Never be hesitant to listen to what the experts have to offer as decorating tips or a solutions to design problems. Here are a few words from the wise.
Decorator Nancy Blair-“Never turn down an antique, even if it clashes. If it was your grandmother’s and it’s pretty, take it. Someday you’ll be glad.” Wish I had heeded that advice as a bride when I turned my nose up at my mother-in-law’s oriental rug and beautiful country quilts. I eventually took the quilts and the rug is now in my daughter’s dining room.
She also has my mother’s secretary in the dining room and uses it to display various objects and store table linens. So both grandmothers’ treasures comfortably reside together in the same room where family members gather to celebrate on holidays.
Decorator Bunny Williams-“Matching is for beginners. Distinct eras and materials are better when blended. If I have an antique wooden chest, I’ll put a steel lamp on top.”
Decorator Miles Redd-“Costly fabrics are gorgeous in small doses. A pillow made from one yard of silk velvet makes as much of a statement as a sofa covered in the stuff-sometimes more.” I always love visiting his website for both the tongue-in-cheek background color and the bio photo!
When asked by Coastal Living what are three go-go patterns to mix Rachel Reider replied, “I adore geometrics. The best way to balance them is to add a small-scale organic print, such as a botanical and a crisp stripe.”
How about a Karen Robertson Sunset Orange stripe on the wall in combination with her Natural Sand Crab Net design on the cushion?
So, in ending, is the saying “a word to the wise”?
– Lorre Lei
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