Extra! Extra! Read all about it! As the House of Brockman continues to grow, we wanted to take the opportunity out of your busy day to share another list. I believe everyone has a list inside of them. Your very own 10 design rules. These rules help govern our choices about what we like, why we like them, and how we want to live. So here at the House of Brockman, we wrote out our design rules to share with you. Please feel free to share some of yours.
1. Be True to You
I think this is so important when it comes to design. Your home is an extension of who you are. An outward expression of your likes and dislikes. I hate it when you visit a home, and it feels like the home and the owner have split personalities. Decorate for you and not for what others may like.
2. Make Your Room Fit
Have you ever been in a home that feels like a Crayola Crayon Box? The kitchen is red, the living room is blue, the bathroom is yellow, and master bedroom is purple. My only hope for the people living in the Crayon Box is that they are color blind; unaware of the color abuse smacking them in the face. I believe that your home should feel as one. No, that doesn't mean you have to paint every room the same color. Work with similar shades and styles of furniture so each room flows into one another.
3. Mix and Match
I love design. Now-a-days it's just so personal. It's not all about living with one style anymore. You no longer are forced to live in a period style. Just because you live in a Victorian home doesn't mean your have to sport interiors like "Downton Abby." It's OK to have a french antique table, with an abstract modern painting hanging on the wall, with a crystal chandelier, all in a modern concrete and glass home. You can make it your own by mixing and matching different styles.
4. Keep it Young
My personal style is Young Traditional. I'm not a fan of homes feeling old and dingy, or like a museum where your guests feel like they have to be cautious of where to sit, making sure they stay behind the velvet rope keeping them away from the exhibit. You can still use Grandma's furniture, but there are clues that dates it like a re-run of "Leave it to Beaver." These clues can be the fabric choices, color combinations, light fixtures, or art choices. If you freshen those up, Grandma's furniture will start to feel young again.
5. Don't Over Think It
I believe your home should speak for itself. I never want people to come into our home and say, "I just don't get it." I never want to have to explain why I decorated a certain way, or tell them why it looks awesome, hopelessly trying to convince them that it really is stylish. Don't over think it! Creativity is great, but when you're about to hang a chair upside down from the ceiling because you think it's a good idea, please - for all our sakes - put the chair down and step away!
6. Use it
Use or loose it. It's important to use your home and everything in it. I've heard stories of mothers who have "special rooms" which are off limits to all. The strict mom gives heated threats, where if she sees any evidence that anyone has been in the room, the FBI will be called to track down the criminal. With no remorse, the accused will be shipped off to a correctional facility to correct their terrible behavior. If you don't use it, or plan to use it, just get rid of it! There is no reason to waste space or to harass your family.
7. Invest in your Bedroom
I love all rooms, but there is nothing like a great bedroom. Your bedroom is where the magic should happen. Your oasis should be comfortable, stylish, and personal. A place you never want to leave. My personal must haves in our bedroom are: all white bedding, sconces for reading in bed, an amazing mattress - what better to sleep on my dear - and, lastly, I've always have a four poster bed since I was 12. Your bedroom is the most important place to invest for you.
8. Look for the Surprise!
Maybe it's just me, but I try to never take my interiors too seriously. I love to find quirky fun things for our home. I love to have surprises for me and my guests! I received a small statue from a friend while she was in Chile. Since the day I received it, I placed it on my coffee table. As many guests do when they are sitting on your couch, they start to lurk about. I always knew when a guest had picked up the statue because I would hear an, "Oh my!" and it would be quickly put back down. To my guests surprise, when you picked up this statue something poked out at them, and it was a bit of a shock. Wink, wink.
9. Let There be Light
Just like an outfit without shoes would look ridiculous, a well put together room without the right lighting fixtures could look just the same. Inside our home, Little Pea Cottage, you will find every room to have a chandelier. Yes, including the bathrooms. Great lighting fixtures are so important, they are a must have for you to take your room to the next level. You don't need to be like us, having only chandeliers, but everyone should budget out good over head lighting. Lighting fixtures are the "Wow" factor in any room. Light makes your room feel alive and lived it.
10. Dining is a Must
As Emily and I looked for our first house, one of our must-haves was a place for our dining room table. Most 20-something-year-olds don't normally care much about a dinning room, let alone a dinning room table. For us, it's all about dinning. I have to admit, we don't always eat dinner with linens and china, but we do most of the time. I love a quote from Carson the Butler on "Downton Abby" where he said, "If your ever tired of style, your only tired with life." Dinning rooms are another important place to invest because nothing brings people together more than the magical experiences which happen around a dinning room table.
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