San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
4 decorating rules it is OK to break
While it’s safer to go with well-established decorating guidelines, interior designers know that tweaking a long-held rule is more fun and unexpected. “It can be a nice way of making a space not look too per fect,” says Denise Morrison (denisemorrisoninteriors.com) of Newpor t Beach, CA. “It’s the one or two surprise elements that make a space interesting and evolved.”
Whether it has to do with color, shape, or size, if you want to put a new spin on an old rule, go ahead. If you love what you created, you’re home. Here are a few to consider:
1. The rule: A big room calls for big furniture.
The tweak: Create several groupings with smaller furniture.
“You can definitely create ‘rooms within a room’ with dif
ferent furniture groupings,” said Morrison. One grouping could be a sectional sofa and cof fee table facing the fireplace, and a second grouping could be a few comfy chairs surrounding a small cof fee table. “We also often group our seating around ottomans as they can act as a table, with a decorative tray on top,” she said. “We have also divided a large living room with a console table and opposing sofas allowing comfy seating for watching TV on one side and more formal seating on the other.” 2. The rule: Ar twork must be hung on a wall.
The tweak: Lean framed ar t against a wall or on shelves. Choosing the leaning look can give the room a fresh, informal personality. To be sure the look comes across as casual, not careless, position several pieces together and var y them in height. Having ever ything in the same frame will look sleek, but different frames work too for an eclectic feel. Morrison likes to play with the rule by hanging ar twork that’s undersized for the size of the wall and not centered!
3. The rule: All the metal finishes in a room must match.
The tweak: Mix metals for a custom look.
Just because your kitchen or bathroom faucet is chrome, your cabinet pulls don’t have to be chrome too — brass would look good as well. Other metals that work together include brass and bronze, matte black and chrome, and nickel and brass. Think about a brass faucet and dark bronze lighting fixtures, or matte black cabinet hardware with a chrome faucet. “Because there are definite trends in metal finishes,” she said, “blending different finishes in a space also gives more longevity to a design.”
4. The rule: You must paint the window trim white.
The tweak: Paint it a non-neutral color that echoes one in the room.
White trim is classic but if you want a more modern look, pick a bold color that’s already in the space (like a color from the rug) or it could be the same bold color as the walls. Painting the trim mint green or hot pink adds color and personality without taking over.