While you might never have considered yourself an interior designer or any good at ‘that sort of thing’ I am here to tell you that you too can be the best interior designer for your own home. Your home should reflect your vision, creativity, lifestyle and personality. And who better to do this than you? I will preface this by saying what you need for this is dedication and a little creative thinking!
Look around you
Show me your Pinterest and Instagram, and I will show you the world around you. Design is everywhere, in nature, in buildings, in road signs. When you are out and about look around you. Look around at the décor, ceilings and walls. Look at the art, the furniture, the lighting and flooring. Observe the attention to detail. Where is one piece in relation to another? Note what is working and what is not working for you. Look at the colours, how they contrast or complement each other, how mirrors and planting are used and most importantly how do all these spaces make you feel. Feel the textures, note the shapes. What do you see in the mirror apart from yourself? By doing this you have taken the first step to becoming your own interior designer.
Attention to detail
We’ve all heard the idiom the devil is in the detail. There is a reason for that, it is most definitely true. Attention to detail is paramount. It is the magic that turns an A to an A+ and a 2.1 into a first. Take a glance at any cv and you will notice most people list attention to detail as one of their strengths. In interior design, attention to detail can lift a project from the mundane to the sublime. This is where the magic should and will happen. Do not underestimate the importance of detail in the production and styling of any given space. You have to be prepared to go the extra mile. Pay attention to detail, it is worth it.
Visit salvage yards, flea markets + vintage shops
Sometimes the best things are found in the most unexpected of places. Without doubt, it is the random delights that I have stumbled upon that have added the most charm, character and interest to some of the spaces I have created.
One of the key features of the Ranelagh residence I designed was a reclaimed iron spiral staircase which was sourced from a nearby salvage yard and powder coated in a beautiful shade of blue. Try to look at unusual items with a fresh perspective, imagine them out of context and think about ways to customise them to enhance your own home.
Mix old and new
Like life, your home should show off your experiences, adventures, memories and all of the things that are dear to you. For me, this is best done by combining old and new things. Aesthetically this adds a sense of depth and interest to your interior.
In the wise words of William Morris “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of everyday life.” Celebrate the treasures that have been handed down throughout your family by showcasing them in beautiful and unexpected ways. Not only is this a cost-effective solution that saves replacing all your existing furniture, but it is a great way to create a space that reflects only your life and tells your unique story. Combining these pieces with contemporary elements from modern and current eras will ensure an eclectic expression of your own personality and experiences.
Love Your Lighting
We love our lights at KLD, they are quite simply the jewellery of interiors! There are so many beautiful light fixtures from beautiful lamps to sconces or chandeliers. Don’t ever underestimate the power of lighting, it can totally enhance all the little, highly reflective details you’ve added to your glamorous room. Scale is a big factor…. always go bigger than you think. There is nothing worse than a light that is lost in a space.
Personalise + Tell your story
Your home is the one place that you genuinely can express yourself and how you choose to live. Spend some time thinking about what has made you happy over your lifetime and try to incorporate your stories, important people, places of significance into visual treats on your walls. Whether this is a photo, collected memorabilia, a piece of art from playschool to a map, a tile or a card given to you by a friend. Get it enlarged, edited or stylised to create an art piece and position where you can appreciate it every day. You will now have an original piece of art on your wall that not only you created but that very firmly puts your character on display.
Next Evolution in Interior Design
There have always been a limited number of clients that KLD can serve with its high-end Interior Design service. We learned that many more people are interested in investing in interior design advice to a less detailed degree and there is now demand in the wider marketplace for limited edition and curated interior design products. In response to this we have setup a new interior design service called CREATE by kld. CREATE by kld provides the customer with the Kingston Lafferty Design tools and expertise to implement their own beautiful designs and transform their home. At the core of CREATE by kld is the belief that we are all inherently creative, we are all storytellers and given the right guidance we can tell our own stories and design our own homes with confidence.
Giving people some basic interior design acumen and encouraging their personality to shine through will ensure more originality, more variety and more personality in the homes we visit. Imagine CREATE by kld as a support or scaffolding, you need it to realise your vision, and on completion you take it down and your dream project will stand alone, beautiful and unique in its own right.
The service includes a tailored, one-on-one consultation experience in the home with one of our expert designers, moodboards, product selection, suppliers’ lists, samples, and a beautiful handmade notebook with the option of additional detailed drawings. I have no doubt that as a nation of creative people and storytellers we are ready for this next evolution in interior design. Your home is your signature, make it stand out.
To find out more about CREATE by kld you can visit www.createbykld.com
This blog post is an edited version of an article by Róisin Lafferty for The Sunday Business Post from 16 December 2018.
