Many of our American ideas of great interior design are based on traditional English interiors. One of the most sought after aspects of an English interior is the ‘acquired? look, as if the homeowner has been collecting for years.
Layering is the way to achieve this acquired look. The layered look is best suited to traditional and transitional interiors, contemporary rooms.
Layering is not difficult, but may take a few attempts before the effect is correctly pulled together.
As an example, a bookcase filled with books standing on end like in a library is nice, but a bit boring. Try stacking some of the books on their sides and add some of your family pictures on top of these stacks of books.
Also add a collection to the bookcase to increase the visual interest ? a collection of ceramic birds or Chinese blue and white will add a great visual texture to the linear quality of the books and photo frames.
And finally, add two or three framed prints to the bookcase by leaning them against the back of the bookcase behind some of the stacked books. Now stand back and look at the difference.
A few more ideas:
? Add a few stacks of books to your mantle ? this will give you platforms to vary the height of your existing accessories. Always use hardback books, and if the color of the spine is too distracting turn the book around so that you see the page ends.
? If you are interested in a making an easy change to your kitchen cabinetry on a limited budget, attach a series of framed prints to the doors of the cabinets. This will draw attention away from the cabinets themselves.
? For tables or shelves that have extra depth, try overlapping items from a front view to add interest.
? Don’t neglect lighting when you are layering. Working a small lamp or picture light into a bookcase has more punch than any other effort. Cords can be easily concealed behind the books and accessories.
I look forward to bring you additional ideas in future issues.
Kevin Harrison owns KH Home, which is located in the Village of Clarkston.