A few little tips

I spend alot of time looking at images, images of living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms you name it. Very few stand out- generally they all sort of merge into a haze of nothingness. However some do and one of those houses I return to again and again, either to illustrate a point I'm making in one of my masterclasses or purely for inspiration is the home belonging to Kate and Andy Spade. Its actually quite formally decorated for my taste, so its a little surprising that I am so drawn to it, but I guess its because it feels just so loved. So if you want to know how to create a pretty darn cool interior, a few pointers. Don't stop decorating too soon, most people actually do and it shows. Walls are bare, tables are empty, there might be one cushion on a sofa if we're lucky, possibly a few lights NOT ENOUGH. The more you dress a room, the more intriguing a room becomes. Please don't ask me about dust, yes you have to dust more but what would you rather a space that you truly long to return to at the end of the day or an empty box. Nor do I believe the line 'my life is so cluttered and full my house needs to feel spacious and empty'. Rubbish, come on you've just not spent any time on softening it up simple as that, and who can feel comfortable, squishy and contented in an empty shell of a room? Next tip - triple your lights if you think you have enough you don't. As I write 8 lights in a relatively small room are softly glowing casting the most magical glow in the soft dawn light. Lighting is the second most transformative thing you can do to a space btw after colour that is! Ditch lining accessories up in rows or leaving negative spaces between objects. Why because it reads as boring. Its the easiest most boring thing you can do to a room, it doesn't push boundaries, its not intriguing or challenging and you can do it from the age of 2, 3 if you are a slow learner! Instead arrange things in three dimensional little groupings -  mass objects together that vary in height, look at the composition from the side the front the back if its not butting up to a wall. Yes its a little harder but we all know the harder you work at something right the more you get out of it! I think that is enough to be getting on with for this morning at least. I leave you with an image or a small detail of the Spade's home. It nails it for me, lived in and loved you don't quite know where to look, your eye is drawn, tantalised and intrigued all at the same time. GOLD STAR