Less is More ……… a must in this economy!
Friday, February 20th, 2009Monday, February 16, 2009
Less is More
I was raised on this motto……..
I was raised on this motto……..
My Dad drove his vehicles right into the ground the odometers read well over 150,000 miles, he bought new cars only when he needed them ….they also were just the basics no electric windows, no ‘fancy seats’ as he used to say his luxury ……. was AM/FM radio.
My Mom always baked our bread, raised our vegetables, froze and canned them for us, no need to buy fancy canned veggies or that ‘Wonder Bread’ all the other kids had.
Later in life I married my prince and we live like paupers, we learned a lot from those early years mostly we could make way with little.
Then I became business partners with my good friend Ed. He taught me the same in the business world, don’t suck your business dry reinvest, be a little frugal and when you do spend, spend wisely.
I find it interesting to watch design trends in this slowing economy and find less to be more. Have I found no documented information on this subject so this is strictly me observing ………..
What do I mean by less is more? Well, furniture manufactures are scaling back their new introductions. When there are new styles they are classics, offering a lot of versatility. Fabric lines are showing fresh new spring colors, but the neutrals and basics are still very much in the forefront of presentations and are shown over and over again in ‘stories’.
Our fashion magazines are showing how to make our wardrobe stretch. I am always amazed at how many different ways there are to use the classic white blouse or the perfectly tailored black blazer. Shelter magazines are doing the same thing, and your talented designers have been doing it for years. I can completely change the feeling of a room without ever touching the ‘bones of the room’ Good bones of a family room could include ………
· Classic sofa in very classic neutral fabric, beige, ivory or chocolate.
· Pair of chairs, possibly leather again keeping the leather classic such as brown, camel or black
· Simple yet elegant occasional pieces stay away from trendy items, such as an end table made from a faux stack of books or a chest painted in a bold wild design
· Area rug should remain understated, tone on tone oriental or simple faux sisal.
With the good bones you can take this room in so many different directions.
Shelter magazines are showing literally less in a room. We all still need to have furniture in a space, but the accessories are scaled back. …………less is more……….
· A row of small vases across a mantel
· A simple pot of green grass as a coffee table center piece
· A bench with one decorative pillow
· Bedrooms are designed with a bed, nightstands and a reading nook………dressers are a thing of the past, now that storage for closets are designed to hold everything you need.
· Pair of chairs, possibly leather again keeping the leather classic such as brown, camel or black
· Simple yet elegant occasional pieces stay away from trendy items, such as an end table made from a faux stack of books or a chest painted in a bold wild design
· Area rug should remain understated, tone on tone oriental or simple faux sisal.
With the good bones you can take this room in so many different directions.
Shelter magazines are showing literally less in a room. We all still need to have furniture in a space, but the accessories are scaled back. …………less is more……….
· A row of small vases across a mantel
· A simple pot of green grass as a coffee table center piece
· A bench with one decorative pillow
· Bedrooms are designed with a bed, nightstands and a reading nook………dressers are a thing of the past, now that storage for closets are designed to hold everything you need.
Enjoy this new scaled back design trend. Purchase your classic basics; keep the bones of your space strong! As the economy starts to come back you’ll find accessories coming back strong, bold design will be the norm and the trend will be to use more. Who knows you not want to succumb to those changes and may find you like less is more ……………I personally never out grew it, and my dad is proud………my car is up to 85,000 miles 
this rug still does reflect some traditional qualities as much as it reminiscent
My eyes glazed over as I stared ahead. The red break lights became slightly blurred creating a soft configuration that started to become pleasing to my eye. This delicate arrangement became severely contrasted against the south bound headlights cookin’ along at 60 miles per hour. When I began to study the disproportion of the two patterns I began to think about how patterns in design relate. How mixing and matching patterns comes an easily to me as tying my shoes…….to others it is brain surgery!
Carefully choose your fabric for your panels. Stay away from any pattern that is too small …… small patterns can be overwhelming and may not run square. Dress your drapes, if you taste overall is more tailored consider adding a simple band to the lead edge of your panels. If you style is a little more feminine consider a glass bead trim or maybe the top third of the panel is a floral and the bottom two thirds a solid. Here is a roman shade with a banding application.
For many years I have assisted empty nesters with their transitions from the large family homestead to a smaller more manageable home. Gone are the semi & retirees of my childhood, this generation of 55 and older are hip and fun! Their idea of downsizing is not ‘cram all my stuff into this 900 sqft apartment……… I don’t care what it looks like’. This new generation is striving for so much more. They request everything that with my 30 somethings want and more…….hot tubs, media rooms, home gyms, open floor plans.
Keep your color palette monochromatic. All one color ………….. this creates an easy flow for the eye…no major visual speed bumps
