Sometimes the best way to learn or find inspiration is to discover, learn from and emulate a designer whose style you admire. When you find photos of a room, a space, a piece of furniture that you love, take note of the designer. Follow the designer and look for books or online articles that show you more of his/her work. Learn from their experience and practice translating it into your space.
As regular readers will know, a favorite of mine is Vincente Wolf. He usually works in very neutral palettes and does lots of white on white rooms while I prefer color, but he’s a master at using scale and texture to create exciting spaces.
“You can think of a room in terms of poetry. In a conventional room, all the elements tend to rhyme. The sofa matches the rug that matches the walls. If you have an indigo and beige rug, the rhymer’s impulse would be to pick up the indigo here and the beige everywhere else. I wouldn’t do that. I prefer a kind of assonance, more like free verse.” – Vincente Wolf, interior designer
Designed by Vincente Wolf
This calm bedroom reflects the design aesthetic of Wolf: chairs never match but always work well together; tables never match but fit in good counterpoint to the adjoining chairs; the look is serene and neutral but never boring; luxury is evident even when you can’t actually touch the rich fabrics.
“Somehow we are brainwashed by our boxy buildings into thinking that the right angle is divine. But I find the devil in the diagonal, and it is always interesting. Angling a chaise or reading chair toward a corner changes the direction of a room. If you are continually seeing the room from a diagonal point of view, it fools the eye into thinking the room is bigger.” – Vincente Wolf, interior designer
Designed by Vincente Wolf.
The white walls and expansive white floor make a bright shell for the rest of the furnishings. The small spark of color is the bright, cheery yellow – just that little touch really livens up the room. The angled furniture is a dynamic arrangement – Cindy talked more about using that technique in her room arranging series. If you missed it, you can click here to catch up.
If you’d like to peruse one of his design books, click on our Bookshelf tab at the top of the page and you can see his as well as a great selection of some of our favorite design books available from our affiliate Amazon.
Whatever your style preference or color choices, there is a designer out there doing current, innovative work in that style. Analyze the photos of the design work and see how the designer mixes fabrics, colors, and arranges furniture. Your design awareness and insight will improve and your home will reflect your new knowledge. Do you have a favorite designer that inspires you? Who is it and why? Talk to us – we love to hear from you.
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