Ways to Make Your Home More Inviting : New York designer suggests ways to place furniture, lighting, plants and collections.
If you’ve just redone a room and you feel it needs a little touch of something, or if you’re tired of a look and you don’t want to spend a lot of money to change it, there are several remedies.
For example, says decorator Dominique Yvernault, you don’t have to walk in a straight line to get from room to room. So if you have a large living room, bring the furniture out from the walls. It will help create a cozy, welcoming look.
“It’s great to put your chairs, an ottoman or a couch in the center of the room,” the Bronxville, N.Y., interior designer says. “Two love seats in front of the fire are always nice.”
Proper lighting is important not only for warmth, but for flattering the skin. “Men may like the Hollywood lights, but soft illumination is much more flattering to women,” she says. “Putting pink light bulbs in certain rooms is fabulous; in the bedroom of course, and even in a living room sometimes.
“And don’t overlook candlelight. Candles are always nice on the dining room table and also look pretty on a mantel, in crystal balls that sparkle in the light.”
Offers Interior Tips
Yvernault, who as head of her own interior design firm has done some of the New York area’s spiffiest homes, offers these other tips to make your home more inviting:
--Display your collections. A collection of something you love is always intriguing and shows your own personality. Perhaps it’s crystal or candlesticks, little boxes, pewter mugs . . . anything. Silver is a personal favorite of mine. Take a look around your house and see what you have. Gather your collection together--a group of things has the most impact.
--Use your living room. It’s a shame so many families use their living rooms only at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The living room is often one of the largest, brightest rooms in the house.
--Create an atmosphere. Music. A fire in the fireplace. A soft fragrance in the air. These are welcoming touches for your family, and for guests. Soft music helps the conversation along and fills in any quiet spots.
Wood in the Fireplace
Even if it’s too hot for a fire, there should be wood and paper in the fireplace so it’s always ready to be lit. As for fragrance, I like the perfumed stones you can set on a special holder above your light bulbs. They’re made in France by Annick Goutal and can be found at fine department stores. They give off a very mild scent, and it’s very pleasant; the fragrance should never be overpowering.
--Use plants and flowers: Flowers are wonderful, even a single rose. I love orchids, but you can get the same impact less expensively in other ways. These days, most markets sell nice little flowers that can really set off a room.
Plants live longer than flowers and are the finishing touch in any room. When you think you’re through decorating, fill the room with plants. Even if your house has little light, there are plants that will do quite well. Your florist can advise you. Even supermarket plants can be presented in pretty baskets and make a great statement.
“Remember,” Yvernault says, “the personality of people is what really gives your house its special atmosphere. Family and friends make any room come alive.”
