Day 3 of 5: Designer Dialogue
PRB Interior Designs turning 5 — yay! I am continuing to share 5 things about my personal home and sharing what “real life” looks like for me day-in and day-out. Nothing is cleaned up or staged; this is truly how I live 24/7.
I’m loving this, so I’m jumping right into number 3! My favorite thing to decorate and constantly re-decorate is my fireplace mantle. It is just so much fun! I have a great width, it’s just over 6’ wide, and it’s about 14” deep so that gives me a lot of options for knick knacks, décor, photos, and florals. With all the possibilities and great space to work with I decorate for seasons, holidays, special occasions and sometimes just when I get bored. I use passed down treasures, new fun finds, gorgeously gifted items, and uniquely personal items to me. I get excited just thinking about the possibilities. I could probably share 20+ photos of my mantle and we’ve only lived here since 2017.
In my opinion, the best part of having one area of your home, whether it’s your foyer, bedroom, or a mantle (just like me), is that you have a space to try new things. If I want to introduce a new color in my main living area then I try it on the mantle. If I get bored in the space but don’t want to make a completely dramatic change I can without huge financial impact by changing a few pieces on my mantle. If I know people are coming over and I want to display something that they gave me but doesn’t always work with my décor, it is the perfect place to change quickly and for a single event. You can mix or match, crowd or minimalize, experiment or stick to the tried and true design principals — any way you slice it the space is a reflection of you!
The above picture is from the first Christmas in my home in 2017, and I was alone. My husband and I had just gotten married in July, I turned 30 in August, we purchased the home in September and by October he was deployed. I tell you that because while he was away I never used the fireplace, and the white stack stone seemed pretty, rustic and practical, but as use began it became a nightmare. The above picture on the right is how my mantle currently looks in COVID Quarantine. While I am able to minimalize the décor on top and focus on flowers and plants (to remember what the outside is like lol) the stack stone now looks dirty and dingy no matter how much I clean it. It’s ok, it also looks lived in, which I love and appreciate because I am grateful to even live in my home. However, I often find that the kind of people that like things clean and meticulous also like white; and white stack stone on a fireplace, while pretty, is not at all practical in maintenance.
Practical material selections are often overlooked. Whether it be from a financial standpoint, a vender recommendation or a personal aesthetic preference. In my experience, I always recommend more than one solution for every problem. That way when choices are presented you can make the best choice for you. Is maintenance or aesthetic more important? Is cost or durability more important? Is a quick solution available or should you slow down and think through some choices? There are always choices to be made.
Some design decisions you don’t know you won’t like until you see them applied in the space. One piece of advice that I give all my clients are to visit as many showrooms as possible. They are a great source of inspiration and practical usage. It can be time consuming to visit them all but by visiting multiple stores you give yourself the best chance of opening your creative mind. I’ve been in a tile store and a great idea for lighting popped in my mind, I’ve been in a furniture warehouse and a fun idea for flooring popped in my head. I know, not everyone thinks like a designer but when you immerse yourself in our world, the real world where sight, sound, touch and smell matter, you begin to transform your way of thinking and open your mind to new possibilities.
I have really enjoyed opening up my home and thoughts with all of you! If you enjoy reading about it and would like more insight into design thinking I’d be happy to share and discuss challenges you may have, questions you meandering over, or design choices you are contemplating. Drop me a line — your question might be on the minds of many!
