Stylization/Colorization

Greetings from quarantine!

Many people work long hours and rarely spend a lot of time at home. When they do, it is usually in a distracted way. There are lots of things you want or need to get done and only so much time. You want to watch TV and relax after that stressful meeting you had. You need to make dinner. The kids need help with a science project. The house needs cleaning and you really don't want to do it. Those distractions often mean that we don't take a good hard look at the place we live.

Until something forces us to.

Right about now, I'm sure that you are going stir crazy, looking at those four walls, all day, every day. (I'm not even going to bring up the kids...)

So, why did I just depress you? And what does this have to do with interior design? Because, there is a lot that you can do, even without a major remodel. It all falls under the categories of stylization and colorization.

Stylization

Okay, this is something I've talked about before and probably will again. Styling a home is part of what an interior designer does but doesn't always require the same education. What is it, exactly? It is arranging your home and possessions in an appealing way. Sometimes it also involves going out and purchasing what you need, but not always. If you hire someone to come decorate your home or business for Christmas, that is styling. If you have them come over to create a table-scape for an important dinner? That is also styling.

There is a lot that can be done with what you already own. I'm sure you've seen enough Pinterest ideas to understand that. Sometimes, you just need someone to come in and help you arrange your possessions in a way that looks good. This picture shows part of the process. We thought we wanted the picture over the client's new entry table but needed to see what accessories we should put with it. Everything you see was found around her home and just moved around to see if it would work together. We concentrated on not only colors but also textures and levels.

Styling your home can be difficult if you don't know where to start but I have a few things to help you. First, you can contact me at anytime and we can use a video call to look around your home. With that feature, I can give you advice on where to move your furniture, how to arrange things on your mantle, and even which pictures to hang at which height! The second thing that you can do is keep an eye on my Instagram and Facebook. I will be uploading stories this month that help you understand how to arrange certain areas of your home. Is your fireplace mantle always frustrating to look at? Never know what to do with that big bookshelf? I will be covering these areas, along with a few others. It won't be as good as an actual consult, but it should help you get started.

Colorization

Colorization is exactly what it sounds like. It is the process of choosing colors. Sounds simple, right? It isn't, not for a lot of people, anyway.

As some of you know, not everyone sees color the same way. It is determined by a combination of things, most specifically genetics, and women tend be better at differentiating between colors than men are. Gentlemen, if you've ever looked at something and said it was purple when your wife called it mauve, now you know why. It may not be because you are male and don't care about the difference but because you actually can't see a difference.

This is why hiring someone who can see the difference is a good thing. Interior designers, obviously, can see a lot of colors. But it goes beyond that. We also learn about color theory and spend a lot of time determining how lighting and other tones can affect the end result. We consider not only the general color, but also the undertones and how it will interact with the other elements you have/have chosen. Sometimes, things look great apart but they pull all the wrong colors when you put them together.

Final Thoughts

Both colorization and stylization are essential to the design process but do not fully encompass it. There is so much more that designers do and I can't wait to share that with you! Be sure to tune in next month for another installment of this series and leave a comment or contact me to let me know if you have any questions or want a video consult. Have a great day and stay sane!