Luxury for Less
Actually what I’m suggesting is updating your style without breaking the bank. We are all spending more time at home these days and let’s face it-some of our rooms are not all that we want them to be. So how can you achieve a high end look on a do-it-yourself budget? By using what I call authenticity of design or simply using some more natural materials.
Just by incorporating some natural fibers into your interior you can bring a different level of luxury into your own world. Create some drama with draperies by hanging silk panels at the windows. While you may not be able to use fragile silks on the furniture due to a pile-up of kids and pets, unlined silk panels floating in an open window might just be the way to get luxury into the living room. I’m not talking about formal swags and jabots here-just loose fabulous curtains that celebrate the actual beauty of the fabric.
The family room may call for authenticity of a different kind. Linen is luxurious because it is a natural fiber and has been used for centuries in the finest homes and castles. By using this fiber in its primitive state or in a softer form you can channel the romance and history into your everyday tactile experience.
Reusing is a green way to go too. Reupholster furniture or have slipcovers made in an authentic fiber like linen or cotton.
A fresh coat of paint in an updated color can do wonders for morale. If selecting a color is too daunting, find a picture of a room with a color you love in a magazine like Elle Décor, and look up the exact color the designer used–or call in a professional for a quick consultation.
This concept can also follow for the floors. One of the least expensive rugs can be an authentic or luxury look. Even if you are waiting for just the right oriental or Tibetan rugs to pop into your life, use a sea grass or sisal rug in the meantime. This is one of the most European looks that is very now and can help your room along in its quest for authentic style. It helps take down the formal room a notch and gives a casual feel to other rooms.
Update your look. Bring Luxury into your life. Lighten up for spring and summer by adding different pillows. Flowers should be an everyday luxury at this time of year. Put a small bouquet you picked yourself, on a table next to a reading chair. It’s a simple pleasure that gives your room boost. Cut flowering branches and put on a buffet or static corner of a room. The sculptural quality of the branches can look spectacular and make your room come alive -how luxurious is that?
Nancy Sublette, ASID
Email nancyatplunkett@gmail.com
Plunkett Home Furnishing
885 Sunset Ridge Road
Northbrook, IL 60062
Ph 847 714 1000
Call for an appointment and hours
