Channel your inner designer to decorate with confidence
What inspires you, and how can you use this as a starting point for decorating? If you aren’t sure how to relate your passions to your home decor choices, take a look at how other people have shaped their homes around their lifestyle choices.
In her newest book, “Inspired By …,” Kathryn M. Ireland introduces readers to the homes of 17 friends, an eclectic mix of artists, an equestrian, a chef/writer, a comedian, a magician and a Grand Dame, to name a few.
What each of Ireland’s friends share are three attributes: they are innately creative, they have the confidence to be original, and their homes express the consequences of living passionately and stylishly.
I believe we all have a creative streak, or at least did when we were children. Our upbringings and cultures contribute to whether our natural imaginations blossomed or were silenced.
The confidence to be original is intimately connected to whether our personal talents and passions were fostered or fettered.
Most often, it is easier to go with the status quo, whether it’s choosing a paint colour for your living room walls or reinventing your style to keep up with trends. Stumbling blocks along the way may have tuned down your inner creative voice, but it’s there.
By viewing the dynamic interiors in her book, how well they work with all their quirks, Ireland gives us the courage to go for it. These are people who are too busy to listen to public opinion, instead they make it.
Baby De Silliers is an equestrian and an artist, to name two of her many talents. White is her favourite colour, and the colour of a canvas that begs to be filled with other colours, other designs.
The bathroom in her renovated home that backs onto her stables, is packed with character. Inspired by collections of natural things, the upper walls are filled with photos of a big catch. Navy blue and white are traditional favourites, a no fuss combo that’s easy to live with. De Silliers’ dressing room always brings smiles — the drawers feature her hand-painted labels and motifs.
The gutsiest interiors don’t cost a fortune and have a decided lack of expensive furnishings or rich finishes. The home of Gaby Dellal features dadoes and mouldings painted directly onto the walls, simple rows of shelving boards in the kitchen, a transparent flag hanging at the bathroom window, and frameless canvases pinned to the wall.
The unexpected inspires Dellal, such as the conventional photo of her son turned to the side, or the neon sign hung high over the fireplace.
All the homes are treasure troves, layered with furnishings, fabrics and mounds of accessories that collectively bring together the many aspects of their owners’ lives. They have been created over time as all good memories are, and viewing them will inspire you to do the same.