative mirror over a bed, but it rarely works to best effect.  I would choose a round mirror for this beautiful room and I quite like the gold finish.  I think it needs to be a tad larger.  Rule of thumb is 2/3 the width of the headboard.  Where  this space is  banked by two windows
 you could go a tad smaller that that but not as little as half which is what we have in the room above. 

 When you have a  very tall headboard or posts you need to scale up your lamp accordingly. I want this lamp to have a larger base and only slightly more height. It needs more presence.  Everything else about this space is just lovely.  

  I love the burlap with stripe and the glass base of this lamp,  but it gives  that uncomfortable feeling again.  How do you know which shade size (height and width) to choose for a lamp?   There are all kinds of formulas for this, but consider a shade that is  roughly  2/3 the height of the  lamp base up to where the socket begins and twice the width of the base. The shade above is not too bad height wise, but it needs to have a much larger shade diameter.  

I seem to have a lot of lamp issues in this post.   Great lamp but not on this cabinet and what about placing the little plant  next to it? This lamp needs SPACE!

 Another lovely space with pristine white everywhere.  If this table doubles as a place to eat, I guess function will outweigh form.  Otherwise a coffee table should be roughly 2/3 the length of the sofa.
























 In my world you should not have to reach up to a coffee table or any table for that matter.  It is actually dangerous if you have a hot drink and knock it enroute.  A coffee table is usually the height of the sofa cushion, a tad lower or higher. Modern coffee tables are often much lower than the top of the sofa cushion.

The floral arrangement is also very high for the middle of a space.  Safety again. There's living in a space and then there are photo shoots.  Not the same thing at all.

This may only be a pet peeve of mine because I see tall tables next to seating  in home decor magazines and online.This smallish love seat with delicate arms is overpowered by this  much taller table. It might not be quite so bad if the lamp weren't towering over everything. 

I can't imagine why one would want an art work touching the ceiling and a sofa.  I guess the designer could be making some statement about insignificance!