Article written by Sheila Yong while employed at Fenwick & Company
Originally published in the MB Home Decor & Renovations Magazine
Volume 16 Issue 4 – Aug/Sept 2014
Download the full issue here
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YOU HEARD IT. WE HEARD IT. WE ALL HEAR IT ALL THE TIME – ‘paint your house grey’, ‘teal is the new colour’, ‘Radiant Orchid is Pantone Colour of the Year’, ‘Breath of Fresh Air by Benjamin Moore is THE colour to paint your new home’, but no, wait, ‘Sherwin Williams JUST published its colour of the year – SW 6263 Exclusive Plum – and I think that’s the way to go, believe me!’ Purple, green, pink, blue, grey… what?
As interior designers at Fenwick & Company, we work with all sorts of people from all walks of life. We strive to provide our clients with their ‘vision’, whether it’s traditional or contemporary, or a mix of both. We work and collaborate with you (AND the contractor/trades, of course) to give you the best product, the best suggestion and the best house you can call home.
But, what is the ‘best’ home? The ‘best’ home, we think, is a home that is in trend, beautiful to your eye, charming to your guests’ eyes, works within your budget and functions within your family’s needs.
Now, the next question – how do we achieve that… for the long haul?
1. PLAN, PLAN AND PLAN
Planning is the most crucial and the very first step you should take. First things first – know what you like. Find out what your style is and investigate what works for you and your family. Make a list of needs; make another separate list for the wants. If you are moving any kind of structure in your home, drafting up a scaled floor plan is critical. You will learn that every micro inch counts when it comes to providing you with a functional home.
2. ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS – THE INNER BEAUTY
We’ve planned enough. Now, what? Here is where the elevations come in (see our article from the volume 15 Issue 5, October/November 2013 issue where we talked about our plans & elevations and why they are useful).
Elevations will give you that overall character of the home. Do you like clean sleek lines or rounded arches (think Spanish Revival or Romanesque)? Do you like your space to be perfectly balanced or just the opposite – do you like the play of counteracting details? Are you more attracted to horizontal details or vertical details (Frank Lloyd Wright vs. Norman Foster)?
Similar to a human body type, houses have ‘body types’ as well. This ‘body type’ will give you the bones of your home’s character and establish that everlasting inner beauty.
3. MATERIALS – THE OUTER BEAUTY
Once you’ve establish your home’s inner beauty, it is then time to establish its outer beauty. Here’s where the layers come in. Or, dare I say, the fun comes in.
This is your opportunity to play and to mix and mingle with your materials.
COLOUR
Establish your colour palette. Develop your neutrals – do you like yellow/earthy or warm grey? Then, pull out the accent colours that you’d like to bring in. This process is similar to you dressing up in the morning – blue shirt, yellow shirt, or red shirt, or hmmm… maybe white shirt. Next, what goes with the white shirt? In the same way, dressing yourself up is like dressing your architectural details up. Have a couple of classic neutral pieces and have small trendy pieces that yell, ‘I have style.’ Like the Sherwin William’s SW6263 – Exclusive Plum this year? Paint your replace niche with it. Or, maybe utilize mosaic tiles with the colour of SW 6263. These elements take a smaller square footage and are easily replaceable (depending on your budget).
TEXTURE
Play with texture and the placement of different textures. Could hide and silk go together (or maybe not)? Can your banquette wall be nished in hide material? Can chalkboard paint go on the ceiling (design and change your own ceiling art)? Or, could you utilize that trendy wallpaper you really like on the ceiling of your formal dining room? But maybe you’re just not into the crazy trendy ideas. A Moroccan print rug might be trendy enough for you. Whatever it is, play with materials in your own way and to your own comfort level. Utilize timeless neutrals to go with your choice of trendy pieces.
4. PRINTS
Accessorize. Every home needs some sort of contrast, or graphic interest. Bring that in through economical, replaceable materials. Aztec print pillows, Ikat print cushion… or, Jackson Pollock’s art (okay, I lied about easily replaceable).
5. IT’S ALL DONE – NOW RELAX AND EDIT
The most difficult part of doing all the above is making sure it all goes together. This is where you take a step back and pause in the process. Ask yourself: How does it connect? How does it transition? How does it look as a ‘big picture?’ Just like Joan Miro’s art, as funky as it may be, things like proportion, colour, texture and content are always, always put into consideration. If you are using greys as your neutrals – use colours/shades with gray undertone. This goes the same with everything – stick within the colour palette you’ve established. Restrain yourself from using every crayon colour in the box.
The new design rule is: know the rules first and then learn how to break them. You do whatever you love and wish and fits you and your family’s needs (with style, budget and lifestyle in consideration). Always design the bones of the house first and when that is done, play with the materials and accessories. Mix and match the trend pieces, the heirloom pieces and the neutral/classic pieces. Whatever style you go with, let it be you. You are almost guaranteed to like your style for a long, long time.