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Sally and I were thrilled and honored when Barbara asked us to be part of her Design In Five Series. My first impulse and thought was, “WOW! This is the equivalent of the kid in the candy store! LOVE IT!!! I can do anything I want! Cyberspace Show House! Room of my Dreams!” Then Barbara’s questions became very hard very quickly… There’s so much to consider when you design a room! But ultimately, Sally and I winnowed it down to these 5 Points – the aspects of a room’s design that emotionally resonate with Sally and me. The ones we use to tell a room’s story.
1. Millwork and architectural detail
2. Lighting
3. Color
4. Fabric
5. Artwork
Using examples of our work, we’ve illustrated these points.
Number One: Architecture. If a room is basically sound, but it needs personality, then millwork and architectural detail will give a room context and style. It is the stage upon which the rest of the room plays out. Design a great room architecturally, and everything you add will be so much more successful.
Wilson Kelsey Design: Custom millwork and crown molding in dining room. Photo: Laura Moss |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Custom millwork and crown molding in master bath. Photo: Laura Moss |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Custom millwork in library. Photo: Michael Lee |
Second: Lighting. Lighting creates mood and emotion. Lighting can make or break a room’s design, no matter how well the room is done. We see everything based upon the lighting we have, whether natural sunlight, reflected light, or artificial light. I really feel let down when I see a new home with rows and rows of recessed down lights. That is not the way to make people feel comfortable in a room. It is with sconces, lamps, both table and floor, and candles that we feel connected to our environment. Somehow it is related to the thousands of years that mankind lived by natural daylight and candlelight. By changing the style of lamp you choose, you can support the style of the room. There are great modern table lamps and great antique ones to choose from.
Wilson Kelsey Design: Louis XVI style sconces in living room. Photo: Michael Lee |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Antique table lamps in foyer/reception hall. Photo: Rick Mandelkorn |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Neutral fabrics. It’s all about the view. Photo: Rick Mandelkorn |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Richly layered colors and textures. Photo: Laura Moss |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Blending strong wall color and fabrics. Photo: Eric Roth |
Fourth: Fabric. The choice of fabric continues the storyline of a room, but in a different way – through pattern, texture, etc. Furniture is a given, but the fabrics you choose to cover that furniture can establish the character of the room. That is where the adjectives come to life! Fabrics can make a room feel formal, or casual. They can be tactile, or a visual feast. (silk versus chenille for instance.)
Wilson Kelsey Design: Contrasting patterns, tones and textures add richness. Photo: Rick Mandelkorn |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Lush silk velvet on recamier contrasts with floor and fern. Photo: Sam Gray |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Needlepoint parrot, multiple fabrics and tassels. Photo: Rick Mandelkorn |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Antique tapestry graces a grand foyer. Photo: Michael Lee |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Antique oil compliments colors in the room. Photo: Michael Lee |
Wilson Kelsey Design: Contemporary oil draws you into the room. Photo: Eric Roth |
Both Sally and I often find ourselves drawing parallels between interior design and a symphony orchestra. Both are composed of different parts, each fulfilling different and ever changing rolls over time. Both done well can cause goose bumps, gasps of delight and applause. Both have encores. In the case of a well designed room, you keep coming back for more.
Wilson Kelsey Design: French villa style living room, in construction. Photo: John Kelsey |
Wilson Kelsey Design: French villa style living room, progress photo. Photo: John Kelsey |
Wilson Kelsey Design: French villa style living room illustrating the Five Points. Photo: Laura Moss |
We’ve had a lot of fun putting his post together. It challenged us to stop and think very carefully about how we go about designing a room. We learned a few things about ourselves. Thank you for that opportunity, Barbara.
Cheers,
John and Sally
10 comments:
Beautiful! Am a fan of your work and that first room is just stunning. I so agree in that these five elements and how they come together will determine how successful a room is then all the other things are the icing on the cake.....beautifully done!
You illustrated your ideas beautifully in this post and have provided wonderful inspiration. Thank-you x Sharon
Beautiful and informative post! You've covered the 5 essential elements that MAKE a room.
~ Wendi ~
Thanks so much for introducing me to Sally and John. My husband is from New England, so I'm always working at bringing at least a bit of that sensibility into our rooms to make him feel at home. I'll have to add them to my "must read" list! Have a great week, Barbara.
Hi, I have just found your blog and I love it. You share very useful information and beautiful pictures. I follow!
www.tatianadoria.blogspot.com
Love John and Sally's work and agree with their 5 elements as being essential to a well designed room...John and Sally have beautifully illustrated their point with their interior design images..and what an experience! would love to move right into the French Villa!!
best,
maureen
WOW, I can't believe that gorgeous room started out as nothing more than a blank box. So utterly impressive.
What a wonderful post and really love John and Sally's work, it's simply beautiful. What a way to show your points too, love it!
Thank you Barbara for offering Sally and me such a wonderful opportunity to share our knowledge and design philosophy! It is actually a good thing to occasionally have to take the time to ask oursleves, how is it that we do what we do? To consider in a very conscious and critical manner that which we do very day to the point of almost taking it for granted. We learned a fwe things about ourselves and are better for having you put us through our paces.
To all of you who commented. Thank you for supportive comments. They mean so much to us.
And to those of you who took the time to vist our blog and website yesterday. WOW!! A Huge Thank You!!! Google Analytics tells us yesterday was a record day on our blog and website!!! We hope you will become regular visitors!
Thanks again, Barbara!
Warmly,
John and Sally
A fabulous post. John and Sally are soooo talented. I'm sure glad I didn't miss this one. XO, Mona
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