“The devil is in the details.” I’m sure that’s a phrase you all have heard many times. It applies to many aspects of our lives. Planning a vacation, a party and even more so, planning our homes. Homeowners often spend time and money creating an overall functional space in their homes, and forget that details give the space the tone and personality they are hoping to create.
A living room can function perfectly well if it is laid out with the proper furniture. It can even look good if the furniture pieces are coordinated to each other and to the color of the room. So how can we go beyond that to create a beautiful room? You may like the colors blue and yellow so you buy a blue sofa, blue and yellow striped chairs and add in some coordinating throw pillows and you think are done. You well might be; but how can we can make that room even better?
When designing your space think about all of the surfaces and layers in the room. Mixing varying textures creates depth and interest. You can add texture on the walls with wallpaper or a decorative paint that add a dimension or layer of depth to the space that a flat paint job will not. You can do the entire room, or just one section—say, above a chair rail. Another simple way to bring texture to a room is with fabric. Fabrics present endless possibilities in tone and texture. Linens, velvets, cottons, satin just to name a few. Changing it up is a great way to enhance your space especially when keeping to a simple color palate. Of course don’t forget the floor! Often overlooked, the floor is another opportunity to add layers of texture to the room. A functional rug can determine the furniture arrangement and adds texture and warmth. It is an important element that give the space a finished look.
Architectural trim is another detail that enhances a room. A basic room generally comes only with baseboard moldings. Adding crown molding to the ceilings can visually extend the height of the space by attracting the eye upwards and add an interesting and beautiful element to the room. Within the simple parameters of a molding there are hundreds of styles and sizes to choose from. A taller and bigger room can handle a larger molding. The molding can also help pull the style of the room together by selecting a molding style that works with the style of the room. Beyond base and crown molding there trims to create a paneled look such as picture molding, chair rails, tray ceilings and coffered ceilings. Originally used in grand homes we have adapted millwork in wood and lightweight synthetics to add elegance style and individuality to our spaces.
Last, and certainly not least, accessories, often referred to by designers as “smalls” are the finishing touch. Although many people have “project fatigue,” by the time you get to this phase of your project, adding accessories is an important way to finish the space. Accessories come in many forms, some of which you probably own already. Books, lamps, baskets, pictures, and candle sticks just to name a few. A good eye will edit and add to these pieces as necessary to fill the space both figuratively and literally. While your room may have ample lighting from overhead sources, adding a lamp enhances the light by incorporating light at different levels of the room to finish the look of the space.
Imagine I am finalizing the last details of my family vacation. “Did you remember the ketchup?” my daughter asks. Of course! What would a sandwich be without the ketchup? Like a room without the texture, without moldings, without accessories. It could never be as good, because it’s all in the details!
By Shoshana Halpert
