- Follow us:
Saturday, April 14th, 2018
Hooker Furniture Living Room Citizen Stationary Sofa: Can you identify the layered elements in this room?
The success of interior design is all about getting every element right. Each piece must be able to work with the other pieces while still being able to stand on its own. This entire process is what’s known in the design world as layering. You might wonder why it is not included in the principles of design since it plays a huge role in making a room stand out.
Bringing your home to the next level in terms of design is all about incorporating the correct layers. This is a process that can be learned and followed.
It’s Not All About Clothing
People have a tendency to think about clothing when the word layering is brought up. The world of fashion design considers layering as a dynamic step. The mere addition of a scarf or a necklace can make a huge difference in the ensemble. Clothing is no longer merely utilitarian.
Interior design is no different. Make time to consider the different elements that are used to pull a room together. Each of these design elements plays a distinctive role but altogether, they also need to work to establish harmony.
Layering is the very act of building a room from the flooring all the way up to the ceiling. It is all about taking every design element and putting them to form cohesion. Layering is no less than the secret ingredient to adding depth to spaces.
Design Elements to be Layered
Now that you know what layering means, your next step is to use it to your advantage. To layer effectively means you need to know the function and value of every component that is placed in every room.
The wall covering, for instance, has the wallpaper or the paint as a means to layer. Flooring options include vinyl, wood, and carpet. Tables, chairs, and beds are examples of furniture that can be layered (e.g. the bed can be dressed up using bedding, pillows, pillowcases, duvet, etc.
You can also layer with textiles such as area rugs, blankets, bedding, and pillows. Go ahead and layer the table lamps, overhead lights, and ambient features. As for decorative items, use coffee table books, photos, mirrors, artwork, and flowers.
Consider each of these elements as a separate layer. Every single one of them is a crucial part of the design and, thus, must be taken as a part of the room. Remember to build the room by carefully adding layers at a time.
Use Contrast
Layering is seen to be more effective when it is accomplished with different materials. The beholder must be able to differentiate the key pieces. To effectively separate each piece, you have to learn to use contrast.
Contrasting helps in making your design stand out. This is not a one-size-fits-all type of thing, though. There are also several elements that you need to use to make it happen.
First, you can use colors. Pick opposite shades using your color wheel. As for patterns, be sure to pair the bold designs with a block color. You can also contrast metals with some natural materials. Also be able to juxtapose soft and hard stuff or rough and smooth ones. As for the size, group the small and big items together.
Use Common Threads
Contrast is important but it is only successful when you know the common elements that tie them. Without these things, the room would feel cluttered rather than busy. Layers should be similar enough so that they feel purposeful and deliberate.
As you create each unique layer, think about contrast and commonality. All the others elements should be harmonized. That’s all there is to it.
Tags: layering, layering in interior design, layers, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
Posted in Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements | Comments Off on What Is Interior Design Layering?
Monday, September 19th, 2016
Uttermost Lamps and Lighting Jelani, Table Lamp 26987 provides accent lighting for your living room.
You may think that light is the least essential design element when the days are at their longest yet this is the best time to buy quality lighting and select fixtures that would properly light your home. The first step that you need to undertake is to know the three kinds of lighting.
Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting can also be referred to as general lighting since it provides an overall glow. In essence, it does the role of sunlight during the night. Full ambient lighting can be achieved by properly spacing recessed downlights. This can also be achieved by a single central ceiling fixture.
Ambient lighting is often chosen for its decorative feature. Be sure to check the wattage when you want to know how much light the ambient fixture can offer.
One problem that you might have encountered in older homes is that homeowners only used task lighting. This gets the job done, sure, but it can leave a lot of dark corners or make rooms appear smaller.
Minus ambient lights, you are likelier to trip over stuff, this is why this kind of light is now the most common light used in many modern homes. The unfortunate news is that people tend to stop at ambient lighting, not even bothering to layer with another kind of lighting.
Accent Lighting
This kind of lighting, on the other hand, provides any room with a more polished look. Of course, it is important to make the room more visually interesting which is why you should carefully choose accent lights.
Just like any beautiful painting, accent light has the power to draw the eyes to it. This visual piece can be that attractive lighting fixture or some directional lights.
One of the most natural accent lights is the chandelier which can highlight the dining table. Downlights are able to illuminate a piece of art or an interesting decorative cabinet.
Task Lighting
The last type of light is task lighting. This is that focused light that can create a spotlight on a task. This is important in the prevention of eye strain, therefore, to eye health.
What could be more fun than a glowing peacock? Featured here is the Maitland-Smith Lamps and Lighting Cast Brass Peacock Wall Sconce 1900-111
Relax, Have Fun
A lot of designers rely on lighting designers when taking on a remodeling project. The latter make sure the rooms are properly lit for the crucial tasks. They also know that mood can be easily created with light. If you want to ascertain that your home is correctly lit, then you should begin by knowing the three kinds of lighting and to know how and where to use them.
Apply accent, ambient and task lighting – these are the three kinds of light. Don’t force them, though. It would be unwise to cram them into one space. Layered lighting is only considered successful if the entire room has a flattering glow to it. There shouldn’t be any daunting shadows anywhere. The most interesting parts of the home must also pop because of proper lighting.
The three kinds of light can be layered but don’t get confused by them. A family room, for instance, can have recessed lighting which could provide a casting glow. A ceiling chandelier can double as ambient and decorative lighting. A white table lamp (still in the same room) is a great decorative piece when placed against dark walls. While it is decorative, this lamp can also offer task lighting for anyone who wants to read a good book.
Alright, here’s the simple secret –
Begin with ambient light as the first layer. The task light follows as the second layer and the accent lights finish the job. If you can commit that to memory, then all you have to do now is to find the fixture styles that would match your home’s theme.
Tags: accent light, accent lighting, ambient light, ambient lighting, general lighting, interior lighting, layering, layering in interior design, layering lights, lighting fixture, lighting interiors, lighting layers, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, task light, task lighting, tips, types of light, types of lighting
Posted in Accents, Interior Design 101, Interior Design Elements, Lighting | No Comments »
Monday, April 18th, 2016
Thomasville Bedroom Slumber Ensemble Set (Super Queen) TV-BD1-40 shows an exciting fusion of bold and neutral colors.
The bedroom, unlike living spaces, can make use of hot hues on walls. Living space walls normally reflect the trendiest artwork and accessories unlike the bedroom where in-the-moment palettes are most in. The 80s bright neon look, for instance, would be an interesting color to splash across the bedroom walls. Pink and dove gray combination, on the other hand, makes for a relaxing room. If you want a more recent color combination, look for them in fashion magazines. What usually appears in clothing stores and on runways are almost always translated to bedding.
For those who have a bit of trouble when it comes to sleep, colors that are serene or restful is the way to go. For those who do not have sleeping issues, then you are the few who can try something bolder. Spending more time inside the bedroom is a lot more fun if the colors are fresh and they match your personality.
Rich Hues
Choose to add color and texture in one go with the grass cloth wall covering. Pick a color (or color combination) that is vibrant so that the rest of the room is left simple. Say, you chose flaming red as the color; then have the bed and the rest of the furniture in a more subdued color. You can, however, carry over the red to your lampshades, pillows, and bedding.
Painting the walls and trim with a bold, bright hue can give the bedroom a cozier, more cocooning effect.
The Hanging Chair
If you have ample room for an extra chair, then you might as well have one that shows a lot of flair. A hanging basket chair will surely catch anyone’s attention.
The One-of-a-Kind Keyhole Arch
If you are jumping into the remodelling bandwagon, then you might as well do something mysterious or unique for this project. Adding a nook or a semi-secret corner can be done in style. Just add a keyhole arch to separate the smaller area. This should still be able to allow the passage of light into the main room.
Use Layering
Try a different sort of style when you are out to change the bedding. Mix and match patterns and colors. Since the bed is the biggest object inside the room, make it a point to think about what you would put there. Any pattern or color that you place there will immediately catch the eye of anyone who visits the bedroom. Use a smaller scale of patterns on the sheet while using a larger scale pattern on your coverlet.
Accent pillows can take the extra large scale prints.
Floral arrangements create an interesting backdrop to an otherwise boring bedroom nook. Featured table is from FFDM’s Biltmore Collection.
Beautify the Windows, Too
Don’t be satisfied with plain blinds for your bedroom. You can afford to be more flamboyant when it comes to your bedroom shade so you might as well choose fun fabrics.
You may begin with the plain, neutral-colored shades then sew on some interesting fabrics. Just be conscious about the layers that you add since these can make the shades opaque. See also that the fabrics won’t make opening and closing the shades a lot more difficult.
Add Some Bedroom Art
It would also be nice if you can commission a wonderful piece of art. You can save up for one artwork or you can create a simple gallery right on your bedroom walls. Most artists work from a single photograph then they develop their theme from there.
You can set up a real headboard, a wallpaper headboard, or you can simply cover a not-so-inspiring part of the wall with curtains.
You see, there is no need to limit your vision with regard to the inspiring
bedroom that you are creating so unleash the artiste in you.
Tags: art, artwork, artwork on walls, bedroom colors, bedroom furniture, colors, displaying artwork, layering, layering in interior design, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, patterns
Posted in Bedroom Design, Color Schemes | No Comments »
Follow us on our social media
© McCreery's Home Furnishings | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy
