Sometimes I read through design magazines and think how impractical, or just nonfunctional some of the things I see are.
And sometimes I go into stores that are full of fabulous finds, so creative in their display and their merchandising, but when I go through the silent thought processes of where I would put this cool piece or that one, I realize I would have to change the whole look of my room or house to accommodate it.
Maybe it’s a flawed theory, but since I do this for a living and even I can not figure out what to do with a particular treasure, then I wonder if there might not be lots of us like that out there.
So in the store I try to focus on the visual presentation being inspiring, yet problem solving; y’know, practical and all, but still full of fun and filled with the creativity each of us has within.
One thing we hear regularly from customers and clients is that they are vexed by how to arrange a particular room. What size should the coffee table be, or what piece would look best on a certain empty wall, or how much room do you need to move around the dining table?
One of the biggest design challenges, and most often errors, is in finding balance and scale with your furniture and accessories.
Around here, we get some good practice at achieving that by arranging the vignettes we set up throughout the store. When a piece sells from the floor, inevitably there is not a perfect replacement, either in size or scale, so if often requires a complete rearrangement of the setting.
Recently we sold THIS piece, to someone with incredible taste – since I subscribe to another theory that people who like what I like have great taste. I loved this table. I got it from an antique dealer from Alabama who had great what I call “Americana” pieces. (So hard to find anymore.)
So how to replace it? In store-speak, “merchandising.”
Purely from a size or space perspective, something like THIS would be a good replacement. But from a functional standpoint, I don’t think it’s the right piece for behind the desk. In my dream office, I would love it, however, because I like the idea of a media cabinet, whose contents would no doubt optimize my creative capacities while I toil.
This cabinet, however, works on all fronts. It is great storage to help you be more organized (aka, hide clutter, printer, wires), plus it’s very handsome. (Also doubles as a fabulous buffet for a dining room. We like furniture that multi-tasks.)
Not only does it add balance to the desk with height (42″), but also in length – more elements of proportion & scale. It also allows the space to keep the added color & texture elements of the art piece above it.
I think the goal is achieved: looks good in the store, but also gives you a little twist on the traditional use of some of the pieces. Plus there’s a whole vignette of what would look good in an office setting – bigger cabinet for other components, a pair of chairs for clients with a table between that can serve as a conference table.
The result is a good balance of height, scale, texture, and function.
Now if I just had a full-time IT department, I might be as productive as my surroundings!
