The Dilettant's Primer

House to Home and The Inspired Room

Welcome, and thank you for visiting! A few years ago I bought my first home. It was a fixer-upper: it had been built in the late 1960s and 50 years later remained a monument to that era.

I was excited by the possibilities. Over the course of a few weekends we razed the interior. Out went strips of linoleum, yards of (was it originally beige?) carpeting, yellowed (definitely not originally color) shower tiles, bathroom counters predating Watergate…Out, out! damn spotted wallpaper!
It was exhilarating. I remember standing proudly in my newly zen living room and thinking, “Now I can really get to it!”

That was when it got messy: I had a distinct view on what I liked, what I wanted to accomplish with the space, but no idea how to get there. There were too many moving parts and variables: too many shades on paint swatches, flooring choices, etc etc. If I chose a muted grey for one room – would the latte color for the next room still work? Etc. etc. and so forth.

Eventually exasperation won out, I chose my paints and hardware and got on with it.
In my pursuit of perfection I realized that the imperfect “work in progress” is a lot more comfortable – and a source of greater satisfaction (where is the fun with a finished, stagnant product? Much better to keep on moving and changing).

In my haphazard fashion I also learned a few things about design. There are a number of rules and standards in this area– but I think, for my purposes at least, (again, given my dislike of too many variables and love of broad, simple generalizations) it boils down to 4 general principles:

(1) Cohesion:
Cohesion, in this instance, is the impression of continuity across space and of belonging within a whole and is accomplished by reference to repetition of common themes (shape, color, textures, patterns, etc.). What distinguishes a room storing assorted furniture and a living room is this intentional integration of different elements: ie, the impression that one piece is logically or artistically related to the next and that their summation is something greater than there assorted mass.

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Christina on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Sherry on Pinterest

Although I would substitute the blue chair for a bright white one (simultaneously minimizing the white backing of the framed painting) as it is it otherwise veers a bit on the side of bland to my mind.


(2) Contrast

In order to be interesting a room’s cohesion or unity must be balanced by variance or contrast. To contrast is to juxtapose two elements in order to accentuate their differences. It is easiest to think of contrast in the context of colors. But it can (and should) be utilized in any area of design through the use of shapes, textures, proportion....

Patricia Gray

(3) Focus
Like any composition, a room needs a focal point. A focal point draws the attention of the viewer to the ‘most important’ element of the design. By emphasizing one element you give the viewer a starting place. Our eyes and brains like direction and visual cues – by use of the emphasis, isolation or placement of one central element in a room - one provides such direction, guiding a viewer in the theme or structure of the overall room and how element ‘a’ relates to element ‘b’ and ‘c’ in creating a coherent whole.


By Christine Tse as featured in Elle Decor

(4) Function.

Rooms are, before all else, functional. The structure and decoration of a rooms space must reflect and support the purpose it is put to. Form follows function.

Life and rooms are for living!