Right then the doors of the Design School are being flung open today and tomorrow and we’re be yabbering all about how to create you very own dream home. The two M’s Maud and Mungy are off to school (with both of us feeling a little poorly felt that it might be easier and kinder on them) as can just about get up the stairs let alone take them to the park. Plus they do this double act when everyone arrives of zooming around and playing up – so school is a good plan and they haven’t been for over a month, way behind on their three R’s!
Although we tend to ditch the rules in our design classes, you do kind of need to know a little about them in order to do away with them. For example the idea of symmetry is a popular one, I’m taking bedside tables and lamps exactly the same, mantlepieces and consoles anchored and orderly that kind of thing. Its the easiest way to decorate because you don’t need to think its a bit like painting by numbers, follow the formula and you will get a pretty OK looking space. OK being the key word. Except OK isn’t good enough for me I want spectacular, jaw on the floor, gasping at the door type interiors where a room is so amazing you have to sit down in order to take it all in. So I’m not the hugest fan of symmetry. In my spaces everything is not a mirror image and although there is balance its an informal balance, far harder to pull off but far more memorable. How to achieve asymmetrical balance you may ask? Well its not hard – you need to have a number of equally interesting things going on in a space for the eye to linger on. If your eye wanders round the room and then always comes back to the same point – NOT GOOD your balance is suspect. If however things are randomly distributed throughout the room then you’ve probably nailed it.
The reason I am so obsessed with this style of decorating is because there is no formula, no rules, no limits anything goes. It may take a bit of tweaking to get right but once you’ve converted you’ve converted, a bit like crossing over to the dark side there is no going back.
The image below shows a very simple example of asymmetrical balance. The pictures are not all lined up on the wall, the pillows are ad hoc so when you first look at it you can’t quite take it all in in one hit. Cool hey.
Have a lovely weekend
Interesting…more, please.
Great post Abigail, I too am a fan of asymmetrical balance. Far more interesting.
Loving the colour on the walls or wallcovering! what also does it for me in this pic is the shot of yellow on the cushion, the grey and black backgrounds totally makes it go BANG!
Going back a few days, I love your typo mistakes as it makes your blogs human, and I’m always making typo and spelling mistakes so really refreshing to see. Also the design is far more important!
So looking forward to the 15th Feb, see you then. Have a good day. I have a totally crazy one!
D x
Thank you see you on the 15th
Okay, I’ve moved to the dark side, but the asymmetrical side?
Relieved to see there was still some bedside symmetry going on in the photo. I guess I can manage SOME asymmetry…
Hi Abigail,
I’m about to decorate my bedroom. I totally agree with you when it comes to breaking a few rules with symmetry. My dilemma is that I have this huge fitted cupboard that covers the one side of the room. I don’t know what to do with it. One things for shore I’m going to paint the ceiling, walls, door, frames and all the same colour, unfortunately not the ugly white upvc windows which is my second dilemma. Please Abigail could you help me on this one. Manny thanks Hardip xx
You could do a number of things with your cupboard. You can paint the fitted cupboard out the same the colour as your walls so it goes away. You can wallpaper the doors in a beautiful paper so it almost feels like an artwork, or you could put some killer handles on the doors to make them look really bespoke and beautiful. Also once you start on the rest of the room, accessorizing, lighting etc you will find that you’re eye won’t linger on the cupboards you just need a few focal points to distract!
You’re a star! Thank you, let you know how I get on. Xx
Looking at the picture , it seems to work because the color palette was restricted. Would that be correct.
Good star you are correct!
The first thing I look at when entering a room (or seeing a photo) is the artwork on the walls. I’m always intrigued to see if there’s anything interesting above the bed because too often there’s a blank – and I think a bedroom is about moving around in the space, isn’t it, not just what you see when you are in bed.
I discovered your blog about a month ago and am catching up on all your designs ideas – very enjoyable, and learning a lot, thank you.
Thank you x
hi there. I guess this may be slightly off-topic, although it seems like every comment on here usually has to do with painting and dark colours! So I’ll join in – wondering if you have any thoughts about double receptions and whether they should all be painted out the same colours? Thinking of using f & B chemise, have you had any experience with that one? (just did our bedroom in london clay and am really happy with it) so thanks very much..
maybe you remember me, I think I was probably the only guy to take one of your classes! dan
I do remember you Dan, haven’t used that colour before and when it comes to double reception rooms its such a personal one. On the ground floor I’ve painted both rooms the same colour, they aren’t the largest of rooms so it makes them feel bigger. On the lower ground floor the kitchen is a slightly (but only very slightly) different hue to the dining area – although its hard to tell. So i guess what I am saying is I would paint them out both the same if the rooms aren’t that big, as it will make them feel alot larger
Hi Abigail,
Thanks so much for Friday’s design school. We loved every minute. A few of the ladies went for cocktails after and oohed and aaahed about the darkness of your house. We could not decide whether it was the darkness that made it feel bigger or if it really is just v big ?? We were all bewitched ! It is sumptous and delightful and I think you will find more than 1 convert to the dark side from that group. I am certainly painting my bathroom dark, and putting in my wild neon nude. So rock and roll.
I found the darkness with the bright colours so hopeful. The bright things and flowers felt like foraged wild fruit- so precious and life enhancing. I think it connected with my troglodyte self – especially with a bit of fire and lamp action thrown in. It all felt very natural, like the walls were made of a really chic soft dark stone. Love.
I will email you with a few specific questions as they all went out of my head on the day. Please thank Graham also for the divine lunch and general care and attention with coffee and rose !
Diana
Such lovely words thank you so much and so glad you all enjoyed it. We had a lovely time such a fab group of people, had a blast. Certainly email any questions whenever you want, more than happy to answer xx
Excellent post. I will be dealing with many of these issues as well.
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