Furniture
10. Stick to your guns With an endless supply of inspiration and countless sources of advice, it’s easy to stray from your original design as the process unfolds. New products constantly emerging and everyone wanting to have their say can easily put doubt in your mind over decisions you’ve previously made. However, if you’ve thought it through and planned it well, have confidence in your design and be firm with your choices. Of course, there’s an inevitable amount of development in the design that might alter things slightly as you go along. Issues can arise that force you to take a different direction, but stick to your original plan as closely as you can without too much compromise. The grass-is-greener syndrome is a huge culprit in distracting you from your goal, but impulse changes can leave your final design looking muddled. There’s always the worry that there might be something better out there and, to be honest, there probably is, but the only thing that matters is that you love what you’ve designed. Plan carefully and implement with confidence. I have every faith in you.
7. Create a focal point As you walk into a room, a key focal point will grasp your attention immediately. It centres a room and establishes the personality and style of the space you’re in. Without one, a room can look lovely, but the eye doesn’t know where to fall first and it can lack a little distinction. Your focal point doesn’t need to be overly dramatic or edgy if that’s not the style of the room, it just needs to have a certain presence. It could be a beautiful piece of art, a striking piece of furniture, or an architectural feature, such as a fireplace or a stunning window. You can also add more points of interest to notice one by one and enhance the experience.
6. Know lighting is everything When it comes to interior design, lighting is possibly the most important factor to consider. Often overlooked or left to the end when it’s too late, lighting can make or break your design scheme. Good lighting makes everything look better and is essential for creating moods and highlighting focal points. A room will also function better with good lighting, whereas too much or too little light can be frustrating. Consider your lighting levels for different moods or times of day, factoring in ambient, accent and task lighting for different activities. Plan this well in advance, as it’s one of the first elements you’ll need to tackle. A well-designed lighting scheme, like the one in this beautiful kitchen, should work seamlessly. A room with perfect lighting looks great without you realising why.
5. Think about your viewpoint When positioning any wall-hung piece, consider your viewpoint. This particularly applies to things you’ll actively look at, such as a TV or piece of art. Since you’ll mostly be watching TV on a sofa, the centre of the screen should be positioned at eye level when you’re seated. Depending on your sofa, that’s around 1 metre high. This is more about function than aesthetics, but both are important elements of good design.
Embrace what you have. ook at your room or space and identify what you like about it. Try to highlight those features within your design. Similarly, when you look at your inspiration images, try to pinpoint what it is you love about the picture. It could be the texture of a fabric, the overall mood of the room, or the colour palette used. Once you’ve identified these elements, you can incorporate them into your design in a way that works with your space.
3. Be brave Good design is all about confidence and if you want to create your perfect home, you’ll need to take your ideas and run with them. Don’t think you have to be half-hearted about things. Identify your design concepts and implement them fearlessly and with commitment to the style. If you give each element a presence, you’ll ensure the room looks intentional and well-thought-out.
1. Make a plan Preparation is key to interior design. Before you do anything, start formulating a plan for where everything will go and how it will look. This is so much better than trying to design as you go along, as you’ll have the time and clarity of mind to properly consider all the options and make informed decisions. Designing on the fly adds an unnecessary element of pressure to the situation and, with part of the work already underway, you may be restricting your options. Consider everything from your layout, colour schemes, electrics, plumbing and storage all the way down to minor details, such as decorative accessories and furnishings. That way, you’ll have a clear idea of how your finished room will look, which will help you focus your mind.
Bring in a statement sofa Add a bright shot of colour with a rich velvet sofa. A piece like this works as well in a rustic environment as it does in a more contemporary setting. Make it your statement piece, and allow it to take centre stage by keeping the rest of your furniture neutral. Must-know chair: the Chesterfield
Monsters of the deep An epic battle between a whale and a giant squid is being played out on the wall of this loft apartment. The clever artist has created the maritime scene on a chalkboard, adding drama to a room that’s otherwise refreshingly calm, with its neutral tones, natural materials and floods of sunlight streaming in.
5. Style up a small bathroom Even if your apartment’s bathroom is tiny, that doesn’t mean it can’t look good. The owners of this bijou space have been creative with their styling, choosing an interesting sink unit to add a feature to the room. The design is practical too, as it’s open beneath, providing room to store objects and creating a feeling of space. A small recessed shelf offers extra storage and is tiled to match the floor for cohesion.
Recess time. This works well if you want to experiment with shapes and statement lighting. Make sure your recess stands out by painting it a different shade (take your cue from this image). It’s also a neat idea (literally) to have the shape of your furniture reflect the recess above. Case in point: the circular configuration of this dining table and chairs looks balanced below the matching recess.
6. Introduce sculptural lighting Our furnishings and rooms tend to have corners, or be square-ish in shape, so consider the opportunity to introduce a sculptural element in the form of a light fitting to soften the lines. This could be a floor lamp or a wall-hung fitting. An oversized lamp can bring drama to a small room and scale to a larger space. It also acts as a natural starting point for furniture arrangement, so if you feel your room is lacking a pleasing layout, try starting with a statement light.
Bookworm bookshelf Ron Arad’s careful analysis of extrusion technology has resulted in the creation of a sculptural and stylish bookshelf without compromising functionality. Named Bookworm, it can be attached to the wall in a spiral, gentle curve or numerous other shapes, meaning the designer hands over the final look of the shelf to the homeowner.
Snug Kitchens SaveEmail Masters Chair Starck collaborated with Eugeni Quitllet to design the Masters chair, a powerful tribute to three famous chairs: Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7; Eero Saarinen’s Tulip Armchair; and Charles and Ray Eames’ Eiffel Chair. Each is interwoven into a linear and sculptural hybrid that is light, practical and stackable. The Masters chair received the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design’s prestigious 2010 Good Design Award.
Louis Ghost chair Philippe Starck’s Ghost Family is a collection of transparent furniture made from clear and coloured polycarbonate formed in a single injection mould, and designed to combine technical innovation with historical style. In transparent plastic, the Louis Ghost chair still captures the quintessence of the Baroque era, which was intended to dazzle and amaze. Master of surprise: Philippe Starck
Transparency effects In 1999, Kartell became the first company in the world to use polycarbonate for the production of furniture items. The La Marie chair (pictured left) by Philippe Starck for Kartell proved to be a revolutionary innovation. It was the world’s first completely transparent chair made from a single polycarbonate mould. Kartell has since continued to develop and explore transparency with a range of see-through and colourful furniture and lighting designs.
9. You’re doing too much sitting Do you go from sitting down all day at work to sitting down at home? Studies show that too much sitting is bad for our health and can even decrease longevity. Solution: Pay attention to how much time you’re spending sitting and make an effort to get up and move around more – a wearable step tracker can provide extra motivation. If you do work at home or spend time on your computer, try a standing desk and build in five-minute breaks for sit-ups, push-ups and stretches every hour.
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