Peggy Ann Turner, an Montreal-based architect and interior designer with Peterson Architects, has tips on how to and how not to decorate.
Dos
- Before you move, edit. This is the time to review what you have, measure it, not just for size, and think about what to keep and what to discard. Visit your new place and think about the layout.
- Know your personal style. If you don’t, go through the magazines and decide what you like and don’t like. You’ll eventually see a pattern.
- Hire a professional decorator, even if you can’t afford the full service. A two-hour consultation can provide you with a fresh eye, ideas and sources. A decorator can cost from $100 to $350 an hour.
- Invest in physical and visual comfort. That means a good bed with comfortable linens and good seating. If visual is important to you, invest in art or beautiful things like an antique rug that you will keep forever.
- Colour rules. Each environment has its own restrictions. Perhaps you don’t want to paint a south-facing room red because it will be too overwhelming.
- Matching is not required.
- Shop first for the largest items, like a sofa, which will be the focal point of a room. Some people might choose a rug as a focal point.
- Buy furniture that is versatile and can change location or function if you move.
- Size matters. Balance space with proportion, colour and lighting.
- Mix old with new. Being modern doesn’t mean you can’t live with the past.
- The biggest bang for your buck is paint.
- Balance your lighting. There are three levels of light: general, task and mood. You can change the mood of the room by varying what you use when.
- Bedrooms need to be serene and restful. You can achieve that with colour and light. Neutral colours, whether warm or cool, are a good idea.
Storage. Everything should have a home.
Don’ts
- Don’t overdo it. Think of Coco Chanel and her exhortation to remove one piece of jewellery before you leave home. It works the same for design.
- Don’t keep items that are not functional or beautiful.
- Clutter: Just don’t. Possessions can possess you. Luxury is about space, quality of light and order.
- Don’t overwhelm your windows. The important thing is to let natural light in and have privacy as well.
- Don’t mix your whites. As anyone with even the most perfunctory experience with paint knows, there are 1,001 and counting shades of white. A buttery white will look lousy next to a pink white.
- Don’t buy into trends in an expensive way. If turquoise is in (and the forecasters say it is), you might like to indulge in accents like pillows, candle holders or placemats.
- Don’t scatter your plants or artwork. Rather, create compositions with groupings of greenery, art or photographs.
- Do not place your artwork in relation to the ceiling. Place it at eye level or in relation to the furniture. Generally, the centre of a picture should be five feet from the floor.
- Don’t reupholster junk.