Decorate: 1,000 Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home

481 Pages·2011·33.61 MB·English

by  Holly Becker

DECORATE
1,000 professional design ideas for every room in your home
HOLLY BECKER & JOANNA COPESTICK
Photography by DEBI TRLOAR

“For me home is simply about shelter, in all manners of speaking. It’s a
place of rest and refuge, a place where I can play, relax, unwind, or
create—home is the place that replenishes my soul.”
Pia Jane Bijkerk, stylist
“Set an inspiration date for yourself. Visit an art gallery. Go window
shopping. Spend the afternoon in a bookstore.”
Carrie McCarthy, author
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Epigraph
Introduction
Space Matters
Setting Your Style
Room by Room
Attention to Detail
Copyright
Introduction
‘I want my home to work for me not the other way around and so every
design choice I make is based on practicality as well as aesthetics. I
really believe a home is something to live in, not just to admire.’
Atlanta Bartlett, designer
STILL LIFE Everyday objects such as china bowls and ceramic plates
are often beautiful pieces that merit special attention. Place them
together on shelves, windowsills or in cupboards so that they give you
pleasure every day.
WOODLAND TABLEAU Simple white wooden shelves decorated with
painted tree branches form a witty backdrop for a display of nature-
inspired paraphernalia.

Decorate is a different kind of decorating book. Rather than
concentrating on one trademark look or a particular design aesthetic, we
have concentrated on ideas – more than one thousand of them – to
provide fresh insight into how you can transform your home.
Ask any decorator what inspired them to create a space and the answers
are extremely varied. For some a painting can trigger a whole colour
scheme, for others a piece of quirky retro furniture fuels an eclectic old
and new scheme, while many rooms may start from an appreciation of
the white space itself – walls, floor and windows. Sometimes the
architecture of a space gives a design direction or else a favourite fabric
or a trusted paint colour will dictate a country or a modern feel. Learning
to see the potential of a dusty cupboard in a flea market or a beautifully
framed mirror at an auction, saving up to invest in a key piece of vintage
furniture or simply adapting an existing chair or table are all ways of
creating room schemes that reflect you and your personal style.
We have asked some of today’s most interesting and inspiring creative
minds for decorating ideas that reflect a sense of personal style, creativity
and confidence at home. Some have opened their style notebooks to
provide inspiring ideas; others allowed us to photograph their space
where we experienced firsthand how and why their decorating advice
truly works; and still others shared recent examples from their
professional portfolios, showcasing their talent and innovation. From
homes that are quirky to those that are carefully edited, wherever we
travelled we gathered insight and wisdom on everything from how to pull
together fabulous spaces in all sizes, successful ways to combine colours
with finesse, fresh uses of fabrics and wallpaper, how a simple, curated
collection can go a long way and much, much more.
Space Matters gives pointers on how to assess what you have and how
to work with it, where and when to alter spaces, ideas for how to make a
small space feel larger or a dark space lighter and when to allow the
architecture itself to dictate the space. Setting Your Style provides
advice on how to create your own mood board, using fabric samples,
paint swatches and treasured items such as buttons or ribbons as a way
of deciding on your own personal style. A number of interior styles, from
modern and simple to natural, flea market, eclectic and colourful provide
countless ideas to get you started. Room by Room includes fantastic
examples of key rooms in the home, from kitchens and living spaces to
bedrooms and bathrooms, work rooms and creative spaces to children’s
rooms. Throughout, case studies provide detailed information on key
homes while room plans give practical guidance on why each space
works so well. Finally Attention to Detail outlines the vital finishing
touches that can make or break an interior, from china and flowers to soft
furnishings.
This book shows easy ways to work with what you have, keeps an eye
on the budget and encourages you to see the possibilities from many
different starting points and a whole host of styles. Whether you love
boho or deco, vintage or retro, country or contemporary, this book
provides ideas and interiors to encourage you to be creative and
Decorate.
‘Decorating is an extension of your personal style. Finding your
decorating style depends on knowing what you love at a gut level.’Carrie
McCarthy, author