We’ve all seen her…
That one lovely lady who still wears the frosted blue eyeshadow, just like she did in the 80’s.
She’s a great gal otherwise; she just hasn’t changed her look in a couple decades, and sadly, it ages her unnecessarily. The same thing can be said for that space in your home or place of business with outdated and mismatched hardware—you know all the door knobs, draw pulls, and lighting and plumbing fixtures. And just like that perfectly lovely gal needs just a little update to her beauty routine, we can give our interior space an instant facelift by changing out that 80’s brass for a more modern and consistent finish.
It sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, I walk into homes and businesses all the time that forget one simple rule of interior design: Rhythm and Repetition create a beautiful flow throughout your space.
Case in point, I was in my gym the other morning, where they have recently remodeled the ladies’ locker room. While I love the look they were going for (I call it “Industrial Chic”), they managed to mix a menagerie of different finishes in the space, which resulted in a confusing space that just looked like a bad DIY project.
They re-used the Cherry doors and kept the brass door knobs. Notice the flooring was replaced with a rustic gray laminate product. So we have rustic, industrial-look flooring with a traditional style door. If you want to keep your costs low, paint the door and change out the door and hinge hardware to a satin nickel or brushed nickel. This would make a huge impact on achieving the desired design effect of the space without a huge expense.
This is not the best picture but it illustrates the point. While I think this fixture is a great choice in an Industrial Chic-style environment, the finish (Oil Rubbed Bronze) is not the best choice here. This fixture is also available in Brushed Nickel, which would match the existing industrial brushed nickel fixtures that would have been cost prohibitive to replace. Don’t keep changing your metal finishes in a space, keep it consistent and you will achieve that Rhythm and Flow to your space and it will look tied together.
I know sometimes it is hard when you are working on a budget. You think if a fixture is half off…”Wow that is a deal! I’m going to get that one and make it work.” However, if it doesn’t work in your space it isn’t a deal for you. Updating the interior of your home takes planning–don’t forget that step. Plan your space right down to the trim and you will have a beautiful space that you will love for years to come. Your finish choices don’t have to be the latest and greatest trendy thing, just make sure you stay consistent.
–Heather Schuh
Interior Designer
