I have a confession to make - I have always found it hard to follow a recipe, any recipe for that matter. Nine times out of ten, halfway through a recipe for a delectable dessert that I really want to try - I will start doing the what ifs - what if I add orange juice instead of pineapple (and nine times out of ten that is out of necessity as I don't have pineapples in my fridge) or what if I add maple syrup instead of brown sugar - you can imagine how these recipes turn out - sometimes heading straight for the bin or sometimes so good that my husband and kids want the same again - but alas! it never turns out the same next time as by next time I have completely forgotten what I had substituted what with! So you can say I am a bit of a hit or miss in the kitchen, but secretly I think that's because I have some deep rooted problem with conformity. Anything or anyone trying to make me be or do just so, awakens the rebel in me - and I always try and give everything a bit of my mark.
And I think that's why I love interior design as a discipline so much, it does not follow any set rules, there is no set method involved - you can choose and alter and mix and match, bring in old, use new - everything goes, there is a sense of freedom and spontaneity that is lacking in many other disciplines. But like any recipe, if you are a novice it can be a hit or a miss - the room may turn out fabulous and it may even be a total disaster.
Successful interiors and interior designers have what I call visual depth - a room with layers of harmonious elements that blend beautifully while at the same time holding their own, so you are aware of their merits when you are in a room, but they don't scream out me, me, me as soon as you enter it - and top-of-the-ladder interior designers have the innate ability to visualize the dynamics of these layers even before they start rollering the first wall with paint.
Jean-Louis Deniot is one Parisian designer to watch out for, he is at the top-of-his-game when it comes to perception of visual depth. His keen sense of layering the room with designed elements gives it its very own personality. He has made a name for himself at a very young age and in a very short space of time from designing breathtaking pied-de-terrs in Paris to city pad in New Dehli, ranch in Aspen, residences in NewYork and mansions in LA. I love, love, love his eclectic mix of interiors and how he always incorporates something from the past - an old table, an aged lamp, old fabric for cushions, old age patina on walls - as he says its the old elements that give the room its character. He confesses he will never design a room just with new furniture because new furniture lacks soul. Here are a few of his designed rooms, for more on him and his designs do visit his website www.deniot.com - you will be inspired to give your living spaces bespoke personality...
And I think that's why I love interior design as a discipline so much, it does not follow any set rules, there is no set method involved - you can choose and alter and mix and match, bring in old, use new - everything goes, there is a sense of freedom and spontaneity that is lacking in many other disciplines. But like any recipe, if you are a novice it can be a hit or a miss - the room may turn out fabulous and it may even be a total disaster.
Successful interiors and interior designers have what I call visual depth - a room with layers of harmonious elements that blend beautifully while at the same time holding their own, so you are aware of their merits when you are in a room, but they don't scream out me, me, me as soon as you enter it - and top-of-the-ladder interior designers have the innate ability to visualize the dynamics of these layers even before they start rollering the first wall with paint.
