Blog Design: Mirror Mirror on the Wall

One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make 
when decorating is how they use mirrors....

 People are used to going into staged retail spaces that display home items and furniture and wanting to recreate what they see in those appealing, carefully crafted rooms ... 

The most common place that you will see mirrors placed on those sales floors are above fireplaces, across from dining room tables AND above Sofas...

Here is the trick: that's marketing. Merchandisers want to display the furniture, light fixtures and the accessories in the best way that they can...part of that is what is reflected in the mirror. You see once when you walk by and subconsciously in the mirror. It's like presenting the same item to you twice; reinforcing the desire to buy... it's all the psychology of selling.

Just because it looks good in the showroom doesn't mean that it will look good in your home. There are usually no windows in those spaces, or very few, and items are placed strategically across from mirrors are very often the most expensive merchandise in the store. Things very rarely translate from the showroom to the consumer's home.

Another problem with mirrors in the showroom, 

is that it makes it even harder for consumers to judge 

the size and scale of the 

space and the furniture displayed.... 

Making it more likely to take home furniture that 

doesn't fit properly in your home.

Another common suggestion is to hang mirrors across from windows. That is a perfect solution if your space looks like the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles in France - Mirrors used opposite the beautiful windows that ran along the hall... to make it look like there are
windows on both sides of the room....
"Mirror Image".
Great trick! But, Lovely Materials and Space to start with!

There really are only a few tricks that you need to know to properly 

incorporate mirrors into your space...

- Always ask - 

What is going to be reflected by the mirror?  

Is it something lovely that you want to present twice or to bring/introduce into the room?

When you sit in that room - what is going to be reflected? When you sit on the sofa does the mirror reflect the ceiling or the beautiful trees outside?

When You stand in that space - what is going to be reflected? Move to many positions so that you know how it will look.  An oddly reflected image can affect the feel of the space. It can make it very uncomfortable without really knowing why or without being able to pinpoint the source of the problem.

Is the Mirror Hanging at the Right Height?

When you stand in front of the mirror is it reflecting your image straight on or would it reflect an average height person or does it show the top of your head?

Size & Scale are important... But, if you consider the two questions above... 
You are well ahead of your neighbors and friends!

Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 

Designing a life with grace and ease 

Blog Design: 5 Design Tips Designers Don't Tell You

As a Designer, Hostess and Connection Specialist, 
I want you to move into and through a space feeling comfortable and welcome. I want you to feel like you get a warm hug when you enter and sit in your space without knowing the mechanics behind it: the how and why. It should just be. There are so many tips and techniques that go into making that a reality.

All examples of what to do and not to do are based on the above photo

I am going to give you a few tips that I share with my client's during consultations. 

I often work with DIY'ers... These tips will help you get a finished look that your friends will think you paid a designer to create. 

1. We never see our own environment like an outsiders does. We cannot view our personal space objectively. It is familiar and we become desensitized. I recommend taking a before photo... doing the work we think necessary... and then taking a picture again. The above is an after photo. If this was your space, would you think it was finished? Photos don't lie.
2. When you walk into a space your eye should be able to move all the way around the room without landing on any one area. Nothing should stick out so much that it catches your attention. Each area should stand alone. That is what makes you feel comfortable. Design or decorate your space. Do the scanning technique... and then add the focal point or splash of color. In contrast to the first room, the photograph to the right has a very cohesive background and then splashes of color were added. That is why it works and feels welcoming. The second room has a Similar Style/loft concept as the first space... But, this one works well.... If you were to walk into this room, your eye would flow all the way around the space and gently land on the chairs. That is how a focal point should function. 
3. There is an art to combining textures, materials and patterns.
   
    It's good to know the rules before you break them... When there is a prominent architectural element in a space you need to decide if you want to accentuate or disguise it. It is not possible to ignore the feature. Both of the first two rooms have brick as a major architectural feature. The brick was handled differently in each design. It was ignored instead of embraced in the first room. There is an easy fix to make this space feel good. Always think of your floor as a fifth wall. If you want to keep the brick as is... Embrace the depth and warmth and bring that element into the space. The absolutely easiest fix would be to add a warm heavily textured area rug similar to the one pictured on the right, instead of the patterned one that was used. That would automatically make the room more comforting, instead of making the wall feel overwhelming.  In the second picture they used a painting technique to tone down the brick. They didn't hide it... they made it flow. You can add layer, after layer, after layer in a more monochromatic environment. They chose to use the texture as part of the background instead of as a focal point. Notice how the wood element from the front door is pulled into the chairs... It brings the material across the space and creates a flowing, transitional focal point.. Below is another example of how a heavily textured rug in a similar tone/depth as the brick wall grounds the space and makes it work. Can you visualize what the room would like like below without the rug? Probably similar to the first room pictured.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Pay close attention to the base structure of all of your pieces of furniture: legs, solid to the floor, airy or open. The first space has too many legs that are the same shape and height. It creates a busy, chaotic feel. This could be solved by replacing the table with a more solid design. Here are some alternatives that would work. It all depends on the taste of the client.

1. 
   
   
   These three styles would work and add an additional element: mixed materials and texture..
   
   
   
   
    These styles work because they 
   have a more solid appearance and have a horizontal line
   that mimics the lines on the bookshelves against the wall.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   5. Decorating is not everyone's cup of tea. Some people love to get into design. It's a hobby and they thrive in that role. Don't beat yourself up if you can't visualize it. It's kind of like the frustration of when you are on vacation and you get horribly lost and that experience takes some of the joy out of the trip. Not everyone is built the same. I am super visual and can see a space complete when I walk into a room. In the same vein... I never get lost. That is the way that I am built. So, many of my clients are engineers and think more linear. That's okay. Don't beat yourself up. It takes away some of the joy and warm feeling that you should have in your space. It's okay to ask for help or hire someone to do it for you. Let someone else take the stress out of making your home/business perfect, so that you can just fully enjoy it without having any frustrated emotions or negative feelings attached to the space/experience. It makes a difference. It's okay... don' be so hard on yourself.

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 
   Designing a life with grace and ease 

   
   

Blog Design: More Than Just A Chair...

 I LOVE

Chairs!

Have you ever sat in a chair that just evoked childhood memories, made you feel warm and comfy like you were being embraced in a big hug- Material that caressed the skin, a shape that molds to your body and supports you in all the right ways- OR just to gaze and admire something that is balanced perfectly, pleases the eye and makes you feel at ease...???

Let's just get it out of the way right off the bat.... I LOVE Chairs. Geeky? Maybe... But, part of the whole journey is to find what brings you pleasure and just embrace it! I love art and ALL things designed well. Chairs are pieces of art and if a great design, form and function come together in a compact form that lends itself to appeal to all of the senses.

My Favorite Chair.....

When I saw a knock off of my favorite chair... I had such mixed emotions. On one hand, all good things are emulated, copied or knocked off in one way or another. Some say it's a form of flattery. On the other hand, even though I enjoy a bargain... Some things deserve to be paid for at full price. I did have a slight flair of indignancy when I saw the copy that was a lesser version of the Cherner Chair. Although I have never owned this chair, it is an amazing piece of art. I can see using a grouping of them and hanging them on a wall... in the right space. Ahhhh....

What I really want you to know is that when you see a chair, that it's style and design stands alone. Like a couture dress that you might find on the runways in Paris or on the pages of Vogue Magazine - the dress's grandiose design, that is more creativity than functional wear... sets the lines, color and style for an entire product line of ready to wear and off the rack pieces of clothing. As soon as it debuts on the runway or on some star prancing down the red carpet, it is being knocked off, recreated and emulated in workrooms around the world. The same holds true for furniture and other types of design.

Chairs go through a similar metamorphosis. It starts as a concept and evolves over time. The really good designs or design elements have longevity and make up even the simplest seat that you use everyday. As far
back as can be documented, chairs were created for style and status... something to be visually pleasing. Egyptian nobility had chairs to show status and provide them comfort that the commoners could not afford. This elaborate chair could fold and be portable... just like our current beach chairs.



Napoleon designed spaces and furniture for Josephine. He was instrumental in the design of furniture during his time and those styles have endured. Napoleon borrowed styles and accents from different cultures and eras to make pieces that were uniquely his and that he could bestow to his precious Josephine. The swan was what Josephine chose as her personal emblem and it embellished her furniture, just as the bee adorned Napoleons. This is a photo of a current chair reminiscent of the originals that Napoleon had cabinet makers create for Josephine's dressing room.


The thought, care and creativity that goes into each chair is often as involved as a creating a building. A chair: a compact culmination of art and design. It may have originally been thought up by a modern architect with famous designs on his resume. In researching this post I ran across more than 120 architects that had designed at least one famous piece of furniture.

Here are just a few examples of modern architects that created chairs...

 Alvar aalto was a famous modern architect who created the chair on the left in 1930. You may recognize the chair on the right sold today in Ikea.

The most famous architect on my list is Frank Lloyd Wright. He designed within the Craftsman style and created furniture, glassware, silverware and just about everything else that filled his famous homes. His furniture has stood the test of time and is still sold in many reincarnations. His foundation has done the best job of keeping the original design integrity intact. Current furniture manufacturers carry Frank Lloyd Wrights original designs. They are   licensed and controlled carefully. These designs are from the 1940's

Eero Saarinen designed the Saint Louise Gateway Arch shown on the left. He is also a huge part of the the Modernism furniture and design Movement that was lead by Knolls and Eames. He contributed the Tulip Chair and Table. They are still in production today.  This style is used constantly even though it was created in the 1950's. The table was featured in one of my posts July 17th Kimberly R. Lifestyle by Design


AND 
...back to my favorite chair...

Fun Fact and Introduction of an American Designer

As I've stated... Many monumental designers in history designed in more than one arena. You will find a good designer will have been an architect, furniture designer, fabric designer, often painter, artist, author and more.

When you see a chair... It is rarely just a chair. It has a history!

My favorite chair's popularity soared when it appeared in Norman Rockwell’s 1961 painting “The Artist at Work” on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. Just FYI... I did not know that when I fell in love with this chair.

Norman Cherner      

USA (1920-1987) A pioneer both in molded plywood and prefab housing, Norman Cherner studied and taught at the Columbia University Fine Arts Department and was an instructor at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from 1947 to 1949.

For almost 20 years, Cherner's seating was rarely seen outside of galleries, museums and the living rooms of few lucky collectors. This all changed in 1999, when Cherner's sons Benjamin and Thomas formed the Cherner Chair Company to revive the designs and produce them as their father originally intended.

This chair is being sold today. However, it has influenced many styles since it's inception. 

Even modest chairs have Grand beginnings.







All of these original chair designs were ground breaking, fabulous, artistic creations... . They were not always as comfortable as they were visually appealing. But, the form and style were the masterpiece and others have gone above and beyond to bring those designs into a functional and comfortable existence. Many introduced new manufacturing techniques, while others set the stage for the lines and curves that would be varied generation after generation.

I LOVE chairs!

Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 
Designing a life with grace and ease 

Blog Design: Color Connection - What does your front door say about you?

Color and style are huge factors to take into consideration when deciding on just the right front entry to fit your Style.

The very first thing that people see when they arrive at your home is your front door. Painting the door is a quick and easy way to shift your space. You may want to hire a designer to help you choose just the right color, hire contractors and make sure that everything is done with ease...

Keep in mind that color can set the mood for your guests and tell the visitor lots about the occupants inside...  What do the colors that you choose say about you and your personality?

1. Red - A red front door says that you are bold. You don't mind standing out and you like people to notice you as an individual.

2. White - A crisp white door is for those of you that want a clean, organized appearance. Order makes you happy.

3. Green - If you have a green door you care about your home, neighborhood and community. You are more grounded and traditional. You probably have an overall attendance to your yard and space as a whole...

4. Black - This is a timeless look. You don't go for trends. You are drawn to solid and steady things. Traditional and unwavering. Solid and strong.

5. Blue - You are social and have an easy air about you. People are drawn to you and you are accessible.

6. Yellow - You are a leader if you choose a strong yellow. You are bold with your choices and expect that others will follow suit.

7. Purple - You are comfortable being yourself and expressing yourself. Self confidence is evident and you are a risk taker and dreamer.

 

 Kimberly R Lifestyle by Design 
Designing a life with grace and ease