As a designer, I spend a lot of time helping clients reign-in and define their personal style. But hard as it is to find another person's style, it can be even more difficult for a designer herself to define. Being aware of the trends that come and go as well as the new products and applications a designer is privy to, no wonder a designer's home is never finished. As the saying goes "the cobbler's son has no shoes."
When my special Celebrity Edition of Architectural digest found itself in my mailbox, I tore through the pages like a box of mixed variety chocolates stopping to taste the delectable New York home of Brook Shields. This apartment reflects my style almost perfectly.
Beautiful gray-blue walls with Louis XVI style side chairs with a pop of green on this perfectly neutral palette.
Image: Architectural Digest
Traditional furniture pieces accented with quirky art by Hunt Slonem and pops of coral on pillows and a single side-bench.
Image: Architectural Digest
Traditional French, made modern again
with a bold chandelier and Zuber’s Les Lointains wallpaper.
Image: Architectural Digest
I love reclaimed details including this dining table with a marble top and a set of white-lacquered antique-style chairs.
Image: Architectural Digest
This master suite is so light and luxurious with light greys and fresh blues, and who can resist marble!
Image: Architectural Digest
A cozy home office with green accents and vintage motifs.
Image: Architectural Digest
One can never go wrong with a Louis Vuitton trunk and a zebra hide rug to complete a space.
Image: Architectural Digest
A design style does not have to fit into one category, it can combine a few or incorporate many. Just be sure to make it your own and your home will undoubtedly be a comfortable place that you love.
Still not sure? Take this quiz from HGTV
Here's what HGTV says about my Personal Design Style.
Sophisticated
Your design style is
mixed. Call it traditional elegance meets modern lines. In your home,
sophisticated looks contrast perfectly with updated twists. For example,
"You might find the classic lines of a Louis XV chair in a dining room
set with a modern textured fabric," suggests Julie Rackley, an interior
designer in Bellevue, Washington.
The best color palettes for your
look include dark browns and soothing neutrals. Rich accent colors
complete the mixed antique modern look: tapestry blues, muted
blue-greens, champagne and warm peachy tones. Your style includes a
range of fabrics from silk to mohair to linen to velvet.
Your
style isn't the only thing with a combination approach: your space is
perfect for anything from entertaining friends and family to intimate
gatherings around the kitchen table.
Design Tips for Sophisticated
To
add a touch of elegance to your home décor by investing in just one
luxurious item to contrast against a more modern backdrop – a crystal
lamp in your bedroom, a Persian run in the front entry, an antique
cherry desk in your office or perhaps a deep red velvet chair with
carved wood armrests and feet by the living room fireplace.
