Confessions of a Design Perfectionist
Would it surprise you to learn I'm a perfectionist? As an interior designer, I can see the big picture, which inspires me to manage every nitty-gritty detail so the whole ultimately delights. But for me, it's simultaneously true that imperfection is the soul of perfection. It's the spark of life - for people and places. Idiosyncrasies, oddities and off-kilter pairings make my design world go 'round. The proof is in a series of recent client mood boards. Let's take a look...
SURPRISE PAIRINGS MOOD BOARD
As their kiddos go back to school, our South Charlotte clients have homework on their minds. Literally. We began the foyer makeover (top mood board) last month with the objective of a finish date in time for Thanksgiving. (P.S., now IS time to advance any holiday decorating plans!) Too often, foyers are the forgotten, red-headed stepchildren in a home. As a designer, I want my clients and their guests to feel on the cusp of something wonderful as they walk through the door. This mood board is full of perfectly imperfect pairings. A bench is a practical workhorse in a foyer, but this one will be blanketed with a sheepskin to ramp up the glam quotient. Likewise for the hall tree. It says "jackets here" - and lots more with an organic, natural vibe. And, the overall organic feel of the space is set slightly (and happily) ajar with modern fine art photograph from Ron Royals.
And now to a master suite in the second mood board in the same photo above. It's a happy maze of shape and tactile pleasure: An open-arm modern chair, hexagon-patterned console and oyster-shell floor lamp. The artwork adds a twist: an exuberant illustration by a French textile designer with flashes of color and fancy, placed in an overall modern space. Opposites do attract.
YING YANG MOOD BOARD
A Charlotte couple came to me for the redesign of two spaces for their private unplugged lives - high contrast to their busy professional lives. After conversations and meetings to understand needs, wants and desires, my next stop was the drawing board.
The breakfast room is the heart of the home with views to the pool and veranda, as well as family room and chef's kitchen. It may make the formal dining room obsolete! A large elliptical table stands on a glorious modern base. Above: the two- tier chandelier drips with glam. Slipper chairs in neutral linen circle 'round the table.
The butterfly is a symbol of transformation. Appropriately, an oversized butterfly print in rich saturated colors is a lively juxtaposition to the calm, cool and collected neutral palette. You'll see blue hues reprised later, too.
Next, to the master suite. Do you feel the quiet femininity in this mood board? The color palette is cool and neutral, but alive with pattern and texture that may go unnoticed at first blush. The bed is slipcovered in a tactile Belgian linen, as is the sofa at the foot of the bed. The scatter-back pillow design encourages lounging. Bedside table drawer fronts are textured tone-on-tone. Two benches - one gold, the other white gesso - face-off beautifully. Subtle hints of color - French Navy and Marine Blue - weave through the space. Ultimately, the room is a perfectly imperfect meld - the ying and the yang - of feminine and masculine.