In the May issue of
Domino, they did a spread on London-based Interior Designer,
Ilse Crawford. I did a
post on her book,
Home is Where the Heart Is, a few months back. Ilse bases her designs around the philosophy "form follows feeling" and
every time I flip through her book or read up on what her latest projects are, her down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach to design makes me take a step back and re-evaluate the way I approach a project. In the the article she says, "I think there's something quite weird about having someone design your house and fill it with everything." I find this to be true in so many cases - as designers, we sometimes tend to want to fill up a home with lots of "stuff" to
achieve a certain look and we forget about the client's needs and the practicality of it all. We can actually make things more complicated than they should be. Ilsa takes into consideration the way her client lives and functions then bases her design around that. She included some fantastic tips in the article and I'd like to share a few...
1) " A room should be really good at one thing, rather than try to do three." A functional space will lend itself to other activities and uses.
2) "Hang on to the pieces you love most." Some of the best designs are created by mixing in the old with the new. If you really want to hang on to that old, tattered chair, go ahead but have it refinished and upholstered in new fabric!
3) "The floor is the spine that holds a place together." Keeping your flooring consistent throughout gives your home a sense of continuity and flow.
4) "A successful design is about your life, not a look." Bravo! This quote speaks for itself :)
"To me, interior design is not about the latest trend in sofas. Instead, I begin with a simple question: How do you live?" -Ilse Crawford
I love the idea of layering empty frames of all sizes in a bookcase or on a mantle. If you have any old / unused picture frames, spray paint them with a fresh coat of color for an instant new look.
Another way to add interest and make the objects on your shelves stand out is to paint the background an accent color. I like how they've grouped together a collection of white vases and fun shaped glasses.
Colorful boxes keep this cabinet organized and stylish.
Fill a jar with seashells or any other found object and use as a bookend.
Display a collection of clocks, globes, etc. alongside stacks of neutral books.
A clever way to disguise your bookshelves by hanging simple fabric panels.
Create different heights by stacking books on their sides as well as arranging them upright. Mix in different objects such as boxes, bowls, etc.
I love all of the funky letters mixed in with books and interesting objects.
The deep teal accent paint looks fresh and makes the colorful books really pop.
Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste
I was reading the 
