One
of the things I’ve learned from twenty years as a designer and one time owner
of design stores is the powerful effect scale (definition to follow) and the
right accessories have on the look and feel of your home.

If
your home looks like it’s missing something, and you can’t quite put your
finger on what it is, it’s most likely scale, texture or greenery.

SCALE

Scale
is relative. In referring to the home, its architectural elements and
furnishings, scale means how one element or item relates to or ‘sizes up’ next to
another. Say for instance you have a 94 inch sofa (that’s a fairly large sofa)
and you put an 18 inch pillow on it (that’s considered a small pillow), that
scale will look fairly silly. The sofa is relatively large, while the pillow is
relatively small. But take the same 18 inch pillow and place it on a 34 inch
wide chair and the scale is pleasing. 

So
when I say a room is missing scale, I refer to the size of the room, the
furniture and accessories within the room, and how they relate to one another. What I’m suggesting is that you
put one large scale piece of furniture in each room, large in proportion to the size of the room.
Sound counterintuitive? Consider this. When you drive through an old,
established neighborhood, ever notice how wonderful the large trees look? They
are mature trees and much larger than newer neighborhood trees with young
landscaping. The latter neighborhoods lack the feeling of permanence and
stability. This scale concept works well in most every room in the home, from
an expansive living or dining room to a tiny entry/foyer to a small bathroom or guest room. 

Scale
gives a room, or a whole home an anchor and evokes feelings of stability and
permanence. This is why I so often recommend to women with arthritis and
chronic pain that they add large scaled pieces to their rooms.

Scale
also makes a room feel lofty; and look finished. It gives the room a more robust feeling – –
more significance. It’s a great anchor from which to build a room’s design
scheme, making the rest of the job of furnishing your home easier.

You
don’t have to run out and buy a massive $10,000 hutch. There are several ways
you can give a room scale without a big price tag. One of my favorite ways to
do this is by using sideboards in my design projects with an extra-large, framed
mirror above it in the same finish. I also love taking a large dresser and
placing a large shelf piece above it. You can extend the over scale feel with
large lamps. These little tricks I’ve used for years, work equally well in
small entries, bedrooms, dining rooms, dens and living rooms of all sizes. 

If
you’re working in spaces that are especially small, you can still use large scale pieces, but keep the wood finishes
relatively light and choose lamps with shiny or metallic finishes. I love
mirrored or mercury finishes on my lamps. 

TEXTURE

Texture
is achieved mostly with wall finishes, wallpaper, wicker furniture, beautiful area rugs or carpet, baskets and textiles such as mohair, velvet and linen, and wooly throws or lap blankets. Sisal rugs have enjoyed a huge amount of popularity in recent years. They have the look of wool Berber carpet. If it were up to me, they’d never go out of style! And they make any interior style (trad, modern, mixed styles) look amazing by adding character and, you guessed it… texture. 

Wicker
furniture is ideal for covered outdoor patios but also indoors in small amounts, such as a
cocktail table or a pair of accent chairs with high quality fabric cushions.
Wicker adds a beautiful, light hearted touch to traditional or transitional
settings. It keeps a room from being too serious and adds a comforting feel,
particularly for those of us with chronic pain. Baskets have a similar effect
and they’re one of my favorite home accessories. They are both useful and
aesthetically pleasing.

Heavily
textured walls are no longer in style (think of the American version of Tuscan
or as I refer to it Tuscany on Steroids!) But grass cloth and other
textured wallpapers are always classic. 
Texture adds warmth that is otherwise lacking in your home. It’s my go
to design element after scale, as I prefer not to rely on color to make a style
statement. Color is very easy to use in the home and if you’re going to hire a professional, they need to be
versed in the other, harder to use elements of design.

GREENERY

I
love plants in my design projects and in my own home. A home without plants and
flowers is not finished, not lived in, not warm or inviting. There I said it.
You need plants. 

Maybe
they are passé, or maybe they aren’t – – but topiary are still my
favorite objet in my home. Unfortunately fresh topiary don’t generally like
living indoors all year. If you’re lucky enough to have a greenhouse you
can rotate your topiary every three to six months but if not, let me introduce
you to one of the best-selling items in my design stores: faux floral and
greenery. I know, I know. You’re afraid to buy them. They are expensive. True.
They are tacky. Not true, if you buy the expensive ones and arrange them in a
single flower type. They fade. Not always.

Blending
faux floral and greenery in with your fresh plants is a great way to have a
classy, natural look. When company comes, or there are special occasions or the
nursery has some of your favorite blooms, the faux arrangement can easily go into the hall or laundry room closet and the fresh arrangement takes its place. Super
easy, right? But in the meanwhile, while blooms are scarce, enjoy a single
flower faux arrangement like my chartreuse hydrangeas that I absolutely love,
twelve years later. 

Hose
your faux off annually. Keep out of direct sunlight. Dust every few months with
a feather duster. And fluff or lift the branches and/or blossoms a bit when
they start to look misshapen. 

via JEFFREY ALLEN MARKS


These
little tricks I share in my blog posts are a very small part of what I do for my design clients and
clients with arthritis and chronic pain. A functional, soothing home
environment are so important to your sense of well-being and your motivation
level. To stay on top of your health issues you need your home to work well for
you. Get my free download “Shiree’s Design and Lifestyle Tips” here or join me
on a Micro Design Session via Zoom or Skype where we tackle your three most
pressing design challenges! You deserve a home that supports your active
lifestyle!

Live
beautifully. Eat beautifully, 

Shiree’