Henri-Fitzwilliam-Lay’s Design Do’s
Make an inventory of all your favourite items, then lay them out next to any fabric or paint samples to see if you can make connections. I photograph everything and move it around on the computer this can be done with a simple Word programme or equally have the photos printed out and lay them on a table. This allows you to see things in a new light, I often hear my clients remark how they had never thought to move a certain piece to a different room.
Recycle
If it’s well made and has the right proportions try painting or papering it, reupholstering it, or adding new handles or all of the above.
Try to narrow down your ideas
Sometimes having too many ideas is as much of an issue as not having enough. If you have an idea you want to use, find a home for it. Make sure your idea works for where you want to use it. For example, you may love a certain wallpaper but maybe the scale is too big for the size of the room. Make sure your favourite fabric is appropriate for the intended use.
Mix Modern with Traditional
This can be done in a number of ways: modern furniture looks great in traditional houses as does traditional furniture in modern houses. Or it can be as simple as using a contemporary fabric on an old chair or the opposite, using a traditional fabric on a modern piece of furniture.
Consider both form and function
Function is important: no matter how beautiful an object is, if it’s awkward to use it will become very annoying. On the flip side, sometimes an object is just a thing of beauty and while it may not be a practical piece it is there solely to bring you joy–this is just as important! Its not called decorating for nothing!
Play with scale and texture
If you have chosen a fabric or wallpaper with a small pattern try and mix it with a larger pattern, mix motifs as well, try stripes next to flowers. Remember that pattern can be a texture, it doesn’t need to be in different colours to read as a pattern. If you have a chevron jute rug on the floor next to a stripey wallpaper that is a pattern mixing.
Give your room a focal point. It may be a fireplace or a piece of artwork, the bed in a bedroom or a vanity in the bathroom.
Henri-Fitzwilliam-Lay’s Design Don’ts
Don’t design yourself into a corner
It's easy to become a slave to the ‘matchy matchy’ fabrics or repeating styles and periods of furniture. You can over-analyse every item and end up with a room that can't be added to or changed. Interiors should be strong enough to stand up to a new piece of art or a new coffee table.
Don't feel that everything has to be used in quantity
For example if you have a fabric that you love but you can’t afford to use it as curtains, try it on something smaller like cushions or lampshades.
Don't hang onto things that don’t make you happy
Be brave and get rid of them. I lie in bed and think if I had to choose, what would be my must-keep objects? What would I be fine with leaving behind? Remember editing is as important as adding.
This story originally appeared on House & Garden UK.
