When it Comes to Interior Design, a Surprise Should Always Be Waiting Around the Corner

It frequently happens that someone will come into my shop looking for furniture, design advice, or maybe a bit of both, and they’ll say something to the effect of “I’m looking for the right bedroom set.” Or maybe they are trying to find pieces of furniture for their dining room with the same type of wood of their existing dining room table. So what’s the common thread between these two examples? Conformity and uniformity, and we could probably spend all day coming up with real life examples of how people seek these out when designing their homes.

Whether this move to a consistent, uniform look for a house or room is intentional or subconscious, I’d like to give my two cents and caution against such an approach. Not only does a “single period approach” cost you more over time (which I wrote about in a previous article) but it limits the inherent uniqueness of a space. I am not saying that decorating a room with a Victorian theme is wrong – if done properly the room can be beautiful. But the downside is that you are, in all likelihood, stifling your personality and design preferences to some degree, just to be in accordance with “the rules of design.” And if your goal is to create a one-of-a-kind space that is best suited to you and your family, it will be tough to fully succeed if you are following these rules to a T.

When I am designing a room, whether it is for a client or my own home, I actively try to incorporate unexpected or even quirky accents – I find that it’s these scattered surprises that really help draw someone into a new space. It need not be something overt and ostentatious; I believe that the sign of a well constructed space is that it is “layered”. What I mean by layered is that someone shouldn’t be able to take in the totality of a room in one glance. While small, subtle highlights may not stand out upon first glance, they nonetheless help to catch someone’s attention and invite them in for further exploration.

A great example of this is taking an antique piece of furniture, whether it be a sofa, a chair, or something smaller like a stool and reupholstering it with a modern fabric or print. When it blends with the workmanship and detail of the piece, you’re creating something uniquely eye-catching that can become the focal point of a conversation. And whether it’s blending antique and contemporary within a single piece of furniture, or by juxtaposing two pieces within a room, the result is a more interesting and engaging space.

To get started, I have two pieces of advice: 1) start out with something minor. Instead of taking on an entire room, start with a corner of a room, or a side table. Try to incorporate a variety of different pieces within this smaller space without being overly organized. And you don’t need more than a couple of items; more often than not, less is more. 2) Successfully blending periods and styles involves breaking out of a comfort zone, and I’ve found that emotion is far more beneficial than trying to adopt an analytical approach. If it looks and feels right to you, that’s what should matter, and chances are that most people will agree with you!

For more interior design insights, you can visit www.lentrepotdesign.com – this site is maintained by the author and contains additional information on interior design and antique furniture. For examples and ideas of how to incorporate an element of surprise into a room, feel free to peruse a gallery of room arrangements under the tab “Design Services.”