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deegw

Decorator look without layers?

deegw
9 years ago

It seems to me that to get a professionally decorated look there are two main choices. You either add layers and details or you have to start with a room with great architecture.

Do you think it is possible to decorate in a lightly layered, non modern way, in an average room and have the room look "finished"? What are the bare minimum details that are most important?

Comments (11)

  • roarah
    9 years ago

    I think layers can be lightly achieved with rugs, pillows and window treatments that compliment the rooms permanent features while adding just a bit of contrast and texture to an otherwise neutral room.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    I think a lot has to do with intention....you can have a more minimalist look if each piece is placed with specific intention, as opposed to amassing collections of things. The fewer the pieces, the more important each becomes. Also, the other element that seems important in a minimalist look is light as that light and shadow will help furnish a space.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Yes I do think it is possible, but may require using larger accessories than you are accustomed to.

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    Here's a link to a makeover by a designer on her blog. It has the elements of a simple layered look: rug, window treatments, pillows (and throw), lighting and a few accessories. All neutral, coordinated and not over-done. (And plants... I love a few well-placed plants.)

    But what makes a room like this look "finished" are the extra elements apart from the basics noted above. For example, in the second photo (below), you'll see the upholstered bench below the 4 frames. To me, this makes the room seem finished. It's not a complex, dust-collecting vignette, but rather an added focal point in the room that's simple in design and complementary to the other main components of the room.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Lauren Liess, designer

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    Here's a close-up of the "extra" element.

  • pps7
    9 years ago

    I agree with what's been said. The basic components needed are rug, lighting, key furniture pieces and in most cases window treatments. Art work and accessories can be kept to a minimum but then ones selected have to be larger and carefully curated.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    If we think about Christopher Lowell's 7 layers of design, they are all in the room that peony posted.
    #1: Paint and Architecture
    #2: Installed Flooring
    #3: High Ticket Upholstery Items
    #4: Accent Fabrics
    #5: Non-upholstered Furnishings
    #6: Accessories (mirrors and pictures)
    #7: Plants and Lighting

    So I guess the question is, are we talking about monochromatic color? Minimalist approach in terms of accessories, or are we talking about eliminating some layers?

  • peony4
    9 years ago

    Hmmmm... I forget all about Christopher Lowell. Thanks for this reminder, Annie. (I'm embarking on a LR makeover.)

    Personally, I can't think of any layer I'd eliminate altogether. These 7 layers, to me, represent the "bare minimum" the OP inquires about. There are varying levels in each layer, of course. For example, my high-ticket upholstery item may end up being a slipcover for a current sofa due to indecision. And my accent fabrics will be simplified because the room is small, and I lean toward monochrome. It's about the size in the photo I shared, although I will have a coffee table.

    So, the layers all are "necessary" but it's the degree to which they are incorporated.

  • deegw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Peony, I really like the pictures you posted. It is a bit like solving a puzzle. Pieces will only work if they are a very specific size and a specific visual weight and only in particular spots. To make less look like more is a challenge.

    I do find it interesting that Lowell puts paint and architecture in the same layer. Paint is a given in any space, architecture is not.

  • camlan
    9 years ago

    Deee--I think architecture is always there, it just isn't always appealing.

    Whether you have arches or doorways, trim or no trim on your windows, crown molding or not, built-ins or a fireplace or plain square rooms, there is an architecture to a space.

    The question is, do you like the architecture of a given space/room? A minimalist might remove crown moldings and window trim and make the walls as blank a slate as possible. A traditionalist might add crown moldings and beef up the baseboards and rip out carpeting to install hardwoods.

    I've moved a lot, first as a miltary brat and then because my job requires it. The houses and apartments I am drawn to have more traditional bones--older homes with crown molding and carved banisters and wainscoting. The places I don't like as much have a more modern architecture, with no trim on the windows, no crown molding, thin little baseboards, plain doors, etc.

    To some extent, you can change the architecture of a space. But I once saw a "modern" 1960's ranch decked out in Victorian frills and it simply didn't work. The windows were wrong. The layout of the house was wrong. Even though the owners had added some trim and molding, the house and the decor clashed.

    To answer the OP's question, I think that, yes, you can have a lightly-layered, non-modern style. But it will take vision and effort to achieve.

    Take a look over at Apartment Therapy. They are running their Small, Cool contest right now and there are entries from lots of people who have furnished their homes without the help of a designer. Many of the homes and apartments tend towards modern or minimalist design, but they are lightly layered spaces that, in most cases, do seem finished. And warm and welcoming, which minimalist spaces don't always achieve. And there are some more traditional spaces in the entries.

  • luckygal
    9 years ago

    "Do you think it is possible to decorate in a lightly layered, non modern way, in an average room and have the room look "finished"? What are the bare minimum details that are most important?"

    Yes, and that is the direction I see my decor taking as I reduce clutter and collections and only choose large accessories for new items. I also think the larger accessories should, at least for me, be special one-of-a-kind handmade items, not just run-of-the-mill things from big box stores.

    If one chooses simple items from each category on Christopher Lowell's list one would succeed in this. All categories covered but without too much visual stimulation from any of them. I agree with KSWL about using larger (and fewer) decorative accessories to accomplish this style of decor.

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