Being Preppy: A Culture and a Lifestyle

When you hear the word preppy, what comes to your mind? Preppy design may pertain to social gatherings, ethics, country clubs, the genteel approach, even family traditions. Some people think of snobbery when describing the preppy style but it is not this at all. This is more of a confident style that is optimistic and has a look of its own.

Preppy style works because it is classic and comfortable. These two words are definitions that you do not contend with when it comes to interior design. Meticulous eyes and hands cooperate to produce anything that’s remotely preppy. It evokes a refined taste and a level of aspiration that is uncommon. Now who wouldn’t want such a kind of dwelling?

Say Yes to Layered Patterns

Being preppy means you have to be collected all of the time. This means that even the design elements that you use have to be well thought of in order to produce an aesthetic appeal that is hard to equal.

Plaid will forever be preppy as are stripes, gingham checks, herringbone and hound’s-tooth. Pay close attention to palette and scale when mixing these patterns. A lot of large-scale patterns will only drown each other. A bunch of the small-scale ones will only render the mixture scattered.

Don’t think of color coordination as this is no concern for preppies. While you don’t need to match colors all the time, you must remember to stay within the same hue family.

Traditional Is In

Since preppy is always classic, it would be safe to use hues that are strong and traditional. The perfect and oft-used color scheme is pink and green. Lately, the combination of red and navy has also taken the interior design world by surprise. As have the fusions of mellow gold, pine green and leathery browns.

There is no need to go overboard and flood the room with your chosen preppy colors. You can balance the usual pink and green combo with a douse of white.

Preppy Furniture Pieces

When it comes to preppy furnishings, it is safest to go with time-honored bits and pieces. Always include club chairs, Oriental rugs, leather sofas, and the like when choosing furniture for your peppy home. The most beautiful hardwood pieces are the perfect pieces to use.

If old school pieces don’t beckon to you, then find newer pieces that still retain the preppy look.

When it comes to beds and bath linens, monograms keep popping up. They are also evident in many throw pillows and barware. It’s up to you to make these monograms discreet (or not so discreet). You can give monograms a fresh look by adding fun colors. Monogramming objects like chair backs would also be interesting.

Nautical Touches

Boating and preppy life will always go hand-in-hand. You will never be questioned if you use nautical maps, prints and stripes to liven up your room. Don’t overdo it, though, as you could end up with a garish-looking space.

Always remember that preppy is never vulgar so keep it within the allotted boundaries.

Keep the accents graphic yet simple. For instance, you can display framed maritime flags in a grid. This will offer a visual punch that will be further highlighted if you use rope knots, oars and a model sailboat.

Say no to fussiness, though. You should limit your trims to just a single space. Use a dainty lamp, for instance, to balance the sleek accents that you used. Make sure everything is within the same color family so that you will achieve a streamlined look.

Blue and White China

Fill your dining room with ginger jars, pitchers and plates in blue and white. These are the mainstays of preppy style. These look timeless which is why they can easily blend with any kind of palette or furnishing.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 26th, 2016 at 9:00 am and is filed under Interior Design 101, Interior Design Themes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.