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We asked a professional interior designer about trends, tips and recommendations that fit with any budget and space.
Photos courtesy Elaine Stephenson
Elaine Stephenson is an interior designer with over 20 years of experience. On average, her business, Elaine Stephenson Interiors, LLC, works with around 30 clients a year, decorating rooms or entire homes. She also does commercial work, including investment offices, retirement communities and even the interior of Hollins University spaces (her alma mater). We asked her about trends, tips and recommendations that fit with any budget and space.
TRENDS AND CLASSICS
“Design is evolving at a faster rate than it used to,” Stephenson says. “There’s so much more product out there, in addition to the internet. Many people get inspired on Pinterest or seeing something online and want to change their own space. Trends are evolving because of the internet.”
While Stephenson describes her style as more traditional, she makes herself grow and look at what’s new, so she can add it to the fold. She is glad to see color is back after being gone for a long time. There are more bright, saturated colors in design, which is a welcome thing for her because she loves color.
When she sits down with a client to discuss possible interior decorating, she first has to understand the client’s tastes. She asks questions about the colors they like, pays attention to what styles they respond to and tries to be a good listener so she understands their wants and needs. She highly recommends clients “do their due diligence” and bring in samples, whether it’s images found online or in magazines.
Stephenson has seen the gamut of everything from bright patterns to neutral shades in clients’ homes, and is tactful if she believes something won’t work. A good interior designer will try to find something that works within the client’s suggested aesthetic, but will be a better fit for the space.
“Contemporary is great but I’m seeing more clients transition into traditional again. Many of the good classics will always be strong,” she says. “There are certain constants that are always comforting, such as pretty blue-and-white porcelain pieces, and Oriental rugs are always going to be great. Traditional upholstery furniture with a rolled arm and classic lines are in style, too.”
A classic sofa is important, both in comfort and style. There are many different styles as far as arms and skirts, and Stephenson recommends a loose back because they tend to be more comfortable. Club chairs are great, too, adding convenient seating as well as enhancing the room’s look.
Stephenson loves to work with antiques. The younger generations may say “brown is down,” wanting to change up their spaces more often and get rid of the old stuff. Stephenson, however, believes antiques will always be wonderful to work with and involve investment pieces. An entire room can be anchored around a beautiful chest, for example, and she personally loves collections.
“I collect different kinds of potteries and porcelains, art and funny things that make me happy,” she says.
Like many interior designers, Stephenson often uses her own home to inspire clients. “I have some things in my office that people can sit in, but if there’s a certain sofa or a light fixture that I happen to have, they are welcome to come over and see it. I’ve even done window filming because I had artwork I was trying to protect. I use my house as an example all the time.”
ACCESSORIES
Accessories are an important piece of the interior design puzzle. They can update a room without blowing a budget and include everything from pillows and lamps to frames and vases.
“Pillows are important,” Stephenson says. “Some people have a love/hate relationship with them because they can get in the way, but they are so pretty.”
Custom-made pillows tend to be expensive due to the many steps involved, from buying decorative fabric and fringe, the form that goes inside and paying someone to make it. It adds up, but can completely change the style of a room.
Stephenson also tries to have interesting lamps for clients to see. She keeps them classic because “you want to have them around for a long time.” She advises against huge shades, as the massive ones can look completely out of proportion in a room. Light fixtures are also a great accessory that can be updated with a classical vibe. Unusual fixtures can still fit in years from now.
She strongly encourages good quality picture frames. “It’s like having a good pair of shoes. You can really tell the difference.”
Perhaps the most important piece of advice to starting a room is knowing what your rug will look like; clients should know whether they will have a patterned room, which can change the look completely, as opposed to something more neutral which offers more latitude.
PAINT AND WALLPAPER
Stephenson loves wallpaper, but doesn’t necessarily want it everywhere. She highly recommends it for kitchens and bathrooms, as those rooms tend to have a lot of cabinetry; wallpaper enhances the countertops and surfaces, as well as beautiful details of the faucets and lighting.
“It really brings the rooms to life,” she says.
When they hear “wallpaper,” many people tend to think of the old-school wallpaper from 30 years ago with “awful cabbage roses and floral paper and borders,” but Stephenson says it’s incredibly different now. With so many beautiful patterns and colors, you can have a lot of fun picking out your favorites. Grasscloth is another type of popular wallpaper that will last for years. It has plenty of texture, which adds an interesting element to any room or built-in bookshelves.
Dining rooms are perfect for wallpaper, as they’re typically used for entertaining. People can sit and enjoy the look of the space. In Stephenson’s dining room, she has wallpaper on her ceiling (“I guess I should call it ceiling paper!”) with screen-printed butterflies, so it looks as though they float over your head. She also added a shimmer effect on her walls that emphasizes the whimsical look.
Paint is something that will pull an entire room together, but is actually one of the last pieces that should be decided. When Stephenson designs a room, she puts her schemes together first, selecting furniture and accessories, and then chooses her paint colors. She feels it’s difficult to do it the other way around, not wanting clients to base an entire room off paint that could eventually be updated.
THE BEAUTY OF INTERIOR DESIGN
Because every individual is different, no two rooms will ever look alike. For Stephenson, it’s all about creating a good foundation so it’s easier to come in years later and change only a couple of things, as opposed to an entire revamp. Oftentimes, clients don’t know their budget offhand, so it’s easier to come up with a good plan first.
For example, if a client already has a nice, neutral sofa, Stephenson will move it to the side to measure out the room and possibly add in other furniture to scale. Once she confirms numbers, she will look for fabrics and make up floor plans and templates. For her, it’s all about a goal, with an end product in mind. Then she’s able to work with a client’s budget and tailor to their needs using her plan.
“This way, you know what you’re going for, as opposed to trying something random and having no idea where to go from there,” she says.
She strongly warns clients against getting caught up in trends and fads, as it will eventually cost more if you’re constantly redoing your spaces. When you see too much of it and find it in every single store you go into, it becomes overwhelming. The trend will continue to trickle down until it eventually loses its luster, nudging clients into yet another redesign.
“You don’t want your room or home to look dated,” she says. “You want lasting qualities.”
Bold and fabulous might be your style, but know that not everything in the room can be a star. It’s a balancing act; otherwise your eyes aren’t sure where to look and can get overwhelmed. While there are exceptions to the rule, you don’t want it to look garish.
Stephenson believes interior designers can save you money in the long run because they prevent mistakes, such as buying things you may hate a year later or that don’t properly fit in the room. While lesser-used rooms can go on forever, things start wearing out the more you use them. Family rooms, for example, probably needs refreshing every decade, depending on how much use they get.
“Do one room at a time to prevent an entire overhaul at once and killing your budget,” Stephenson advises. “It’s like any kind of maintenance; you have to keep up with it. Or when it’s time, like the kids growing up or moving out, you get an opportunity to turn that room into something new.” I
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