A reader recently wrote in and asked an important question when it comes to designing a space.  Leah W.  wondered whether some design rules were made to be broken and were there a few examples or illustrations for successfully breaking those rules? 

I asked Courtney to tackle this topic, and he is back this month with his fabulous insight!  Courtney asked a group of designers to look at issues that they encounter on a regular basis with their clients, and asked what are those design rules or commandments that are made to be broken?

Design Commandments Made to be Broken, by Courtney Lake

“When I was researching this article, I was reminded of the countless essays I wrote in high school where I used the definition of a word or phrase to introduce an idea.  Strangely, using this clichéd approach makes sense when you are writing an article on breaking design rules.  There are some deeply held beliefs that have engrained themselves within our design psyches.  For better or worse, they prescribe how we have decorated our homes for decades. So when you “break” them, what exactly are you doing?  Well according to Webster Dictionary you are breaking:

One of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere…..

Design rules give guidelines for how furniture, lighting and accessories should relate and interact within your home.  But what if you “rocked the boat” as every good designer does, picking those which make sense for your space and tossing out the rest?  Before you break these design rules, it’s best to understand why they are important.

A solid understanding of the principles of design is crucial if you want to break them successfully, so I asked four design experts their opinions on what design commandments should be tossed aside.  They each gave insight on some old and new rules that we all should gleefully break to get the homes we want. 

Design Commandment #1: Thou Shalt Not Place Large Furniture in a Small Room

Common sense tells us that if a space is small, we should scale the furniture to fit the room.  Wrong!  Design legend John Dickinson built a career out of placing out of scale furniture in rooms.  A large bed can easily be placed into a small bedroom or a large couch in a small den.  The tricks to bending this design commandment are placement and color.  As long as the furniture doesn’t block the natural sightlines of the room and is within the same color palette, the furniture will read as a unified whole, tricking you into thinking the room is larger.

Freshome

Candace Olsen

 

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Some people have written to me asking, “Hey Kate, we’ve seen the close-ups of your flowering plants, but why have you never given us a full tour of your backyard?” 

*crickets* 

Okay, I’ll be completely frank. There are sections of our yard I’m rather proud of, like our grapevines, my lavender plants and my perennial beds which give me gorgeous blooms. Then there are sections that, truth be told, are still in an unfinished state, hence the silence on the backyard tour. 

We have a very nice courtyard area next to the house (will show that on Thursday at the ‘Outdoor Ideas’ par-tay) but we also have a large patio area we’ve never fixed up, times are tight doncha know.  We’ve grown Syrah grapes in our back hill for the last ten years (you can spy them growing to the left) and this is the one area of our yard that has the best view.  But as you can see, as of today, this space has nothing going for it except a pretty good BBQ.  

I have a decent set of outdoor furniture, but my cushions are several years old and the fabric is ripped and in my opinion, pretty gross.  This patio zone has been in need of some serious help for some time.  The other day, I was contacted by American Express Membership Rewards, offering me access to points to show people how to spruce up an outdoor space.  Count me in, cause I have the perfect space that is in dire need! 

The assignment?  Create a stylish outdoor space that provides shade and comfort to relax and entertain guests in the summer months.  Also, we plan to fill in this circular patio (below) I mentioned earlier this year as part of our Home Goals of 2011.   I’m not quite sure how at the moment, but I’m looking at all options, including mosaic tile and various stones. 

I need your advice.  I’m still coming up with a design plan, but I need to know, what do you see happening in this space?  A pergola or cabana?  An outdoor rug, new cushions, planters, a few outdoor accessories?  That’s what I have in mind so far.  I would love to hear what you think I should do.  Those of you who have tackled this kind of patio, what do you recommend?  Tile, flagstone, slate, cement?  Do share your tips.

I will be redeeming points and shopping at these specific retailers: Home Depot, Kohls, Crate + Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Restoration Hardware.  There is so much potential here, so stay tuned for all the updates over the next few weeks as we transform this space with a few DIY projects!

Disclosure: I have been provided with 150,000 complimentary American Express Membership Rewards points to spruce up this outdoor space. 

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I love a celebratory party in honor of spray paint!  Thanks Sarah for kicking off the Home May’d parties with a topic devoted to one of my favorite transformative substances: da spray paint.  It rocks. 

I’ve often said, I’ll spray paint anything that stands still, cause so often I fall in love with the shape of something, but not the color or finish, and my mind instantly thinks, “Nothing a little spray paint can’t fix!”   I’m like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding who was convinced Windex was the cure for every ailment.  For me, it be spray paint. 

Exhibit A: I found this tin container in my garage, I don’t recall where I picked it up.  A craft store?  Yard sale?  No matter, it was the perfect candidate for an indoor planter.

I pounded a few holes in the bottom with a nail, spray painted the front green and let it dry.  I placed some chipboard letters on top, then spray painted it again with RustOleum’s ‘Heirloom White’ which left green font underneath.  So cute!  

My indoor herb garden is back baby, back!  Complete with my five culinary favorites: sage, thyme, basil, cilantro, and parsley. 

I like to grow even more basil outside in the summertime, but the petite plants do make a pretty scene in our kitchen window.

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Hiya friends, hope you all are having a fab weekend.  Me?  Not so much (see below).   Amanda and I are back with a few ‘Best of the Blogosphere’ picks we found around the web this week, let’s take a looky loo. 

Use perforated radiator sheets to create Moroccan inspired lanterns with Ruffled.  We’re thinking of them outdoors on tabletops at a summer party or even a wedding.

Build a simple A-frame tent with Cakies blog, a great DIY project with a charming result! (via Making It Lovely)

This pretty desk was a dresser in a former life, don’t miss the step by step transformation at Thrifty and Chic.  So inventive Alicia!

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Hello everyone, I’m just so glad it’s Friday!  Announcing the winner of last week’s Shutterfly Giveaway, here are the four winners:  #6 Barbara Brooks;  #115 Laura Sharbaugh; #395 Rebecca Kavan; and #421 Sarah Davenport.  Congratulations!

This past Monday evening, I was honored to attend a very cool event in New York City sponsored by Lowe’s, showcasing their line of Hi-Def paints in Valspar’s signature colors. 

The evening’s event began in this very cool downtown modern all white loft space brightened with splashes of Valspar paint samples all over the walls.

We were invited to mix and mingle with the other 30 bloggers invited, and greeting us were new quarts of fresh paint and paintbrushes for the upcoming challenges.  To me, paint always represents new beginnings and the ability to reveal hidden potential in just about anything.

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