TIPS FROM OUR FAVE INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Th e y have an eye for space, for scale, for the dramatic and the stunningly simple and beautiful. I’ve seen interior designers walk through a space, and know exactly how to design it, how much or how little to put in there. I’ve seen them lay paintings on a floor, moving them around like a jigsaw puzzle until they get the perfect arrangement, and then put a painting up on a wall that now looks like it was made for exactly that.
Unfortunately, not all of us have that kind of eye. We make mistakes when fixing our own homes — from choosing the wrong kind of lighting to placing furniture against a wall, or settling for plain white walls.
So we asked our fave interior designers for their tips that readers can follow to give their homes a cohesive and interesting look. Interior designers Nikki Boncan Buensalido writes about a flexible nursery; Chat Fores on picture windows and small rugs in big spaces; Rachelle Medina on doing Art Deco right; Pojie Pambid on making ceilings interesting; Nicky Jardenil on mirrors to make walls disappear; Nix Alañon on getting to know your space and color pallete before starting to buy your pieces; and art consultant Miguel Rosales on big paintings in small spaces.
NIKKI BONCAN BUENSALIDO
The needs of a newborn baby as he or she grows up changes at an extremely fast pace. In this children’s bedroom, we made sure that the space is able to adapt to the needs of the child from birth. Flexible use of furniture is a must while making sure that all safety measures and precautions are taken into consideration. In this project, we made sure that the child has freedom to move and play around freely in a space dedicated to her growth and development. We also used a mural to give meaning and a splash of color to the space. The choice of color must also be taken into consideration for a growing family. In this project, a major consideration was that the child’s room is to be shared among future siblings, whether a girl or a boy. Moveable furniture encourages curiosity and imagination for the child as she is able to position and rearrange her own things. A bed on the floor, instead of a crib for example, allows the child to take charge of his or her body without being constrained in an enclosed environment. This also addresses the fear of children falling off the bed while asleep or during playtime. It’s a simple practice yet very empowering detail, in my opinion.