We all want our homes to look like a photograph from a magazine but is it realistic? No, not at all but keep in mind, those pictures and articles are there for tips and inspiration, not necessarily to make your home look like Magazine decor.
Yesterday morning I was meeting a colleague for breakfast. Luckily, I brought the newest issue of Southern Living Magazine which kept me entertained until she arrived. The cover story was 101 Decorating Ideas … pretty color combos & easy makeovers. It looked like a good read and it was!
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| A must read for decorating rules |
As I as thumbing through the magazine, drooling over the pictures and oohing and ahhing over the gorgeous decor I said to myself, “Who lives like this?”. Answer, no one - or I should say, very few people.
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| Tips on picking the right lamp |
I know most of you, my color loving readers, know that I'm a Color Specialist but keep in mind, I'm also an Interior Designer so once in a while, I need to talk about a few decor tips tricks and faux pas.
My job allows me to enter into many many homes. I compare the homes that I've been in to the home decor that I see in magazines. How many homes even come close to the magazine style home decor? Maybe two. Two! And it's not because of budget because some of my clients are millionaires so the budget is there.
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| How to decorate your coffee table |
The point I'm trying to make is this. When decorating your home, look at the big picture. Is it important that you:
- don't repeat fabrics in your house,
- or installing outlets 28" high behind a console so your can't see the lamp cord
- or the 2" rule for bed benches
- or how many pillows to use on a sofa
- or how high to hang your curtain rod so your windows look bigger
- or how far your coffee table needs to be from your sofa.
- how to punch your pillows so they look right
- how to float your furniture
- how high to hang your chandeliers
YES!! and no. These are great tips and will make a HUGE impact on how your home looks but keep in mind, unless you have a 800 sq. foot home, no children and live by yourself, it's really hard to keep your home looking magazine perfect.
Don't fret, I have a suggestion for you! Life is all about compromises right? Keep all the decorating tips that your read, be it here or in a magazine, and try to keep them in mind when decorating your home - even if it's just one room in your home. There will be restrictions for course like space, budge and time but just try.
If I had to suggest just one tip to use for your home what would it be? Furniture placement. Get it off the walls!!!! Move it, float it, change it. Play around with how it looks in your home with the space you have. It'll make a difference!
Need more decorating tips? Maria Killam of Colour Me Happy just posted some on the very same subject - great tips there!
See the article all more on Decorating Rules from Southern Living.
Have fun!
Is this for real? How do you become a color expert? Sounds rather subjective. (I'm an architect and wouldn't claim that title, though I'm probably pretty good at it.
ReplyDeleteHow do I become a Color Expert? LoL -with years of practice!
DeleteI compare magazine design sets to models that you seen in fashion magazines. They are there to give us tips and ideas but it's not realistic. The models are airbrushed and the design sets are staged.
After shooting homes for Better Homes & Gardens and Traditional Home Magazines for 18 years, I can honestly tell you there are people who live like this BUT USUALLY it is when we go in and style and add all the flowers, fruit and organization that it ends up looking 'magazine perfect' It looks like that temporarily (lol!)
ReplyDeleteIt is important to know what you like and what you don't and stay true to yourself. Yes, magazine shots are staged, but beautiful and inspirational nonetheless. After all, we would really be complaining if there was a sink full of dirty dishes in the shot, wouldn't we?
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Donna! Food for thought.
And that is key - beautiful and inspirational. But like we now see fashion models on the more 'natural side, wouldn't it be nice if home decor was more 'lived in' but still providing the same great tips and information?
DeleteWonderful Donna, I agree with you; when reading on the "Designer Rules" try to always take away an idea or two. It is good to change up things anyway!! Freshen the look!
ReplyDeleteI hope you can make it over for my $100 Soft Surroundings Giveaway!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Great tips. I think you mean "faux pas" not "fopas" (although I'm not sure if faux pas is already plural or not, I've never taken French).
ReplyDeleteI do! Darn auto correct always messes me up! I'll fix it. Great catch.
DeleteI just received my Southern Living mag and it is the best issue yet! I read it from cover to cover. Like your tips too. I'm also a color consultant (goes with the graphic artist territory) and recommend color combos for people who are painting their interiors. As for magazine inspiration - definitely! Sometimes you have to look at these designs through the eyes of your own environment - like "how would this color look in MY living room?"
ReplyDeleteGood stuff.