Top 5 styling tips for your condo
September 6, 2010
Lisa Canning, special to yourhome.ca
Ever wonder why condos in decor magazines look so picture perfect? Want your space to look magazine ready? Even if you aren’t hitting the books this September, you can join me in a little styling lesson for your condo.
Here are my top five styling tips. Use them to create a well-styled space to feel at the top of your class.
NUMBER 1: SHAKE IT LIKE A POLAROID
When I style a space intended for print or television, my Polaroid and digital cameras are my best friends. Taking a photo, uploading it to my computer, and printing the image are invaluable steps when I design a space. The key reason for taking a photo: It compartmentalizes a space and allows you to be more objective. Seeing the space static and within a frame forces you to think about smaller groupings and vignettes. It shows you gaps, dead space, or where an area is getting over crowded. Overall, it allows you to evaluate the space for balance, harmony and composition. I will often take a marker right on top of my image to help me pull together a finished look. Editing in this manner is a large part of a stylist’s job – you can be your own editor with the help of your camera lens.
NUMBER 2: PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
Focus on the best and hide the rest. When I get to the final stages of finishing a client’s space, I find I am always happiest when I focus on one or two incredible pieces rather than including several so-so pieces. Display your best items. This means selecting books with the prettiest jackets, editing your collection of accessories, or going out on a specific shop for the perfect candle holder. It may also mean saving up for those glorious gems rather than purchasing temporary throw away pieces that are “for now.”
NUMBER 3: SAFETY IN SYMMETRY
When in doubt, think symmetrically. It takes a well-trained eye (and/or guts!) to pull off the eclectic approach to decorating that has become popular in recent years. A foolproof approach is to think in pairs. Matching lamps on either side of a sofa, identical bedside tables or matching vases on either end of a console are all examples of balanced and symmetrical compositions. Think it will be boring? Keep it interesting by slightly throwing off the balance with smaller elements (an exquisite frame on one side, a mix of textures etc.) In condos that are lacking square footage, this stylist trick will go far in maintaining an uncluttered and polished aesthetic.
NUMBER 4: HAVE A STRONG POINT OF VIEW
Decorate from the beginning with a clear vision for the space. This vision might come from your favourite colour, a great printed dress, or an inspiration image. Regardless of your inspiration, stick with it and let everything you include in the space be informed by this aesthetic. If fashion is your passion, include books by favourite designers and allow shoes to act as accessories. If you love nature, work in earth tones with a mixture of natural textiles. If an article of clothing from your wardrobe inspires you, pull the colours out as your palette and mimic any hardware on the dress in accessories. Having a point of view keeps things focused and will keep the entire look cohesive.
NUMBER 5: EDIT EDIT AND EDIT AGAIN
Essentially, all of my styling tips come back to one main principle: edit. Get rid of clutter, purge your junk, pair down your collectables. Editing your space also means having it look as “finished” as possible. Fix broken shelves, hide or find a solution for stray cords, corral clutter into trays and baskets. Be ruthless with your space for that polished, professional look.
Lisa is an interior decorator, stylist & blogger in Toronto and lover of all things condo. For more of her thoughts on condo design check out condosbycanning.com.