 | Linda Warrington
has been in sales and interior design for 25 years, and employed by Horton's Furniture for l8 years. Linda has designed furnishings and murals for the Eaton Place in Wichita's Old Town business district as well as Chaucer Estates, Park Plaza West and Via Christi Executive Suites. Linda also owns her own mural painting business called 'Just You'. She can be reached by phone at (3l6) 722-5090, by fax at (3l6) 722-596l, or by mail at l09l5 W. Kellogg, Wichita, Ks., 67209. |
Interior Decorating
2001-07-01 12:19:00
Traditional + Contemporary
Question: My husband likes traditional. I like contemporary. We only have one house. How can we make some of the rooms traditional and some contemporary, and still have our home look right?
Answer: With color. Use your favorite colors, and carry those colors through to adjoining rooms. This will help unite the blend of styles.Your home should reflect your personality and your interests; it's what makes your home you. While traditional style recalls our link to the past, contemporary style states that form follows function. There is no rule saying the two styles can't be combined to create an eclectic blend. This is one of the most popular styles today.Design belongs to everyone. You may want to obtain the services of a skilled designer to help you balance a room, but the colors and feeling of the room should be your own choices. A simple rule that may help you start is: keep the biggest and the darkest at the bottom, and the smallest and lightest at the top. This rule applies whether you are talking about furniture or accessories.A dark sofa on a light carpet may look overpowering, but by placing an area rug that contains some of the sofa colors in front of the sofa, the room suddenly becomes warm and inviting. The sofa may be traditional with rolled arms and still look well with a cocktail table in contemporary marble. The secret is making sure the cocktail table is in proportion to the sofa. By keeping balance in mind, you can use pieces that you love.When choosing fabric for your furnishings remember, they have a personality of their own. Some fabrics are formal, and some are casual. As an example, brocade conveys a formal personal preference while country gingham suggests a casual lifestyle.If you want to really play it safe, try a sofa in neutrals, sometimes called "úncolors". A neutral is any color so subtle it easily mixes with other hues and allows those colors to dominate. Remember that some finishes suggest formality while rough textures lend a casual feeling. When choosing color be aware of how it affects your mood. For a family room you may choose yellow, orange and/or red. These are active, upbeat, happy colors. But in a bedroom, blue, green, or pink will have a calming effect that will create a relaxing atmosphere. Neutrals combine and cooperate, bringing rooms and colors together and can be used in any room.Combine the colors, styles, and textures that you like with balance and proportion and they will reflect who you are. The love and effort you put into transforming your house or apartment into a place where you feel at home deepens your appreciation for what you have.
