Thoughts from Classic Interior Designers
In Hamlet, Shakespeare reminded us that “To thine own self be true.” That’s good advice, generally, and it’s actually a terrific lesson to keep in mind when thinking about the interior design of a home. The soul of a home reflects the souls of those who inhabit it. Your home should fit your style and personality. If the two don’t mesh, you’ll never truly feel “at home,” no matter how stunning the premises. So let’s consider some other wise observations that can help us–classic design insights that remain as true today as when they were first said.
A House Is A House Is A Home
Let’s not forget the obvious. A house is, first and foremost, a home. But what makes that happen? Interior and furniture design legend John Saladino helps point the way with this: “A house is much more than a mere shelter. It should lift us emotionally and spiritually.” When a dwelling gives you that emotional and spiritual lift, then you know it is truly your home.
Sweat The Details
As the great designer Charles Eames observed, “The details are not the details, they make the design.” Interior designers take this axiom to heart. Attention to detail isn’t just one aspect of interior design, but is the sine qua non–the indispensable thing.
What the Space Wants
The late Italian designer Lelli Vignelli stated, “Even when I enter a space that I have to design for a client, I listen to what the space says–the walls, the windows. You can’t change what the space wants to be.” Good design is intuitive, not forced. The work takes on a practically spiritual element, “going with the flow” that the space presents.
A Dining Room with a View
A cousin of Eleanor Roosevelt, Dorothy Draper was one of the most influential American designers of the 20th century. Draper once observed, “Even in a formal dining room, you don’t want to be ponderous or gloomy. Eating is really one of your indoor sports. You play three times a day, and it’s well worthwhile to make the games as pleasant as possible.” In Draper’s time, the dining room was where meals took place in upper-class households, but her advice holds as true for today’s kitchen. Your dining space should be fun, comfortable—a place where you are free to enjoy yourself and play.
With these key reminders, you can turn a home into your castle, and any castle can be a home. Contact the team at Ron Nathan Interiors today to help transform your castle into a home.
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