Move away from the edge
I seem to have lost a bunch of my clothes last week including favourite ever pair of jeans. Filming long hours, jumping in a zillion different cars, trains etc. and not paying as much attention as I should means regrettably I was jean less until last night when I took a trip to Liberty’s. If anyone is visiting London in the next few months it’s the coolest, repeat coolest store in town. As a customer you are bedazzled you don’t quite know where to look. Paths are never straight you have to plot your own course and the furniture, clothes, shoes (oh my god the shoes) are amazing!
I design spaces in the same way – paths never being straight I mean. If you can walk in a straight line from one end of you room to the other, MESS IT UP IMMEDIATELY. the reason being consciously or subconsciously your senses are activated, excited, stimulated and that is what it is all about. The best stores in the world follow this mantra, as do the best homes. I was explaining this to a client last week who said I must live in a very strange world to even think like that. Maybe I do (don’t know seems pretty normal to me) but when you start analysing and figuring out what makes a good interior you will see they are all linked. Look at magazines, make lists of rooms that appeal and I bet you furniture is never just placed along the perimeter. No matter how small the space move it away from the edge. During our master classes last year I brought people up to my studio to demonstrate my point – the rooms in this house are not big, it was built in 1860 after all think standard Victorian rooms and all the furniture is brought into the room rather than lined up like soldiers along the edge.
Call it making mischief but in design like in life you have to break a few rules in order to feel alive. Happy Tuesday
Jonathan Adler’s NY pad pretty much nails what I am talking about, coffee table slap bang in the centre with chairs clustered around it.
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Move away from the edge | Shelterholic Now said this on January 17, 2012 at 8:15 am |
couldnt agree more, also live in standard Victorian house and feel that rooms look bigger with even a small amount of space behind furniture, as well as in front (obviously!!), the space also seems to “frame” the furniture, win/win!
liberty’s is for nerds
Liberty is one of the most incredibly beautiful stores – architecturally and aesthetically not totally sure why you think its for nerds.
Eh? Liberty is the best shop in London. I could actually live in there I think. How can it be for nerds? It doesn’t even sell computer stuff!
i saw the liberty’s web site
Don’t look at the website come to the store!
ok x
This really is, in addition to painting, one of the best tips in decorating, in my opinion. I have a small apartment, so bed, living space, and large closet are all in one space.
The furniture used to be lined up on the sides, but then I followed your advice, turned the sofa to divide the room, bought a coffee table (old worn school bench from India) and an old lovely chair. Now it feels like I have a bedroom, living room, and a walk in closet! And the whole place feels so much cosier. So, if living by this rule is to live in a strange world, sign me up anyday!
Now, if I could just get that Charleston Grey to jump on the wall on its own… I have already had the can of paint for a month, but have a hard time finding the energy to do the actual moving the furniture, taping the ceilings, windows etc and painting the requisite two coats.
BTW, what is your opinion on leaving a strip of wall painted just before the ceiling? The previous tenants have done that, and I am wondering should I follow suit? Also, how do you handle old-fashioned radiators that sit in deep recesses in the wall and cannot be taken down for painting? Do you just leave them or paint them as best you can?
I would go over the strip before the ceiling ideally you want everything seemless so it all merges beautifully and doesn’t distract the eye. Re your rad problem pain them, I’ve managed with hours with a really small brush on a pole that gets behind. Its a hassel but they will look much better I promise x
Thank you Abigail, I shall try to grin and bear it then with the radiator
My friend suggested I just paint the walls without radiators, but somehow that does not seem tantalising enough for me. Now just have to figure out how to paint on top of a huge cupboard that cannot be moved and is very deep (80cm). Am considering knocking the whole thing down and replacing it with a smaller, more beautiful one, maybe that would be best.
Have a nice week, and thank you again for this blog, Iit is amazing to be able to “talk” to you this way.
More than welcome x
Also love libertys – however I was in there on Sunday with my parents to buy a dining table and recived awful service from one of the sales assistants. I was so upset!
I love this post, I always design in the same way. I’m forever telling people not to push furniture up against the wall and have my sofa and chairs well away from the walls. Happy Tuesday
Abigail what I really love about your blog is that you pass on genius tips like this. There the sort of thing that I never see in design books and magazines which often churn out the same dull advice. Your tips are genuinely different and I love them. Thank you x
Thank you very sweet of you to say x