WHAT'S IN
Lighting
There are some fantastic, natural, organic shapes about at the moment. Not
only for surfaces or the floor but wall lights too. Play with textural and
natural materials like plaster, stone, wood and paper. Some are pieces of
art in their own right, and deserve to be on show. Hidden and
unobtrusive lighting can also be very clever, and effective. Ensure that they
still provide good task lighting as well as ambient light. Ambient lighting
softens large open spaces, like that of open-plan living. It creates
inviting pockets of light, reducing glare and encouraging restfulness.
On
that subject, lower the lighting source, in the bedroom to the floor or a
little higher, it emphasises the sleeping area and is more romantic.
Use natural daylight as much as possible. Pull those curtains down and use
every inch of that window to let light in. Watch the play of light on the
walls and how it changes throughout the day.
Walls
Keep colours simple, but indulge in pools of strong vibrant colour to create
isolated impact. (Cheap to change too!) Textures can be used in this way,
not all over, but in concentrated areas. Wallpaper is set for a come back but
not as we've known it. Use it in bands, horizontally around the room, and
don't be frightened to mix pattern and texture. Again use condensed squares
of it on a wall of paint.
Get some art! Make your own out of things you love, or something found on a
beach. Enlarge a favourite photo to poster size and frame it minimally, or
have it dry mounted onto board. If you have access to "photo shop" you can
enlarge that photo beyond recognition so you end up with a pixilated image,
just coloured dots.
There are several web sites where you can by art direct, or go to the degree
shows in the summer and buy cutting edge work. Visit galleries and get informed, find out
what you like and what you don't.
Materials
Use what's there and expose it in its raw state. Wood is so beautiful and so
varied, who needs pattern when you could have wood grain. Reclaim it if
possible. There are plenty of salvage companies who stock a wide range of
blocks, boards, panels and parquet, you even inherit a rich patina in the
bargain. Other materials look good against wood too, like steel, glass and
stone. Soften this rawness with soft, luxurious fake furs and wool blankets
and deep pile rugs. The camper the better.
Furniture
Open your mind to flexible living. Create multi purpose rooms with
interchangeable furniture. This can enable a room to have more than one
function. Move elements around, having casters on things prevents items from
becoming so rigid, and makes more space for entertaining.
Simple classics provide a fantastic basis for the structure of the room as
well as providing a bare canvas of temporary colour and pattern that can be
changed with every whim. This can be done by laying fabric, furs or
different cushions onto sofas, or collected things onto tables and side
tables. Change it regularly for a constantly changing mood. Choose
considered pieces of furniture that do not fight with other pieces, Ones that are not strong in style that you have a problem housing them, or that will date quickly.
Misc
Hide clutter. Stack it, store it, hide it, sell it.
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Modern wall lamp
Oxo
Franceschina
stoneage
Fiorenza
Spectra
Domizia-Riva 1920
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Onda Radio Tre
Moor
