What’s your style? Hollywood Regency?

DISCOVER YOUR STYLE

Are you the life of the party?  Do you like things to be a bite fancy and over the top but not rigid and boring?  Do you crave a space that is filled with color, pattern, texture, opulence, and regalness all without being too fussy and overwhelming?  Are you a drama kid that’s adapted to the world the rest of us live in?  Well my friends, you may just be the perfect person for Hollywood Regency.

I have to say, this is one of my absolute favorite styles of interior design.  When you hear the name Kelly Wearstler, do you drop the phone and run to the television.  When traveling do you love places love Bellagio, Nubu, TAO, Mr. Chow and The Hotel Bel Air?  Would you like to have some of the elements you find in these places in your home?  I certainly would!

Basically, the goal of great Hollywood Regency design is to make your home feel as glamorous as possible.  That is it.  Nothing more or less.  This is achieved by the use of clean lines and ornate pieces.  Bold rich solids, black and white, and almost magical patterns work beautifully together.  

Let’s take a moment to first understand what Hollywood Regency is and how we can create it in our homes. HR draws influences from both art deco and mid century modern.  To be honest it is more eccentric than Art Deco.  It is not for the faint of heart.   If you like things that are over the top--this is it.  Hollywood Regency pays homage to the roaring 20’s.  When we think of the glamorous old Hollywood homes of actors and actresses everything that would be in their homes you would find in what?  You guessed it, Hollywood Regency.

Eclectic.  While it may be easy to think of Hollywood Regency as a hodge podge, this is not the case.  Traditionally, the best and finished materials of all levels would be used here.  In all fairness, we are not speaking of vintage flea market pieces but more of pieces that have Hollywood history.  HR is literally blending of a more “haute” style than that of Bohemian.  Louis XIV chairs, Duncan Phyfe sideboards that are lacquered in black or red, all paired with Chinoiserie.   It’s really minimalism meets excess.

Cohesive Color Palette.  While this style may seem all over the place, trust me it isn’t.  One of the prime reasons that Hollywood Regency doesn’t go to the point of being clown like is the fact that there is a consistency in color palettes and fabrics.  When examining fine examples of this style you are likely to see color repeated and fabric used in multiple instances in the same project.  This is a highly skilled and well thought out accomplishment if properly done.

Exaggerated Draperies.  If you have followed my design work, you have a clear understanding of how important window treatments and draperies are to giving any residential interiors project a tailored and polished finish.   In many modern styles I suggest to my clients that they keep the openings as free and clear as possible.  With this style...forget that.  This is your chance to go big and bold.  Think stage curtain.  If you were my client, I would suggest double and triple width floor to ceiling drapery panels.  They can be adorned with elaborate tiebacks, tapes, and beading.  A simple black and white vertical drape is a great place to start if you feel overwhelmed.

Beautiful layered Finishes.  One of the key components of HR is the way materials and finishes are layered together asymmetrical to tell a beautiful story.  I am talking about everything.  Metals like gold, brass, and bronze.  Black and Red Liquioure are a staple.  In many cases you will find solid walls of mirrors. As far as textiles everything can work.  Typically you will find satin, silk, velvet, faux fur, leather, and animals can all be layered beautifully.  Even furniture pieces can be layered together.  The example I like to offer my clients would be in the dining room.  Imagine an art deco glass top table, paired with bamboo chippendale dining chairs with (2) oversized wingback chair in a bold patterned fabric at the heads of the table?  Too much?  Remember I said it is all about being over the top.

With all of this said, what is Hollywood Regency? It is luxury ladies and gentlemen.  Nothing else to discuss.  To successfully pull it off, you will need to spend some real money.  I am speaking of the most luxurious rugs, the most exotic silks, antiques sourced from around the world, custom Murano glass pieces, and the list could go on and on.  

Wouldn’t you love to live in this type of playful luxury?  If you have immediate questions and concerns click the button below, I am offering complimentary 15 minute strategy calls. Need help? I am here to help in any way that I can.

Let’s speak more next week!  We have just one major design style to dissect.

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What’s Your Style? Mid Century Modern?

DISCOVER YOUR STYLE

Good afternoon!  I hope that you are finding these posts interesting and filled with insight and education.  Our design style for today is certainly on my list of favorites.  Mid-century modern is outstanding.  It is well known for its simple forms, rich and organic colors, functionality and clean lines.  Uniquely, It is one of the most specific and long lasting design styles you could choose.  If you love rich walnut casegoods, clean modern lines, rich solid fabrics all an overall less than fussy look...this could be your thing.

Let me begin by saying If you love mid century modern furniture but you have never experienced it in person, you have to plan a trip to Palm Springs California.  It is a Mid Century Modern haven.  There are so many examples of the architecture and tons of resale shops with original pieces to fill your home.  Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City are not to be missed.  In my honest opinion, I feel that great Mid Century Modern interiors should really begin with the architecture of the home.  While you may not need a classic mid century ranch in order to complete a compelling argument for completing your interiors in this style, you should have certain elements already in place.   

Simple Trim.  Mid Century Modern is all about functionality and simplicity.  Before you begin make sure your home has a simplified trim level.  In this I mean examine your window casings, door trim, crown molding, and baseboards.  Are they super ornate?  If so this could cause a major design clash.  With this style, less is more.

Open Concept in the common areas.  While I am not saying seek totally open concept living, it is a good idea to have a kitchen that opens to the family and or breakfast room.  In many of the traditional ranch floor plans that I work on, it is still very desirable to have separate formal living and dining rooms.

Volume Ceilings.  One of my favorite elements in a ranch floorplan is a family room with vaulted or cathedral ceilings.  Many of the homes that are photographed to show impressive Mid Century Modern design always show off this element.  Even if your home has a boxy grid like feel, you can compensate with high ceilings in your kitchen with a great room combo.  In fact, adding a large open space to the rear of a smaller more traditional floor plan...isn’t a bad idea.

In essence, I love mid century modern furniture in any ranch floorplan, contemporary, and modern or rustic architectural styles of home.  No problem. The challenges will come into play with modern formal styles like Georgian, Federal, French Country and just a few others.

What else makes for great Mid Century Modern design?  

Color.  Color is very important in all design styles.  While mid century modern can be incredibly  playful and organic, the use of color is highly important.  While we see lots of blue and gray in much of the design world today….it is a little harder to make those work in much of the soft finishes in a home.  If I were helping you with your home, I would encourage you to look for colors like olive, mustard, orange, yellow and teal.

Icon Pieces.  You have heard me say a little bit goes a long way to create something amazing.  Invest in a few original pieces with history and character.  Even if you have one piece in the key rooms of your home...I promise it will go a long way.  Have you heard of Mies van der Rohe?  Classic pieces like an Ernest Eames chair, France Knoll sofa, and Tulip Dining Table are basically a must in every mid century modern home.

Consistent Wood.  If you have read my post on Scandinavian design you are familiar with the importance of having consistency in the finish of all the wood that appears in the more modern styles of interior design. Mid Century Modern is no different.  Walnut is the wood of choice in this style.  Keep your hardwood within this range and you will be just fine.  When selecting your statement pieces that contain wood like credenzas, coffee tables, dining tables, consoles, and benches, again consistency is king when creating amazing residential interiors.

Bring nature in.  This is a very organic design style.  It is important to keep the windows as large and open as possible.  Simple window treatments will go a long way.  Natural light should be allowed to penetrate as much of your home as possible.  Finally, fewer larger scaled plants as much as possible.  Greenery is amazing at softening structured interior spaces.

Lighting.  When selecting lighting think bold, creative, and sculptural.   In many of the key rooms in your home, the lighting should be both statement pieces and art. Chandeliers should be oversized and architectural.  Lamps that are quirky, reto, and whimsical are the way to go.  Finally, great lighting plans should always be layered.  Even the simplest home can benefit from great lighting.

Art and Accessories.   When planning for art and accessories think big bold bold statement pieces that are filled with rich colors.  Simple vintage finds will bring your design plan together.   Need a little help?  Consider finishing your home off with unique patterned rugs, throws, sculptures, vases, and yes blown glass.

So much great information right?  There are just 2 more blog posts in this series.  What is your great take away?  What are some areas of confusion that you are working your way through? 

I hope you found this article interesting and helpful.  Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.

Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.

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Let’s speak more next week!

What’s your style? Scandanavian?

WHAT’S YOUR STYLE?

So many people are overwhelmed by designing the spaces in their home.  This is where most of your memories are created.  It is highly important to spend some time planning and understanding what exactly you like before you start spending money on home furnishings.  There is another interior design that is often overlooked.  Do you love a simplified lifestyle, generous natural light and open concept living but you aren't quite a fan of industrial, contemporary design-- consider Scandinavian Design.  

You may know this style first by the brand of IKEA. They do an excellent job of branding and merchandising their products to make people fall in love with their well thought out vignettes and lower priced items.  While I do not use their products in any of my work, there are many elements found in scandinavian design that we can implement in residential interiors.

In my eyes, scandinavian design is an esthetic based on simplicity, reduced materials, limited trim levels, and a balance of wood and concrete.  Oftentimes, you will find one wood type used in all casegoods and cabinetry.  This creates such great modern harmony and limited visual distraction.  In addition, modern fireplaces are the statement piece in the open concept living space.  Does any of this sound familiar to you?  Does anyone remember the television show Frasier?  In my eyes, this is the perfect example of how scandinavian design can be interpreted in The United States.  Do you remember the back and forth between Frasier and his father over the ratty recliner that completely stood out?  If you are too young to remember this show, I highly recommend that you look it up.

Let’s be very clear.  This style isn’t for everyone.  If you equate luxury and comfort with a lot of items around you, this may not be the exact design style for you.  There are many things to love about this design style.  It's simple.  If it isn’t needed, you probably will not have it in the space.  Storage is often hidden and discreet.  If you are a busy professional and need calm in your life, this is great.  Scandanivan Design is known for being calming, less stressful, and very easy to clean.  Smaller spaces quickly appear much with the simple lines and less than fussy color palettes.  In reality, the style rarely changes.  If you fear making huge investments in furniture only to have to replace or upholster in a few years, this could be for you.  Overall, it's modern, clean and sophisticated without being stark and harsh.  

There are four key elements to Scandinavian Design. furniture selections, color, lighting and accessories. If you think this is the style for you, it is important to first begin with these key pillars.  Remember, creating great design doesn’t just happen.  Thought, understanding, and planning are where we all must begin. 

Accessories.  Do you remember when I said this style of design is easy to clean and relaxing?  When it comes to accessories you really don’t want to forget this rule.  I would suggest larger pieces over a lot of small items.  Large mirrors, candles, bowls, trays and coffee table books are a great place to start.  Finally, keep your accent pillows as simple as possible.  Solid fabrics in various textures and materials are the way to go.  Finally  think of simple pottery, blown glass, and ceramics.

Furniture.  In many cases the cost of furniture is most likely the largest line item in any residential interiors budget.  You may think that a few pieces of furniture would decrease the budget--this is not always the case.  The truth is, quality Scandanavian furniture can be expensive.  The good news is the furniture will rarely go out of style.  If you make wise selections it is likely that the pieces can live in your home for many years to come.  The furniture is the art here.  Think sculptural sofas, sectionals, and chairs.  The dining table should be one of the most impressive pieces!  Finally, shy away from overstuffed pieces.  Your selections should not be chunky but sleek and refined.

Color.  When it comes to color, complex isn’t in the wheelhouse.  In my practice, I would encourage my client to limit their color palette to no more than (3) colors.  Think emotions.  It is hard to have a calm and serene environment that has a complex color palette.   Work to create cohesion between your colors, wood stains, and tint of the concrete in your space.  Mostly likely you will use tan, white, black and red.  Blonde woods and lighter concrete tend to work beautifully.  When selecting textiles think earthy, neutral, with limited geometric print.

Lighting.  Light is important in all the modern styles of interior design.  We strive to add as much natural light as possible while remembering that it can be manipulated when needed to create privacy.  When selecting lighting consider function in addition to appearance.  Architectural lighting that wash solid walls with light can be a great way to emulate natural light flooding through windows.  Chandeliers and lamps should be simple statement pieces.  With industrial interior spaces we do mix large ornate crystal chandeliers with simple modern and rustic elements.  In this case, we want lighting that is simple, clean and statement worthy.

I hope you found this article interesting and helpful.  Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.

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Let’s speak more next week!

What’s your style? Industrial?

DISCOVER YOU STYLE

Most people are aware that our country changed tremendously during the industrial revolution.  Labor laws, advancements in technology, and great wealth creation are just a few of the things that came from this era.  For many years the space that housed the progress went abandoned and neglected. In New York City for example, these buildings were converted into affordable housing for artists and students.  Flash forward.  Loft living became the in thing for the wealthy.   In most modern cities throughout the world, these industrial spaces are some of the most expensive real estate to be found.  Developers have even attempted to recreate these industrial “loft like” spaces.  Some have done before jobs than others.  Today the industrial style is a blend of the authentic industrial space of before and a reproduction now referred to as a “soft loft”.  If you are a fan of raw materials, sweeping spaces, and simplicity;   you may want to consider industrial interior design.

Let’s be totally honest.  It is quite a challenge and expensive to recreate an authentic industrial space in the residential environment.  If you are a fan of the elements that make it amazing, I will spend this blog post discussing the key elements that you can incorporate in your home today.  

Materials.  The materials used in industrial interior design are some of if not the most important components of this style.  Most commonly you will find concrete  used for counters, polished as floors, and exposed columns.  Bricks typically used on the exterior walls are most likely left exposed and unpainted.  The rawness of the brick always adds masculinity and is a stark contrast to the concrete.  Unfinished raw wood in exposed rafters, beams, and columns are another common attribute.   Finally, mixed metals like copper, steel and bronze are used in the lighting, exposed ductwork, hardware and fixtures.

Scale.  The second most important element that helps to create great industrial design is scale.  Open spaces with high ceilings. Oversized floor to ceilings, and oversized rooms are great places to start.  Much of the scale is created by the fact that space is defined by the items in the space and their function not walls.  This is achieved by using larger scale, art, lighting pieces, and furniture that don’t get lost in the openness of the space.  In fact, larger furniture used in an open space compared to what you would traditionally use in a space defined by walls has the ability to create the space visually quite well.  If you are looking to create an industrial feel in your home one of the biggest mistakes that you can make is to use the wrong scale of furnishings in an open space.

Pattern.  In my design practice, I encourage my clients to keep patterns abstract.  It is my belief that abstract patterns in fabric, art, and rugs in both bold and neutral colors work well in this style.  Because the architecture is so stark and strong bold patterns and graphic images could create unneeded visual clutter and chaos.  

To close, I wanted to provide a checklist of things you could do today to make your home more industrial.  Everything may not work in your specific situation, but I am certain there are a few things that will make you say, “that’s it.”

Elements to include

Black and White Framed Photography if abstract art isn’t for you

Keep your floor plan open and free--think lofts and old factories

Think of the old for character more than new

When selecting new finishes make sure they complete the old

Keep your home free of clutter and unnecessary items

Storage should be behind

Polished finishes mixed with rough and raw are the way to go

Keep your color palette as simple as possible

Polished concrete is a great option for the floors.  Mixing flooring can make the space feel disjointed.

Keep the windows as open as possible.  If you must, consider shades over other window treatment options.

Think modular and minimalistic when selecting furniture.  If it's not needed--don't’ put it there.  In fact you may only have a bed, dresser and nightstands in your bedroom.  Yes.  Just that simple.

While it isn’t highly unlikely that most of you will have an entire home in an industrial style, you may opt to finish your basement or vacation home in this style.  I do have clients that do build new custom homes that are ultra modern on the exterior and industrial in the interior.  Consistency in materials, color, pattern, and scale are the foundation of design in a great industrial space.  

I hope you found this article interesting and helpful.  Wanna keep in touch? Consider joining my weekly newsletter. A weekly newsletter keeping you up to date on the latest of all things real estate, interiors, renovations, and custom home building.

Join our community of over 5000 readers and receive a well curated mix of inspiration, education, and resources on all things related to curating the home of your dreams.

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See you next week!