Google+ House Revivals: good design or simply decorated?

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

good design or simply decorated?

Have you ever "Googled" yourself  just to see what other people might see when they "Google" you?

Well, I did this morning and I found this article from 2009 that I had completely forgotten about!  It was for a special insert in our local paper last spring.  An intern reporter came out to our studio to ask some questions.  I gave her an interview, and then promptly forgot all about it -- until this morning.

The article was about applying the "shabby chic" aesthetic to a space, and how the "shabby" look has evolved over time.

I wasn't the only designer interviewed for the article, and what struck me, after reading the article, was that the other designer and I both stressed the importance of design principles.

I think sometimes people get so caught up in the "decorating" aspect of a project that they can forget about the design of their project-- and then don't quite understand why their space doesn't feel "right".  Simply applying design principles, such as balance and rhythm and variation, to the elements we use within a space is the trick to making a space feel "right".

It's not any particular color, or finish, or style, or brand that makes a space visually "work".  You can decorate a space to within an inch of its life, and still not have a space that works.  It is simply how well the designer uses design principles when pulling the elements of a space together that determines if the space has "good design," or if it was simply "decorated."