The secret is out!
Secret #1 First you need a theme. Truth#1 You do not have to pick something as defined as "oriental" or "french". Reality#1 Your things need to have a relationship with each other and with you.
Challenge#1 Where to begin. We live in a 107 year old farm house. From the outside it is a simple house. Nothing is fancy. No elaborate fences, no great architectural details on any of the nine buildings. Simple and serviceable. In fact, our house did not get indoor plumbing until the mid 1960's and that was under duress! He thought is was a good idea for resale, she did not want that filthy toilet in the house. They compromised. Cold water was good enough. A toilet and a sink in the bath, running water in the kitchen. You can see that a bidet in this house would scream of pretense!
We had to make a decision. Do we keep with the theme of this wonderful ranch headquarters or do we change it in to something it has never been before? Either has merit and very doable. We opted for honoring the history. That means anything that is attached to the structure must be simple, serviceable and without excess embellishment. If it is free standing, I can embellish - to a point. Remember, this is the home of simple folk, uncomplicated yet full of comfort and welcoming grace. Another rule - if it is attached to the structure the mark of the tool should be apparent. Hand made, not factory made.
If you choose a style that is based on a culture look for the lines, the forms, the symbols of that culture. Use those to guide your choices. I took a wonderful class in design once called "Symbols and Forms". The instructor had us go to the art museum, pick a culture and sketch the symbols. When we came back to class we cut up our sketches and put the pieces back together in a variety of combinations. It was exciting to see that the essence of the culture was still there and readily identifiable! So look at the scale of the forms - heavy like Spanish or thin like Japanese. Look at the angles or curves - straightforward like Arts and Crafts or flowing like French Provincial. Look at the textures - course or fine and the craftsmanship - hand tools or machined. Are the forms simple or filled with embellishment. Were the elements layered one on top of the other or pure in their own right?
Now, every time you make a selection for your design, ask yourself if this item is true to the symbols and the forms of your theme and most important of all, is it true to you and the symbols and forms of your style!
Challenge#1 Where to begin. We live in a 107 year old farm house. From the outside it is a simple house. Nothing is fancy. No elaborate fences, no great architectural details on any of the nine buildings. Simple and serviceable. In fact, our house did not get indoor plumbing until the mid 1960's and that was under duress! He thought is was a good idea for resale, she did not want that filthy toilet in the house. They compromised. Cold water was good enough. A toilet and a sink in the bath, running water in the kitchen. You can see that a bidet in this house would scream of pretense!
We had to make a decision. Do we keep with the theme of this wonderful ranch headquarters or do we change it in to something it has never been before? Either has merit and very doable. We opted for honoring the history. That means anything that is attached to the structure must be simple, serviceable and without excess embellishment. If it is free standing, I can embellish - to a point. Remember, this is the home of simple folk, uncomplicated yet full of comfort and welcoming grace. Another rule - if it is attached to the structure the mark of the tool should be apparent. Hand made, not factory made.
If you choose a style that is based on a culture look for the lines, the forms, the symbols of that culture. Use those to guide your choices. I took a wonderful class in design once called "Symbols and Forms". The instructor had us go to the art museum, pick a culture and sketch the symbols. When we came back to class we cut up our sketches and put the pieces back together in a variety of combinations. It was exciting to see that the essence of the culture was still there and readily identifiable! So look at the scale of the forms - heavy like Spanish or thin like Japanese. Look at the angles or curves - straightforward like Arts and Crafts or flowing like French Provincial. Look at the textures - course or fine and the craftsmanship - hand tools or machined. Are the forms simple or filled with embellishment. Were the elements layered one on top of the other or pure in their own right?
Now, every time you make a selection for your design, ask yourself if this item is true to the symbols and the forms of your theme and most important of all, is it true to you and the symbols and forms of your style!
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