Even though I am not generating a lot of comments, I am seeing evidence other than my web stats that Design Strategies is being read.  Today my client pointed to her arrangement of art and said, “I know you hate staggered pictures.”  Which was a little surprising to me, since we had just met face to face about 10 minutes earlier. 

Well, I am not so terrible of a person to begin to tell a brand new client what was wrong with her home, and I really didn’t need to.  I hope I assured her that although the art was staggered, the GROUP, when viewed as a whole, was not. 

Notice in the photo I took: the sconce determines the placement.  The art is hung in accordance, and the lamp shade actually serves to balance the three objects and create a unified square.  Notice here how I have framed it out. 

Accessory Clutter.  Also known as Design Suicide.  The Killer of all that is Good and True in Decorating.

Sounds extreme, I realize.  When adding items for decorative effect, ONLY ADD A FEW.  Too many and the statement is completely lost.  The human brain can only concentrate on a few things at a time.  When given too much to look at, the mind spins in overload. 

Even Mother Nature knows to keep it simple.  Imagine the most beautiful vista: A stand of trees and a mountain top.  Or a spectacular view of the beach. In either case, nature is divided into two or three overall parts, like the sand and surf and water, not a bumpy eye-ride of incongruous pieces.

And not every surface must contain stuff.  A side table can hold only an interesting lamp.  A pair of bedside table can have one completely bare.  A Dining Table does not have to be permanently paired with candlesticks and a floral arrangement.   The decorative items should be placed to accentuate the whole, as so well illustrated in the photo above. 

OK, so once I posted yesterday’s entry, I found this web article from HGTV which basically contradicted everything I just said.

Another bit of evidence that truly, this is a subjective art.  My mantra is you should decorate your home in a way that pleases YOU.  So if stair stepping your pictures without a set of stairs makes you happy, than have at it!  Still, I write this blog because my clients often do not know what looks aesthetically pleasing to them.  It is my job to try to fish that out. 

That being said, I do believe that there are certain strategies that create more harmonious, easy to live in spaces.  Sometimes people do things that throw off harmony and once I correct it, they say, “WOW”.  I try to do this without injecting my personal style.  But once again, a caveat.  Alex, from my business group, once told me that he liked my style.  What?  I was shocked to hear this because I try so hard to keep my personal taste under wraps.  “No,” he said.  “You definitely have a style.  Restrained. Clean.  Confident.  I see it in all the examples you show.” 

Hmmm.  I guess I have to agree, and thus explain the dichotomy between my view and the HGTV article.  I DO like clean.  I prefer uncluttered spaces where the occupant can have a breath and inject a bit of self into the surroundings.  I prefer one big piece to a mash of small.  I think earth tones and complex colors are more livable than loud brights.   I think styles do come and go with fashion–and hanging art in a staggered pattern is completely out of fashion–and I believe most people that hire a decorator are paying me to know what those fashions are and to give them an updated look in the confines of their personal tastes.    And while I am confessing, I will admit that I think this is a difficult task that many other decorators are not up to.  (I hope this doesn’t sound too ugly!)