Decorating with Style
Morning, evening, afternoon to all where ever you may be. I'm currently in Sydney, the weather is perfect hovering around the mid twenties and not so hot that it makes pottering impossible. Today is my seminar at Decoration and Design which is hugely exciting, and again on Friday.
I'm yabbering about how to Decorate with Style so we're talking about colour, texture, pattern, dissecting space, small spaces, large spaces, not to mention a section on decorating for less and finishing touches. A lot to pack into one hour, it will be a visual kaleidoscopic journey; much of the photography is from the new book WHICH is launching at the show today as well! Oh and people are available to register free of charge at Decoration + Design to attend my book signing, which takes place after my seminar at 11.30. So big day today.
The thing about decorating I find is that once you start looking at things a little differently there is no going back. Once you're brave enough to take a few risks or push a few boundaries there is no return. Take Shaun Clarkson's pad in London which I photographed for my new book, it was one of the those houses where you just couldn't get your jaw off the floor. Personal, eclectic, lived in, loved, high-end pieces, low-end pieces, and every room pulled at your heartstrings. There was one particular room which I literally had to removed from I just didn't want to leave.
Lower ground floor, little natural light and yet this room was magical. Book shelves lined all the walls, some of the books we're fauxs, (cardboard spines), the furniture was exquisite, the lighting amazing, it was the coolest room to hang out, watch a movie, read a book, flick through a magazine. It wrapped you up in the squishiest of blankets, so that you just didn't want to leave. It was painted out dark (yes dark, small basement room with low ceilings and no light) and dark! It was such an inspiring room; it literally pulled me up by the coat tails because we often put so many barriers in the way when it comes to decorating. BUT we don't need to, you can create anything, anywhere the only thing stopping us is our imagination, and those self-doubting nagging little questions that always hold us back. No more I say!