7 Design Tips — Jessica Wachter

I think it goes without saying that what we are all living now, worldwide, is unprecedented and with most of us spending more time than ever in our homes, I wanted to offer you some of my top tips for cultivating a home environment that fosters peace and joy.

I have always been an advocate for the idea that your home should feel like your sanctuary, a sacred place of respite and care for you and your loved ones, but there may not be a more important time than now to make this idea a reality.

your
self-love
is a
medicine
for the earth
-Yung Pueblo

Athena Calderone puts it this way...

"I always ask myself, 'What I do I want to conjure in this space?' I can't control people's emotions, but I can control the mood of my home."

Athena is an interior designer expert and the creator of the lifestyle blog, EyeSwoon. I've had the pleasure of following her career from the very beginning and even had the chance to meet her in Miami at Art Basel when I was exhibiting there many years ago.

She just recently dropped an amazing new book, Live Beautiful. Which is what I've been curling up with at home and in my studio for inspiration during this uncertain time.

The first tip I have to offer you is one that Athena echoes in her book...

Tip #1: Bring life to the spaces that are easy to overlook.

In Athena's words...

"Hallways are rooms too."

And so are stairways and landings, bathrooms and laundry rooms.

In other words, these spaces deserve just as much mindful attention as our formal dining or living rooms. In fact, we often spend more time in these spaces or pass through these spaces more often than we do the spaces that we think deserve the most attention (like, a formal dining setting).

These are the spaces that we often allow to either get over-cluttered or to be completely barren. But when we give ourselves permission to spend time with these spaces...decluttering, rearranging and cultivating a mood with new items...they are rich with the potential to create an entirely new personality in our homes, make statements, and elevate our level of living drastically.

Beauty and art are not just reserved for obvious spots in a home, such as above a fireplace mantel, but should also be thought of as hidden gems sprinkled throughout...on bookshelves, in your kids' rooms, in kitchens, sunrooms, closets, and behind basement bars.

07 Kitchen & Dining (1) (1).jpg — k i t c h e n s

There are no rules.

Simply think about where you tend to spend the most time in your home and be sure that space, regardless of how big or small, grand or seemingly inconsequential, helps you feel peaceful and joyful.

Tip #2: If you don't spend a lot of time in a particular room in your home, get curious.

Ask yourself why. What makes you uncomfortable?

Let yourself dream a little too. What would make the room irresistible to you?

Static spaces in homes are great opportunities to get to know yourself and your style more intimately. In other words, there are good reasons you're not spending time in static spaces, find out what those reasons are! You will not only unlock a room's potential, but you'll also learn more about your personal preferences and possibilities.

Interior design is at its best when it is helping you understand who you are more deeply and when who you are is informing the design choices to the point where your essence is obvious through your style.

Regardless of size, I believe our goal with our homes should be for each space to be purposeful. If there are spaces in our homes that are chronically underused, I believe it is our responsibility to get curious about that.

In her book, Athena talked about doing this with an underused television room in her home. She ended up painting the entire room a dark blue (walls, bookshelves and ceiling) and now her and her family have a hard time staying out of the space! The rest of their home is monotone, a sand color. Athena talks about how the dark color made made the television room feel almost like a theater room. It is now incredibly cozy and relaxing.

Tip#3: Think holistically and in terms of flow.

"For a house to be successful, the objects in it must communicate with one another, respond to and balance one another."

-André Putman, Designer Featured in "Live Beautiful"

Start generally...

Think about how you move through your entire home. What do you typically do when you get home from work? What spaces do you move through? What items do you interact with? What do you typically do when you get up in the morning? What spaces do you move through? What items do you interact with?

Then, get more specific...

For example, how do you, personally, cook? How do you move about the kitchen? Where do things need to be for there to be ease and joy in this for you?

Beauty should not disrupt your unique groove. Instead, interior design is at its best when it is built on the foundation of functional flow.

Tip #4: Be unpredictable.

What kind of person are you? What do you value? Who you are is unique unto the universe and it is impossible that the expression of that aligns 100% with the latest trend in home decor.

Interior design is not at its best when a space feels staged or too consistent or everything matches. Living beautifully means you figure out what your personal flair is and how to let it shine through!

This means always, and forevermore, giving yourself permission to be unpredictable!

I love being surprised in people's homes!

"I realized that taking a chance and trying something new was probably more valuable than just staying within the borders and what everybody else had done."

-Jenna Lyons, Designer Featured in "Live Beautiful"

In your bedroom, this could mean that instead of hanging a big art piece above your bed, you hang two small, completely different pieces above each nightstand. Everything else might be consistent and symmetrical, allowing the color and expression of those two pieces to shine.

Two different pieces of art above each nightstand

Or maybe you stretch yourself with one element...like in the photos below with the bright turquoise, velvet chairs. The art and the chairs play off of one another in a sort of "dance" of color. At first something like this (making the choice to purchase bright turquoise, velvet chair) might scare you a bit. A voice in your head might say, "I'm just not quite sure." But when you take a chance like this, you'll usually end up loving it and it will be the first thing people notice when they come into your home.

I was in a home once where the homeowners' personality was most apparent in their beautiful chandeliers. Every room had a different chandelier. Even in rooms you wouldn't expect! (Unpredictable!) Some rooms had multiple ones hanging. This couple found their personal flair in their lighting!

A lot of people tell me their home isn't contemporary enough for abstract work. However, you don't have to follow the period of your home. It's your home after all! In fact, I think it's really fun when the artwork isn't consistent with the style. If you don't believe me, check out my Works on Location page and notice the wide variety of styles that have incorporated my abstract pieces. In other words, you have full permission to mix contemporary with traditional.

And, while you're at it...

You have permission to mix rough with clean and new with old.

And, one of my favorite pairings...

Practical with sophisticated (impractical)! An example of this might be you need a bench somewhere. (Practical.) Then, by the bench, you place a beautiful little table with a lamp and a gorgeous vase. (Impractical and unexpected!)

When you let yourself get unpredictable and rely on your own personal style to inform your design choices vs. what's currently being mass-produced, your home not only has more personality, but it also because more timeless. In other words, to other people, it's not clear when it was built/designed, but what is clear is who it was built/designed for...YOU!

Tip #5: Invest in lighting.

Lighting can completely change the feel of a home. Think beyond overhead lighting to accent lighting and spotlighting. Also, think about how you might layer lighting by bringing in multiple lamps in the same space.

L I G H T I N G

and unpredictable size art above bed

Tip #6: Challenge the inner voice that tells you, "I can't because I don't have..."

...enough time.

...enough money.

...a space big enough.

...any more wall space.

...enough patience.

...the right eye.

I've heard them all!

And...

I get it.

But...

I would hate for those thoughts to stop you from taking the steps that are available for you to take towards cultivating a more joyful home environment.

So, ask yourself, "What can I do?"

Maybe right now it's not the right time to purchase new items for your home, but it is the right time to shift the energy of your home through decluttering and rearranging what you already have?

Maybe you give yourself permission to start small? You could re-mat and re-frame an art piece you already have. You could buy a handcrafted vase from a ceramics artist or a stunning new lampshade and use those new items as inspiration to re-design a nook in your study or a space on your bookshelf.

No matter how large or small, I love the idea of starting with a statement piece (a piece of art you love or a stunning new lampshade) and using that as your inspiration to design around.

If you'd like to browse my work for a new statement piece, here are a few links that will make that easier...

Small Paintings / Medium Paintings / Large Paintings

Small Works on Pape r / Medium Works on Paper

No need to get overwhelmed! Just take it all one step at a time and let your steps be unique to you and your home and as big or small as feels right!

Remind yourself that time and money invested in cultivating a more joyful home environment is time and money well spent!

And...

To get the most out of your investment, err on the side of original vs. mass-produced whenever possible. Maybe not everything, but you can begin "sprinkling in" original work!

Original work is often more money upfront, but not usually as much as you might expect. You can start small and you can browse different artists work with different price points. Plus, because original work breathes an entirely original life into a space and enhances it with a unique richness, you may not need to spend as much on other items to make the room come to life.

Even if you never purchase one of my original works, my heart will be so happy if you begin to, more and more, value the original work of others!

Original work nourishes the soul!

Plus, it is far more apt to inspire timeless design. (Saving you money in the long run.) And, can follow you through the decades, from one room or home to another, and can even be passed down through generations. Finally, as it is hanging on the wall or sitting on the shelf gracing your presence it is likely it is increasing in tangible, monetary value!

Win, win, win, win, win if you ask me!

Tip #7: Ask for help.

I believe in all areas of life there is great value and wisdom in honoring the skills, expertise, education, and experience of others.

Although this can mean spending more money upfront, it almost always saves time and money (or makes you additional money) in the long run.

So give yourself permission, whenever possible, to consult with an interior design expert or hire a professional painter or a really great woodworker.

On that note...

Although I am not currently available for hire when it comes to consulting on interior design, I am always available to my clients for mini-consults, free of charge. In other words, I'm happy to offer my suggestions on how to design a space around one of my pieces.

What is overwhelming to others...

How should I hang this? (Centered? Off-centered? High? Low? This wall with that? That wall with this?)
How should I light this?
What should I display this with?
How should I frame it? (No frame? Black? White? Wood? Mat? No mat?)

...is like being a kid in a candy shop for me!

So if you ever...

1.) Are interested in my work because you have a space that you know needs an upgrade, please don't hesitate to email me photos of that space! One of my "Zones of Genius" is looking at a space and selecting pieces that most people wouldn't consider at first, but end up being the perfect fit!

2.) Love a particular piece of mine, but can't figure out how it would work in your home, email me the piece (using the title, link to it on my website, or a photo) and a few photos of your home and I would be so excited to offer my suggestions on how it could be beautifully integrated!

If a piece of art pulls at your heartstrings, I believe there's a reason for that! Most times you just need someone to help you think outside the box to make work. Framing the piece in a unique way, painting a wall or adding a few throw pillows or blankets of a particular color can make a piece go from "out of place" to "at home!"

May you and your family find peace and joy in your homes during this time.

Cheers,