The Couple: Kristine and Hank
Their Place: A one-bedroom apartment in elegant Gramercy Park in New York City
Their Style: Clean and modern
1. pick a color palette
Think of two colors that make you feel at home, then pair them with neutral hues for balance. To suit Kristine and Hank’s contemporary taste, we went with an earthy olive and cool gray-blue (blue is Hank’s favorite color), complemented by cream and chocolate brown. Easily pull together your palette with throw pillows.
2. consider scale
The rule: Large furniture works well with big furniture and small furniture goes with small furniture.
The couple’s large sectional was swallowing their teeny coffee table (see inset of the before shot), so we switched out the small chest for a glasstop coffee table. The glass makes the table look bigger than it is, making it a good match for the couch (bonus: you don’t have to buy a new couch!).
Oops! At almost $200, this pillow nearly put us over the top (we couldn’t control Tim, our stylist). But funky throw pillows are definitely worth the splurge—they’re the quickest way to liven up a living room.
Find cheaper ones that look just as good at Target.com.
3. curb the clutter
Pictures and magazines can envelop an end table—and instantly junk up a room (see inset of the before shot). Group frames on a shelf, toss old mags, and invest in a few eye-catching accents such as this flower pitcher and eco-friendly wood bowl (Kristine works for
GreenTeam, an eco-conscious communications agency). We replaced the existing lamp with a Bacchus table lamp from Pottery Barn we got on sale for $99.
4. perk up hand-me-downs
Hank’s grandmother painted this still life. So while it didn’t exactly fit their overall style, it had serious sentimental value. We tied it to their clean eclectic look by arranging short cut white roses (inspired by the art) in a modern square glass vase set in a modern rattan tray.
5. bring in botanicals
Plants are a fabulous, cheap way to perk up a space, but the trick is to match the greenery to your style. For Kristine and Hank’s modern clean look, we stayed away from anything too floral or feminine and stuck to big geometric-like leaves and organic shapes like the Money Tree Tim found for the shelf above the couch.
6. reclaim bare walls
You don’t have to blow your budget on a piece of modern art the size of a postcard—again, use what’s in your stock. Hank and Kristine had a globe wine holder and a couple maps of France (see inset), but they also discovered they had a number of rolled-up maps. We framed them and arranged them together on a bare wall (grouping always makes a stronger style statement). Tip: You can also download and print images from the web. Just hope the copyright police don’t visit.
7. and in the bedroom...
Kristine and Hank’s king-sized sleigh bed was beautiful, but it was covered up by a bland white comforter (see inset). Add one duvet bedding set plus one stylish accent pillow in a similar palette (a must for small spaces), and voilá! Instant style. Don’t be afraid to mix and match bed patterns; we accented West End Bedding by Nautica from Bed Bath & Beyond with a Coral Reef Pillow from Z Gallerie. For the nightstand, we simply rearranged random items from around the apartment for a more personal look.
by Anja Winikka
1/31/08
See more:
cleaning & organizing,
Decor Tricks