THREE key DESIGN ELEMENTS TO COMPLETE A ROOM
When it comes to creating a well designed space, there are three essential design elements that I consistently integrate into every room. While selecting the appropriate furniture pieces is undeniably important, it is these particular steps that truly elevate the overall ambience and create a warm and comfortable room.
The living room of our Ascot Apartment project featuring caramel ceramic lamps with custom lampshades not only sets the mood in the evening but also creates an attractive design element in the room.
1.create the mood with lighting
Use lamp lighting to create soft lighting at night to improve the mood at atmosphere of your home in the evening. The soft, warm glow emitted by lamps creates a relaxing atmosphere, instantly promoting a sense of calm.
As soon as the sun starts going down, I turn on all the lamps in our home to create a calm atmosphere in the evening. I was recently away on a work trip, and my daughter said the house felt different at night as no one turned on the lamps. She said she liked the way the house felt when I was home and how I prepared the house for the evening.
Downlights are often over used in homes creating harsh lighting. Install dimmer switches on all of your ceiling lights so that you can easily adjust the brightness to create the desired atmosphere. Bright lights are not ideal for relaxing before bedtime and may interfere with the natural increase of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep.
1.ground the furniture with a rug
A lovely rug can change a room by adding colour and texture, while also serving a practical purpose. Without a rug, furniture feels like it is floating in the room. A rug brings balance to the space and prevents furniture from appearing disorganised or misplaced. Walking on a bare floor can feel chilly and unwelcoming. However, when there's a rug, it instantly brings warmth, softness, and comfort.
This geometric wool rug not only defines the space but is a feature in the room and is also comfy underfoot. This is our Sherwood Penthouse project celebrating colour and pattern.
3. style and accessorise
Adding accessories and styling elements not only makes a space more visually appealing, but also helps to bring together all the different elements in the room, creating a more welcoming feeling. Accessories, like a colourful lamp, a pretty vase filled with fresh flowers, or a stack of interesting books on the coffee table, add texture, colour, and character to a room. As a designer and a stylist I am always moving around and changing my styling pieces, picking wild flowers on my walk to fill my vases. I also love collecting books and magazines to not only read but use for styling. Remember also to have some fun. Styling can be addictive.
In this bedroom, we styled the bone inlay chest of drawers selected for the room with accessories and wall art to bring together some of the colours in the room and add personality and character. Out of the Blue bedroom project.
Here are some of my favourite places for sourcing lamps, rugs, and other decorative items like vases, baskets, wall art, coffee table books, and one-of-a-kind pieces.
At Berkeley Interiors we can help you to design and decorate all the special rooms in your home and specialise in sourcing furniture, lighting, rugs, making custom furnishings, selecting artwork, and styling your spaces including the final touches such as artwork & accessories.