Sunday, January 15, 2012

Aaaccck!! Please Help Me Accessorize!!

Home and Design magazine approached me this past September and asked if I would Blog for their website on accessories.  While writing that blog, I decided to write a series of blogs on Accessorizing, since one blog couldn't do it justice, so here's the first in the series, and this one will focus on Mirrors.

"Aaacck!!  Please Help Me Accessorize!!"

Often at a cocktail party, someone will begin to talk to me about the interior design of their home, and they will lament its current state.  The questions and comments that I get the most center around accessorizing.  I always hear things like, "I have everything in place but it just doesn't look right…something's missing." Or, "Can you help me out? I can't do the final touches."  Or, "It just doesn't look warm and homey…it's very sterile."

Adding those final touches can be the last straw for most people.  They see ideas in a magazine but cannot translate them to their home.  So what to recommend that so people find that warm balance they're looking for?

First, study magazines that you like.  Study the catalogs.  Cut out pages.  Put them in a file, and put them away for a day.  Then go back and look at them.  Do you see any similarities or  trends?  Can you hone down what it is that you like or dislike? 

It is all in the design basics: all about balance, proportion, color, and then adding touches of texture here and there.

Some of the latest, most exciting design trends offer great examples:

Mirror Image

Every room needs at least one mirror for sparkle, to make the space look bigger.  My all time favorite style of mirror is a sunburst style mirror…very dynamic and very in style right now.  Look at these rooms using mirrors as a focal point:

This is my all time favorite sunburst mirror.  It's the Constellation Mirror by Thomas Pheasant for Baker Furniture.  Isn't it amazing?  Tom was inspired to design this mirror after seeing a brooch in Paris that was similar to this. He's so talented.


Picture above:  Design House at Washington Design Center by Margery Wedderburn Interiors, LLC.  I used this favorite mirror in a room for The Design House...such a fun focal point.
  In years past the only sunburst mirrors out there were beyond most people's budget, but now there are so many to choose from at reasonable prices.  Here are some favorites:


This mirror from Ballard is about as dynamic as you can get.  Add some fun vases to a chest below it, or some pillows on a sofa and you are all set.  Here's the link:
http://www.ballarddesigns.com/suzanne-kasler-sunburst-mirror-234/15125



And what about this interesting sunburst mirror from Ballard?


It looks amazing in this space:



What is not to love about this mirror from the Ballard Designs catalog (above)?  Dynamic, casual, you can't beat it.  It can go above a chest of drawers (any toned wood or a painted finish), or above a sofa…add some energy to your wall with this mirror.  And don't be afraid to go big…sometimes one big mirror on a wall is all you need.

Now take a little look at this fun one below, great for that outdoor space:

And how fun is this one for a super casual space (above)??  This is from Crate and Barrel and is made with driftwood.  Add this to your Recreation Room or that outdoor space for something fun and different.
Stay tuned for more on these fun sunburst mirrors.  Next blog: accessorizing around and below these super dynamic mirrors.