NOT SO SLEEPY HOLLOW

It’s funny what some people think of interior decorators without ever really having worked with one. Maybe the presumptions come from watching too many HGTV reality shows. Or, maybe it’s a horror story told by a friend of a friend about some rogue designer with a penchant for snakeskin.

We’ve recently been working on a project in nearby Sleepy Hollow, IL not to be confused with a different horror story set in the spooky hamlet of Washington Irving lore. But, it’s still kinda fun to tell people you’re working in Sleepy Hollow, especially this time of year.

During our meet & greet prior to consulting the job, my client admitted that she had never worked with a decorator/designer. And while she was excited to see what I’d bring to the project, she wanted to make sure that her family’s eclectic personality and taste would shine through. It was especially important to her that her love of color wouldn’t be ignored since she’d been told by “someone” that a decorator would neutralize everything. I must have answered all her questions correctly since we set up a color consult for the entire house (inside and out) that same day.

Love of color is a great thing. So many people are afraid of it. In reality, most spaces share the same elements like furniture, art & accessories. Apart from style, the use of color is the key element that distinguishes a space. The trick is finding the right balance between decorating with color and DECORATING WITH COLOR. Too many people try to decorate primarily with wall color and then match everything to it. In reality, it is far easier to simplify your color palette for the walls and then accent them with colorful window treatments, artwork, pillows and accessories. These items can be changed far more easily when the mood strikes than re-painting a room. That doesn’t mean wall color can’t play a part in your design. But it shouldn’t be the only thing that makes a statement in your space. And it shouldn’t be so bold that it detracts from everything else. So, that’s exactly what we did for this project… neutralizing where necessary and accenting with color where appropriate.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

After the entire house was re-painted, we brought in the finishing touches that unified the look and played with the client’s existing eclectic decor. With bold punches of color that complimented the paint job, we were able to layer in the elements that made the wall colors “make sense”. With accents of coral, teal, lime green, sherbet orange and bold yellow, the wall color choices throughout the home were tied together into a color story that is uniquely theirs.

BEFORE

AFTER

While too colorful for many, the blend of vibrant colors was just right for this family. The husband, who is generally attracted to more neutral colors, admitted that he “wouldn’t change a thing”. Especially, when he saw how well everything worked together and how happy his wife was with the results.

Tweaking furniture placement and styling the rooms made a difference in the end result. But the real eye-catcher in this home is the bold use of color that makes our client happy.