Un-styling your space by just being yourself, continuously.

I’m certain we covered close to everything there is to know about the art of undecorating in parts one and two, and it’s almost time to call it a wrap. You know the rules because there aren’t any, other than trusting your instincts.

And if your instincts tell you to hire a professional designer, then by all means, do it. But why not give undecorating a try?

The concept of undecorate just takes styling your home to a simpler level, without the pressure of perfection. It loosens you up a bit, asks you to sit back, relax and be yourself (which can be very refreshing).

Undecorate is here because our lives have called for it.

Now you just keep going.

I suggest you continue living, working, raising your children, dating, recycling, eating organic. Whatever you do, keep doing it, continuously. And enjoy your space. Look around you every day, notice what you chose, and be inspired.

Observe your life as it evolves and challenge yourself in all that you do. Don’t become complacent. Notice when things don’t matter to you anymore and as things change, allow your space to change as well.

Recycle, get rid of stuff, give it away. Keep undecorating continuously.

Then be grateful that you have the ability to break rules.

Images: nice*room, Avotakka, Sanctuary, interiors porn.

The post Undecorate, Naturally: Part Three appeared first on EcoSalon.

Un-styling your space by just being yourself, randomly.

In Undecorate, Naturally: Part One, we established that the new way to decorate begins and ends with trusting your instincts, choosing what you like and just going for it. There are no wrong answers. The best way forward is straight through your doubts or fears, to the colors, patterns and pieces that express you.

Nothing is holding you back. If there are no rules, what’s next?

Random, that’s what. I encourage you to recognize how random it all is, that you can move stuff around, add something here or take it away from there. Everything changes all the time, and so can your decorating.

If you like the things you choose, it doesn’t matter if they match or clash; they will come together and mesh because they are saying something other than a famous designer’s name or recognizable label. They are saying something about you.

Nothing needs to be set in cement because, well, it isn’t. Except the roof over your head. The way you style your space can be interchangeable room by room, day by day.

Challenge yourself further by randomly selecting things and finding different places for them. See how well the switch acclimates to a new setting. The more random you are, the better you’ll express your space as your own, because you’ve given up trying to create a perfect place and accepted who you are and where you live, as it is. As random and changeable as ever.

Images: Trendey, From the Right Bank, nice*room, interiors porn, House Beautiful.

The post Undecorate, Naturally: Part Two appeared first on EcoSalon.

Un-styling your space by just being yourself, naturally.

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the undoing of decorating. Our piece last week showed us the ins and outs of this new un-style, of letting go of the status quo and allowing a space to be personal rather than perfect.

You can go to school and learn the basics, the 1-2-3s of any craft, but no teacher can transfer the instinctual ability to express style. It’s either in your DNA or not. By knowing yourself and what you like, that doesn’t seem so hard, does it?

Working outside the box, or without any box at all, is just a cliché way of saying go for it, express yourself, thoroughly, from start to finish. Forget who’s watching or judging. Make it real, authentic, all about you. How? By looking around and choosing what you like.

Many outside forces have contributed to this move toward a more personal and relaxed way of setting up a space. Financial issues have changed our attitudes about luxury – less has become more. And the internet has made it easier than ever to explore, resource and shop for just about anything.

However it happened, it’s here. And what a relief. A space doesn’t have to be fancy or filled with expensive items to be extraordinary. It doesn’t require top interior design firms or specialty stores to feel comfortable and lived in. All you need is you.

Inspiration is everywhere. The challenge is using it in combination with your own je ne sais quoi. Only you know what it is and it doesn’t even need a name. It comes naturally. It’s you.

Images: From the Right Bank, dwell studio, Atlanta Bartlett, Nate Berkus, avotakka.

The post Undecorate, Naturally: Part One appeared first on EcoSalon.

Christiane Lemieux’s new book Undecorate breaks all the rules.

I follow the rules. I don’t park in emergency zones, I wait for my seating section to be called before boarding, and I always sort my recycling. But sometimes I color outside the lines. In fact, I break all social conventions and rules when it comes to design (remember my diatribe against furniture suites and homogeny?), so my heart pitters, patters, and flutters at the notion of Undecorate ($40), by Christiane Lemieux (the founder and creative director of DwellStudio). In this fresh new take on interiors, Lemieux explores spaces that challenge tradition with an eclectic, “love of imperfection and penchant for surprise and unusual juxtapositions.”

The premise of Undecorate sanctions taking hold of your space and taking the liberty to infuse your taste. If you find something you love, it belongs inside your walls – regardless of color, style, function, etc. Embracing diversity among your objects results in a unique aesthetic analogous to Bohemian whimsy.

Here’s an excerpt to ponder from the introduction of Undecorate.

“What does it mean to undecorate? A fine question.

It’s mixing fine antiques with your collection of Cher Barbie dolls, as Harry Heissman does in his description-defying apartment in Brooklyn Heights. It’s leaving temporary party decorations up for years because they just somehow seem right, as Erica Tanov does in her ridiculously beautiful California house. It’s wedging antique columns into a suburban house, or parking your cars in the living room, or building your own alter, or hanging vintage advertising posters in your toddler’s bedroom. Undecorated is following your instinct, even when it’s telling you to do something a little crazy, a little different, something against the rules.

Undecorating isn’t haphazard style; it’s not thought-free. It’s about being guided by something other than the traditional constraints – whether it’s your commitment to the environment, or your love of polka dots, or the fact that you want to feel like you’re in Paris when you live in Peoria.”

What’s not to love, right? I’m off to order my copy here. May I suggest you do the same? And don’t let it linger on your coffee table alone, set it beside one of these beautiful bound pictorial creations.

Images: Melanie Acevedo for Undecorate

The post Color Outside the Lines appeared first on EcoSalon.

Each year the definition of excellent design gets a little further away from those matching bedroom suites where the nightstand, dresser, armoire, and bed frame are the same polished wood boasting identical brass handles; this makes me elated. Dare I say it’s my favorite 2011 shelter trend? It seems when interiors get more eclectic, they get more intimate and personal. Each piece in your home can be something you love, even if your mustard yellow side chair doesn’t quite match the goldenrod pillows on your couch.

Freedom from the demands of matching allows your imagination to run wild with the possibilities of your personality. You can find a tufted sofa to catch your elegance and combine it with a sleek solid wood side chair – an improbable match to make your own.

The best part about these eclectic spaces is the complete originality. When you peruse local flea markets and thrift stores for furniture and accessories, you’ll never walk into your neighbor’s house and find the same dining table (complete with six matching chairs and an analogous hutch for added boredom).

This deliciously cohesive interior full of conflicting components was created and designed by Jarlath Mellett (photographed by Patrick Cline for Lonny). The soft tones and understated elegance is the perfect illustration of how to mix without matching. Plus, the soft tones and calm palette is in stark opposition to the chaotic Bohemian stereotype that usually flutters to mind when the word eclectic is involved.

If matching an ornate old world chandelier with modern streamlined upholstery makes your pulse quicken with anxiety, devour the EcoSalon Style Clash series by Kim Derby. Ms. Derby will painlessly guide you through mixing and matching.

Stay tuned as I guide you through the rest of the 2011 shelter trends.

The post The Downfall of Homogeny appeared first on EcoSalon.

Stylist Pippa Holt has a gorgeous mansion flat in central London full of delicious dichotomies. Influences from her Australian roots sit next to evidence of her current London life. Intricate black and white wallpaper exists just one wall over from generous, simple graphic rugs.

Flea market and low budget (Ikea!) pieces sing harmoniously next to high end original designs from the likes of Charles Eames (and handfuls of other recognizable names). Two dimensional prints hang on the wall above heaping stacks of three dimensional glossy muses.

Crisp white walls and floors provide the canvas for vivid splashes of bright colors and sumptuous textures. The entire composition of Ms. Holt’s flat leaves a delicious taste in my mouth.

This feast of loveliness was discovered on one of my favorite blogs, Automatism (as you already know – if you read this).

Read more about Ms. Holt’s exquisite home in this article from Living Etc.

Photographs by Lisa Cohen (via Living Inside).

The post Delicious Dichotomies appeared first on EcoSalon.

Stylist Emma Persson Lagerberg has a home that sings; this delicate space boasts a pallid backdrop with bold details. Each vignette captured by the talented lens of Petra Bindel is a study of contrast. Expansive white is relieved by dark and earthen accessories and sensuous curves are paired with masculine angles.

The eclectic elements of this home meld together to create an invitation to bask in cohesion. From stark white Eames chairs sitting beside antique wooden finds to the vintage avian prints, the interior is thoughtfully composed of contrasting styles and colors.

The bedroom is a clean palette for dreams accessorized by feminine details and lavender filtered light.

For more gorgeous interiors from stylist Emma Persson Lagerberg and photographer Petra Bindel, drool through this post.

The post Pallid Details appeared first on EcoSalon.

Meet fashion designer David Delfin. Meet architect and photographer Gorka Postigo. Rest your eyes on the stunning space these gentlemen share. Once a convent, this audacious Madrid residence was conceived and designed by Postigo. Tina Komninou lent this space a compelling description, “The minute you enter this house you appreciate that its owners are comfortable with who they are and express it with no inhibitions.”

This isn’t the type of place you want to scour in a ten page spread; this is a home to be experienced in three dimensions. I want to walk through this space and soak in the details, study the exposed white structure, ponder each art piece, and peruse through each book lounging on every horizontal surface. The simultaneous adjacency of retro furniture and fresh modern artwork is delicious. The effort put into this perfectly curated collection of artwork is as palpable as the bondage ropes dangling from the bedroom ceiling.

The amalgamation of rhythmic ingredients like antiquated oversized industrial light fixtures, natural wood, dramatic details, and provocative photography combine in price proportions for sincere cohesion. Natural light floods each room with innocence and sultry shadows of masculine silhouettes.

(This space was captured through brilliant photography by Manolo Yllera. This gorgeous dwelling of drama and edge was discovered lingering at the lovely Wabi Sabi. If you are bold enough to covet any of the artwork in this stunning apartment, click over to this post by Tina Komninou on Yatzer for more information.)

The post Sex in a Convent appeared first on EcoSalon.

With time, things change. Not too long ago, I shared my (once) beloved interior – the home of Liza Giles. Ms. Giles’ home is still lovely, but no longer holds the title of my favorite. I’m not fickle, and I don’t use the word favorite frequently. Meet my new love – this ravishing home is wooing me with unique details and vintage embellishments. The combination of charismatic artwork and industrial elements is inspired. Totally my new favorite.

These beautiful walls enclose the dwelling of Virginie Denny and Alfonso Valles in Paris (in case you needed another reason to visit Paris). The vignettes of imperfection create a cohesive and deliciously livable perfection. There is something charming about a space that screams with personality and boasts vintage botanical prints. I would love to take a seat at this desk, stare into a wall of wire typography, and churn creativity daily.

These gorgeous photographs were captured by Petra Bindel for Elle Interior Sweden. The talented Emma Persson Lagerberg is the stylist and writer behind this feature. Is it too much to ask to have coffee with both of these artistic geniuses (preferably in Paris)?!

(Thank you for introducing me to this interior Pure Green!)

The post Not Fickle, Just in Love appeared first on EcoSalon.

Brace yourself. Your eyes are seconds away from falling on an interior simultaneously wearing composed white walls and a chaotic chromatic rush – radiant pockets of vivid hues embellishing a blank shell. This bold serving of design is the London flat of Liza Giles. Ms. Giles has borrowed brilliant color and feminine details from her profession as a senior designer and stylist for Designers Guild.

Ms. Giles has arranged isolated tufts of seemingly unrelated elements that coalesce for a sense of overwhelming cohesion. Each vignette is a gathering of shiny new objects and flea market charms (which, by the way, has me yearning to locate her blissful flea market resources). Once again, James Merrell‘s photography has flawlessly captured endless design details with his talented lens.

This flat literally sings to me; gushing and admiring comes easily when the space is this perfect. I still remember the first time I set eyes upon this interior. Love at first sight. Every time I devour these images I find a new detail that makes it even more endearing (like the unassuming charcoal lace quietly dangling over the living room window). I would move in immediately, forsaking all personal possessions and arriving with only one suitcase and one husband. I have adored this space on my personal (humble, little) blog more than once. I still love it.

I am smitten with the sense of unintentional variety laced with deliberate eclecticism. The subtle whispers of color (through muted artwork) adjacent to the not-so-subtle shouts of color (reflected through gleaming metallic teal wallpaper) form a palatable, delicious tension. All this contrast is balanced into tranquility by the overwhelming silence of stark white walls, floors, and ceilings.

Still craving more? Gain a little more insight (or at least an additional opinion) with these features on {this is glamorous} and decor8.

(Photography by James Merrell via decor8.)

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