Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating

Pdf Book Name: Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating
Author: Liess, Lauren, Norman, Helen
Publisher: Abrams; Illustrated edition
ISBN-10, 13: 978-1419717857,1419717855
Year: 2015
Pages: 272 pages
Language: English
File size: 45 MB
File format: PDF,EPUB

Habitat: The Field Guide to Decorating Pdf Book Description:

Often the best home are the ones that feel as if they haven’t been decorated at all. They are the houses in which the decorator’s hand appears light or barely there. In order to design a home so that it doesn’t feel overdone, it’s important to understand the architecture, or the “bones” of the structure. When a house is full of structural flaws, often the only thing left to do besides fix them, which can be expensive—is to try to hide them behind the decorating. But overcompensating for weak architecture almost always results in a forced, “overdecorated” look. Before decorating any part of a home, first take a long, hard look at the architecture itself. Study it, noting its attributes and flaws. Does it have a particularly beautiful view? High or low ceilings? Interesting woodwork or lack of it? Be extremely critical. Can something be done at the outset of the project that will make the room more pleasing and interesting and eliminate the need to overdecorate or hide flaws later? Maybe it’s as easy as adding moldings or bookshelves to a bland space, but it might be a bit more involved, requiring replacing flooring or windows, removing a wall, or adding a focal point, such as a fireplace or built in shelving. If you live in a home with little architectural character, consider adding some. Newly built homes often lack good woodwork, or any details at all, so making small changes, such as replacing standard baseboards with taller ones or adding interesting ceiling treatments, such as decorative plaster or beams, can instantly make them feel more permanent and timeless.

Raising doorway heights or adding transoms above doorways will also make a home feel more spacious and give it room to “breathe.” Fixing flaws or replacing ho hum details will have a massive impact on the overall look and feel of your finished home. If you don’t like your living room fireplace, it doesn’t matter how many pretty things you bring into the room or how well you decorate it; unless you fix or replace the fireplace, you’ll never be completely satisfied with the space, because a fireplace is a major focal point in any room. If your home is newer and doesn’t quite fit into one architectural style or is a mash up of styles, try to streamline whatever’s going on inside the house. I have seen new homes that combine multiple styles—say, rustic beams with crown moldings, or two story great rooms with pillars and Tuscan fireplaces; these interiors appear scattered and chaotic. The best solution is to pick one style and run with it, removing disparate elements wherever possible. If you feel that you’re in over your head, consult with an architect whose work you respect.