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Self-Expression and Making Mistakes: Kimberley Seldon Sets Us Straight
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Just as not everyone is a fashion designer, an engine expert or culinary connoisseur, not everyone is a home décor wizard. And yet everyone, at some point in time, must decorate a room, a floor or entire home, just like most people have to dress themselves, drive a car and cook. And just like some people have design instincts, others are lost in a wasteland of drab colors, tacky textures and hideous furniture. Mistakes are made. Faux pas are exasperated. Colors clash, styles don’t mix and people are left annoyed and dejected in an ugly, ugly room. Thankfully there are experts out there who can not only help you fix your multitude of decorating mistakes, but also to help you find your own way. Enter Kimberley Seldon, internationally-renowned interior designer, journalist and host of Design for Living. At this year’s Edmonton Home and Garden Show, she’ll be putting her audience through the design paces. What paces, you ask? Well, while she doesn’t want to give everything away, she is willing to indulge us with the general themes of her appearance: Common Decorating Mistakes and Express Yourself.
Common Decorating Mistakes So, what are the top three questions/mistakes people make in terms of decorating their homes? “Hanging lights and art too high, and assuming ceilings must always be white are the three most common mistakes people make in decorating,” she confesses. That, in turn, makes questions about hanging art, lighting and painting ceilings the three most common questions she’s asked by her viewers and fans. “For artwork, I’m always asked, ‘where do I place it?’" “If it’s supposed to be eye-level, what does that mean?” For lighting, her questions (and the mistakes she sees) are similar. “How high should you hang sconces, how much lighting should you have, what about pot lights?” And what’s the deal with white ceilings? “People always ask, ‘does (the ceiling) have to be white?’ or ‘when is it appropriate or not (to paint your ceiling)?’” Of course, for the answers to all of these questions (and your own if you’re lucky), you’ll have to come down and hear it for yourself.
Express Yourself But that’s about to change. “I want to give people the confidence to make choices and not second guess their decisions. “Only you know what’s right for you, so you should stop asking people what they think. You ask your neighbour, then a friend, then a co-worker, another friend, an aunt, an uncle, and before you know it you have 28 different opinions, and you’re further from knowing what you want than before you opened your mouth. “It’s about gaining authority about what’s right for you, and having a strong idea of who you are.” How does she do this? “I tell people, ‘your home décor is one outfit for a party. It’s either barbecue or black-tie, not both.’” That means you have to figure out who you are and what you want your home to be. And while that doesn’t sound easy, it actually is. We all have ideas. We all have likes and dislikes. Seldon simply helps confirm that your ideas are good ones. “It’s ok to disagree with the expert,” just like it’s ok to disagree with your friends or family about your decorating dreams. That’s not to say you can’t screw up (re: Common Decorating Mistakes), as “there are some principles that can’t be broken,” but your opinion about what’s attractive and what isn’t is just that: your opinion. So, between learning to trust your opinion and eliminating common decorating mistakes from your design, you should be well on your way to decorating nirvana? Not likely. But listening to Seldon certainly is a good place to start! |
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