Mary Jane Pappas and Karen Soojian: Six tips for good home design
3 March 2009
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We asked Mary Jane Pappas and Karen Soojian, winners of the annual Designer of Distinction award, for their suggestions.
MARY JANE PAPPAS
1. PLAN YOUR DESIGN BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
Plan where everything should go, how the space works, how people move through it. Create plans and specify products and finishes beforehand to protect your investment, control the design and the budget.
2. PLACE FURNITURE ON YOUR PLAN.
There is nothing worse than creating a space where your furniture is out of scale or won’t fit through the door.
3. CREATE A LIGHTING AND ELECTRICAL PLAN AFTER YOU CREATE A FURNITURE PLAN.
Place lighting fixtures and electrical devices exactly where you need them, to assure good function. Install dimmers to control lighting for use and for mood.
4. RECOGNIZE PROPER SCALE, PROPORTION AND BALANCE.
They have an enormous psychological impact.
5. CONSIDER ENLISTING THE AID OF A PROFESSIONAL.
One hour of professional guidance is better than none. Buying valuable expertise at the beginning of your project helps to prevent costly errors and alterations.
6. BUDGET WISELY.
You will save money overall if you can afford to remodel or improve your entire home in a single project. If you plan to remodel one room at a time, develop a master plan that accounts for structural and mechanical changes that might affect future remodeling.
KAREN SOOJIAN
1. AN ORGANIZED WHOLE IS MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
Choose textiles, color and lighting to create balance, rhythm, harmony and variety. If you repeat selected colors, lines and forms, your eye will naturally make those connections, giving your home cohesiveness.
2. ESTABLISH A STRONG CONCEPT.
Begin with the finished room in mind. Define your personal style to narrow your choices and to make the process less overwhelming. Start with any inspiration: a landscape photo, shells, a piece of art, a rug, a palette that inspires you.
3. CONSIDER COLOR AND LIGHT.
They create emotion. The amount of natural light helps dictate a room’s mood, and you may choose your palette accordingly. “Layer” ambient, task and accent lighting. Layer color in contrasting hues or in lighter to darker shades of a single hue.
4. SUCCESSFUL INTERIORS CONTAIN OPPOSITES.
Contrast textures in building, finishing and decorative materials: Select shiny and dull, soft and rough, light and dark, small and large.
5. DON’T FOLLOW TRENDS TOO CLOSELY.
They date your home very quickly. Be original and personal; great design emerges from taking risks.
6. USE ORIGINAL ART.
Pick something you love to look at; it enlivens your room. Attend art fairs or establish a relationship with a gallery; you may find you can afford more than you think.
source: startribune
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