Whooosh, you walk into your home after a long day of work, or shopping, or travel. How does your home welcome you? How does your home make you feel? Calm and peaceful, or perhaps focused and intense, how about happy, joyful, and optimistic? Architecture and interior design are powerful tools, and, given the ritual role our homes play in our lives, we consider homes to be the supreme canvas.
At A. Perry Homes, we believe in the power of informed design to raise our consciousness, to shift our moods, and to better the quality of our lives. We work closely with our clients and consultants to curate a well-defined aesthetic for their homes to cultivate a special sense of “home” for each project.
How to Develop a Palette for Your Next Design Project
With the millions of inspirational images available to us online via Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram, and others, it is easy to become overwhelmed with selection fatigue when developing the palette for a new project. From high-gloss dramatic tile motifs, bold paint colors and wallpapers, and designer fixtures and furniture, the vision boards that have crossed our path can be a feast for the eyes - excessive, to say the least. Though these images advertise snazzy spaces, we find that having too much going on with conflicting styles can detract from the overall design energy of a space and project.
In response to this overwhelm, we have developed a three-step Style Study:
- Vivacious Vision Board
- Journal & Reflection
- Curated Vision Board
1) Vivacious Vision Board - Like it, Pin it! Go for it - pin, like, and save to your heart’s desire. Perhaps you like an image, but are not sure exactly why - save it anyway! Search for the materials (countertops, flooring, stone), favorite rooms (powder bath, kitchen, library), lighting (pendants, sconces, lamps), wallpaper, and paint. Anything and everything that ‘sparks joy’, add it to your vision board.
2) Journal & Reflection - Pause. When you feel that you have gathered the images that speak to your style aspiration, set aside some quiet time in a quiet space to process. Gather the images that you have curated and a journal. Spend some time looking through each image, and imagine yourself in the spaces that you like the most. Identify some things in each image that speak to you - sometimes this is as simple as the natural lighting or a window in a space, and sometimes it is all-encompassing - the whole room is your design ideal. You can do this in your mind, or take notes as you go. Take your time, and immerse yourself in each image.
When you feel that you have done a thorough evaluation of the images on your vision board, take a small break - stretch, go for a walk, or perhaps make a cup of tea. When you return to your quiet space, pick up your journal and write without referencing any of the images on your vision board. Envision your new home room by room, imagine the energy that you would most like each space in your home to be designed around using only words that you would like to feel in each space, like, cozy, light, serious, thoughtful, or romantic. For example:
- Front Porch/ Entry: Inspired
- Entry vestibule: Calm
- Kitchen: Capable, welcoming
- Powder Room: Whimsical, jolly
3) Curated Vision Board - When your list of rooms and feelings is complete, go back to your original vision board and begin to match the images to the feelings that you described in your journal. Do this exercise regardless of room type. For example - perhaps your vivacious vision board includes an image of a bold kitchen with striking tile and loud colors, but that image aligns more closely with the feeling that you aspire to achieve in your powder bathroom. Move the image of the kitchen into the powder bathroom pile. Do this with each image. Again, imagine yourself in each space while holding in mind the feeling words that you journaled about in the previous step. Patterns should begin to emerge.
By tailoring the selections in space to the desired outcome of feeling, we can begin to build a supporting emotional framework into the design aesthetic for each project.
A Perry Homes: A Reputation for Quality and Style
If you're looking for top-notch design and architecture services in Wilmette, look no further than the professionals at A. Perry Homes. With years of experience in the industry, our team can help you bring your vision to life. Contact us today to get started on your custom home project!
