The connection between the fashion world and the world of interior design is more closely related than ever before. Just as you design your wardrobe, your style choices in clothing often mirror the same style you choose for your home.
Sometimes it is easier to find inspiration in your own closet than it is from home decor pages in magazines. Everyday I design the outfit I am going to wear so it only makes sense that some of the inspiration for my own home might be found deep in my own closet. A favorite blue t-shirt once was the perfect soothing wall color for my guest room. I took it to my local paint store and asked them to match the color. It was so easy! Other times the latest runway fashions prove to have just the right combination of style and fantasy that make me want to take a risk and try something new. Either way I find fashion and home are more related than ever before. Fabrics that used to be just reserved for fashion are now finding their way onto home decor design boards. Perfect classic and hounds tooth checks that make up the time-honored fabrics of Ralph Lauren fashion also make great patterns and fabrics for a den or library.
The most obvious place to look for fashion inspiration is with color. Fashion is often more bold and daring—hot pinks mixed with turquoise and greens might be this summer’s hottest fashion statement in all the magazines. Some filtered down version usually makes its way into the design scene. Maybe not as colorful or as over the top, but served up in wonderful ways that best suite home decor. One always has to remember that you can change your outfit in a day... your home is not so easy. More thought has to go into the design choices for our homes because we will "wear" the outfit we choose for our home every day; adding and subtracting all the different layers that make up our home style. Who lives there, their lifestyle and the likes and dislikes of a group dynamic? A home, like a runway, wears many collections. Usually there is a designer who offers up different translations of his or her particular style. You get to decide which outfit is best for you within that collection. Like your personal wardrobe, different days call for different ensembles. To translate how this might work for your home think of your "night out for dinner" outfit as the equivalent to your living room or more formal room in your home. It usually adds up that whatever you are comfortable wearing is usually closely related to how formal your interior might be, over the top or sophisticated understatement. Even if it is not a literal translation, finding ideas, color ways, patterns and trends within your wardrobe is a perfect starting point for finding a path to your personal home decor.
Pink, especially soft pink is something I love to wear. I’m not really comfortable in the brighter side of pink. I use pink as a neutral and love it in every room and have it throughout my closet. I take inspiration from a faded prom dress or a small package. Pink is sweet and sophisticated in pale tones. Mixed with warm beige tones makes it perfect for the bedroom.
My guest room is off the garden and often the place where all my favorite visitors stay when on vacation. I wanted this space to feel serene and happy, like a mini get-a-way for the traveler. So I chose blue in a very island, watery shade and mixed in some vintage finds to make the room feel like it had been there all along. Inspiration of crisp and clean came from a vintage summer dress I had in my closet. Just like the guest room I don't always wear the summer dress but I loved what it represented. Summer days, informal dinners and lots of watery blues.
I love any kind of Boho reference and as long as it is outdoors it feels even better. Like a caravan of color from a favorite embroidered blouse, lounging outside on a daybed full of bright inspiration makes this corner hideaway the perfect place to picnic.
I collect lots of vintage jewelry, not too fancy, just things I like. Some I have, just because and I often don't end up wearing them. I either loved the color or the way the materials were mixed together. Whatever the reason, they are often the source of inspiration in my own home. Mixing and matching is what a layered home is all about. My home has been assembled over time and I love it when I am able mix my favorite vintage beaded sweater with some other assorted elements from my closet. I have rooms in my house that do the same. Full of bits of this and that, colors that blend and oppose and patterns that when layered together create a statement all their own. Such is the eclectic world of fashion and home decor.
There are some rooms in my house whose design is by accident. The process can happen backwards for me. I gathered all the furniture and accessories for a room only to find that they all remind me of a favorite blouse detail. I love it when that happens. All of my favorite and familiar colors come together in unison. Pale creams, turqs and pinks mixed in with subtle hints of vintage gold and silver. Just like a fashion choice, it all reflects my own personal style. To me that is what design is all about. How we design our life has to reflect our own unique personalities both in our every day fashion choices and in our home.
To keep up with Annette, you can like her facebook page, follow on twitter, and stop by her blog!
Thanks so much Annette, such an honor to have you stop by Flourish! x
Share your design inspiration, I'll help turn it into a reality! e design services start at $85. Visit sarah swanson design.
2 comments:
You had me at pink.
great post Sarah. I love Annette's connection between home decor and fashion... it makes perfect sense!!
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