Wednesday, October 22, 2014

100's of Designer Secrets



I love to peruse old issues of my favorite magazines- Veranda, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest.  A friend of mine gave me a dozen decade-old back issues of AD and the January 2006 copy had great inspiration.  I read it cover to cover, as I do most of them, and '100 Designer Secrets Revealed' was so interesting...
 but not much different from what we believe today.

What stood out then, stands the test of time, and that is timeless designWeighing in were some of my favorite designers: Mariette Himes Gomez, Stephen Sills, Alexa Hampton, Campion Platt, Thomas Pheasant, Mario Buatta, Elissa Cullman, to name a few!  Each designer was asked the same questions and I have summarized some answers for you.

What I took away from this issue is that most people's biggest mistake when designing on their own is:
SCALE

The easiest way to to get a big look on a small budget is through:
COLOR 
( then mirrors and mixing High and Low cost items)

The best thing to collect if you can afford it is:
18th-19th CENTURY ANTIQUES and FRENCH and ENGLISH ANTIQUE FURNITURE, 
which are becoming very rare.

How often do Designers redecorate their home?
RARELY a complete overhaul,
 FREQUENTLY adding and subtracting 

There are so many rules designers use to keep in mind but the most common is:
THERE ARE NO RULES,
test the limits !

Many designers are influenced by:
LE CORBUSIER, BAUHAUS style, Nancy Lancaster, John Fowler,Albert Hadley, Mark Hampton, the list goes on.

Is there a classic fabric that will never be passe?
ANIMAL PRINTS,STRIPES,MOHAIR, FORTUNY

All designers revealed that they have made BIG design MISTAKES.
(like ordering 85 yds of the wrong fabric!)

How to make small spaces look bigger?
USE A FEW SELECT OVERSCALE PIECES OF FURNITURE, DARK WALLS

Timeless design is perfectly illustrated in this 2006 issue of room designs still popular today:

design by Everage Design
design by Joseph Kremer
2006 in the design world, if you avoid the trends and stay classic, is not that much different than design today!



7 comments:

  1. Nancy you made so many relevant points, including that classic is always right.
    It is amazing how many rooms done in the shelter magazines from a decade ago look as fresh and exciting today!

    xoxo
    Karena
    The Arts by Karena

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think I have every Veranda Magazine since the first issue and love perusing old ones like these and seeing how timeless many of the designs are…still love these images!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Nancy,
    So glad to hear some of these tried and true "isms" again. As we endeavor to paint our wee family room Hague Blue - and as I've faced the ensuing doubts about making such a bold choice - it's a relief to hear from the best that a) Dark can be good for small rooms and b) Rules, schmules.
    alison g.

    P.S. - I swear, it has been on my list to email you to set up a coffee date - please don't be offended that I'm scatter-brained!! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are right...stay with classic items and mix in a few trends that can be changed easily..

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love design tips and really try to incorporate them..thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wonderful post! Trends are always so tempting and if you're on a budget, it can be a nightmare if you hate it later. I try to ride the wave and see if I still like it after time has passed before pulling the trigger on anything!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment and support our blog! You all make our day!