A lot of my friends and people I know in general have been purchasing new homes (built in 2000 or later) in recent years, and I have found that every single one of them have serious design challenges. I can think of three homes right off the bat that have these small little nooks/niches, some may even call them rooms (I wouldn't) that are too small to serve a purpose it seems but they have a fire place and a mantle!!! And we all know that fireplaces add value to any home and are always a main focal point! Of course all the "new home" fireplaces are electric, and I absolutely despise the idea of curling up to a fire lit by a flick of a switch.... they don't even produce enough heat to warm your back when you sit right by them, let alone emit a glowing ambiance and a warm, toasty feel. I have memories of waking up on freezing cold mornings and walking downstairs and before even turning the corner I could hear the roar and crackle of the fire in the living room. I loved it, I still love it! My mom would always get onto my dad about building such huge, blazing fires, but she loved them too. We have had to repaint the mantle a few times because the tawny shade the roaring fires give our creamy white mantle, but whats a few brush strokes compared to a warm, comfy house full of sweet memories. That was a lovable trip down memory lane, but let me get back on track, I could reminisce forever (& a day) :) So, homes with these odd little spaces... the pic I posted above is how you work a space like that. Just draw on your own sense of style and what visually kindles you the most! Mix the old with the new. The formal with the informal. Take those two wing-back chairs (undoubtedly a enduring classic) you inherited from your grandmother with the out-of-date (conceivably never in good taste) pink upholstery and make them your own, something that you will forever cherish and love. Go to your local art store and buy a massive canvas and channel your inner Van Gogh. Don't frame it and don't hang it, let it lean against the wall atop the mantle and viola, effortless elegance! Throw in a couple of neat pillows, a fantastic floor lamp, add some accessories that have meaning (don't buy a vase on clearance from Pier One people, be imagintive!!!) and you'll have a little niche where you can read the latest best seller, play your guitar, paint at your easel, blog about your ideals, or in my case, get lost in piles of design magazines!
i have to disagree with the pier 1, cheap accessory comment. having a background in design, and working in the industry in this economic (crappy) time, design today is more about getting more with your dollar. instead of spending your entire paycheck on one item that may or may not be the perfect piece is not realistic. getting 2 or 3 items that look awesome from target, ikea, or pier one for the price of one expensive piece is just not smart design ;) its not always about where you buy something. i get some of my best accessories for myself and my clients from stores like marshalls!
ReplyDeleteoops, i meant to say getting 2 or 3 items that look awesome from target, ikea, or pier one for the price of one expensive piece is just smart design ;) "
ReplyDeleteMass-produced home accessories just don't do it for me! I think your misunderstood, just because I sell $10,000 armoires doesn't mean I am obsessed with the "finer things in life." I noted in my entry that you should paint your own canvas, or add something that "has meaning" -- that could be your moms old vase or a knickknack you found during your travels. I get that people, myself being one of them, can't drop $500 on a pillow, uhduh, that is totally unrealistic! Make one yourself with an old skirt that has an awesome patterned fabric you love but you haven’t worn in years. Or go to the thrift store and buy a $5 curvy glass vase and glue marbles on it... Make a frame out of wine corks, or add new life to a $20 solid wood dresser you find on Craig’s List rather than spending $200 at Pier One or Ikea on something that will warp over time. In design, it is so easy to be original. And that’s what I love about it. Don’t get me wrong, I see cute things at Target (I got a mirrored jewelry box from there that I love) – but it’s not what inspires me. Surrounding myself with things that have meaning and that visually make me happy, thats what smart design is to me! I have so many things I cherish and I can’t wait to have my own little nest that I can decorate. Congrats btw on your new town home! You must be on cloud nine, which is so awesome!
ReplyDeleteI just got an awesome hand painted mirror from Pier 1 that I love and I got it on sale for $85. I think it will look great in our guest bathroom and it looks alot more $$$$ than it was. Love the site Robin, your going to have to help me creative with making stuff for the new place, right now I'm trying to find a cool modern chandelier that wouldn't be too pricey..
ReplyDeleteLol, April, you are not helping my cause here... but I love you anyway!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteIf you are making your self an inspirational/creative area in your house out of a small area or niche, then it makes perfect sense to have inspirational and creative items in that area. Not mass produced products made overseas. For me, my favorite room in my house, has me all over it. It is things I covered and picked out myself and that really "means" something to me. It is a portrait of a pelican that my mom had before she knew my dad. It is a glass bead box where I used to keep rolling papers. It is an old Bob Schneider poetry book. A few records. A couch so deep that you can fall asleep sitting up.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't that there is anything wrong with Ikea or Pier 1, both of which I love! It is that if you replicated a room in a Pier 1 catalog and bought everything in it, it wouldn't have that "feel" (to me) that you get with knowing some history behind the things you own and finding inspiration in them. This is all of course if that is what you are looking for in a room....If you just need a place to sit and eat and sleep, that is another story.