The Southwest Voice

All > Columnists > House & Home > Interior Design
By Design: Inviting interiors
Topics:
Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 515 times
1 response 0 comments If your front entry provides just a sliver of space, treat it as a decorative glimpse of things to come in your home.

You, too, can create an artful foyer with a minimum of your favorite things.

Try a space enhancer, such as a mirror, to expand and reflect light. A small chair or bench can add softness and function to this otherwise unused space. A console table provides a resting place for a beautiful lamp for ambiance, floral arrangement for color and an arrangement of your favorite things to create your very own still life.

Make your entry one that welcomes guests with warmth and style.

Nothing makes a room more alive than color. It can soothe, charm and sizzle –– and it is the most cost efficient way to decorate a room.

Color, is, however, a test of your comfort level, and with many years of the "white-wall" syndrome behind us, it may be best to start your colorful approach in an out-of-the-way room.

As your confidence builds and you become more comfortable with living in "living color," progress to your home's public areas.

When decorating your home and selecting fabrics, don't be afraid to combine textures –– from soft, supple chenilles and leathers to silk dupioni and linen, the marriage of these and many fabrics contributes to the richness and originality which gives them your signature.

Of course, colors must be blended, as always, but imagine what fun you can have with the textural diversity.

When arranging your furnishings, make comfort and convenience your top priorities. Opposing sofas and chairs invite conversation, while furniture placed at right angles tends to open the room up to entertainment (Is there a big screen in your future?).

Furniture placement definitely affects the way a room looks and acts. First, make it comfortable and functional, then focus on composition-color, balance and scale to add interest and your personal style.

Express yourself in your prized possessions. Pare down your accessories (if necessary) and don't stray too far when combining different periods and design styles. Group only a few favorites to ensure that your artful displays will contribute to the setting.

Now –– all of you HGTV armchair decorators –– go to work and imbue your home with your passion!

Join the designing women of Beladagio and our guest speaker from Premier Lighting for a free seminar on lighting Thursday, April 20, at 6:30 p.m. Beladagio is located at 5015 Stockdale Highway in the Stockdale Fashion Plaza behind Outback Steakhouse.

Melissa Hutton will write a regular interior design column for The Southwest Voice. She is an interior design with Beladagio in the Stockdale Fashion Plaza.

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation