It's all in the Detail
How one tiny detail can make a huge impact
Morning and Happy Monday to you all. Warm enough for those of you in the UK? This is the time of year when I feel so thankful for my north-facing kitchen and study having spent the previous six months cursing them for their Baltic chilliness. But for today (and possibly even tomorrow), it's a good thing. Now for this post I wanted to talk to you about the power of the single idea or even just how a tiny detail can have a huge impact.
coffee bar in hungary designed by roman plyus
Years ago (2013 to be exact) when Living Etc magazine featured The Mad House, the headline spoke of how every room in the house had one wow factor. One element that you would draw on that brought drama and interest to the space. I was thrilled that they picked up on that because it is something I still hold true and will always try and do in every room.
The purpose of this is two-fold. Firstly, it can distract from something you want to (or can't disguise). In the same way that a bold red lip is supposed to hide a hungover face, or an amazing pair of shoes can elevate an otherwise dull outfit, so a single element can draw the attention away from the bits you don't want to show off quite as much. Secondly, it's great to create a focal point. Something that draws the eye and says something about the room, leaving a memory long after the visitor has departed. For many years this was, and probably still is, the 6ft tall brass palm tree light in my sitting room (which arrived after that magazine feature) but it might also have been the gold ceiling in my former office (the rest of the room was a more classic pale pink wall and antique furniture) or the wrap-around deep red panelling in my new study (formerly the 17yo's bedroom).
yellow window sill at the home of joa studholme of farrow and ball photo by @andreasvoneinsiedel
Today's collection of rooms have all found one element that stands out and turns a good room into a great room. And, they are all different so you can consider anyone of them for your own spaces as they are not dependent on great architecture or pots of money. And that is always important on these pages.