5 Design Tips for Fall

By Jeffrey Bruce Baker, AIA, Jeffrey Bruce Baker Designs

This fall, we prepare for the holidays ahead with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. Follow these five easy tips, and your home will be as warm and welcoming as the family recipes you are sharing.

1. Choose what you love. Artwork should be chosen to inspire, not merely to coordinate with a “look”. When placing art in your rooms, pay attention to scale and grouping. Consider how the piece will look from different angles but remember that you do not need to see the entire piece from every angle. Catch the eye, then reveal.
2. Use what you have. When working with a client, my role is part “editor,” using accessories he/she already owns. I often make an analogy to fashion design: “Do not wear all of your jewelry at once.”
3. Tone matters. When choosing a color for a room, look to nature first. Identify colors you like in nature (i.e. stone, plants, soil) before pulling out paint swatches. Then, find paint colors that match your earthly inspiration. Next, put those samples in the room to see how they react to different light during each time of the day. Explore the lighter and darker shades of a particular color to find the right tone.
4. Go big. Especially in a small space, I love using large area rugs and substantially scaled art. Using a large rug under furniture defines a seating area and makes the space feel larger and less cluttered. Large art grounds a room. It also breaks up different spaces within a small multi-purpose room, such as a studio.
5. Add history to add depth. Antiques soften a modern space by adding texture and sophistication. For example, a tribal Persian rug in dark red hues is a great foundation for black leather Barcelona chairs. An ornate chair is very glamorous in a room contrasted with clean modern lines.

Enjoy the changing of the seasons and remember that you are in control of your environment!

Get more seasonal design tips from the November 2011 issue of Atlanta Home Improvement.