Barden, Hollins, Jamieson
David Barden, Sam Hollins and Susan Jamieson at the Bridget Beari Home Store (Photo by Meridith Ingram)
The walls are papered, trim painted, new furnishings and fixtures installed. Still, it’s that “last 10 percent” that finishes a room — those details that personalize your space.
“The last 10 percent is the part that brings the room to life,” said designer Sam Hollins of Kenneth Byrd Design at a designer talk at Bridget Beari Home Store on July 15. Hosted by designer and store owner Susan Jamieson, the event highlighted tips for taking interiors from simply furnished to artfully complete.
A tablescape designed by David Barden at Bridget Beari Home Store (Photo by Meridith Ingram)
Included in that last 10 percent: pillows, window treatments, accessories … those pieces that infuse personality into a room. And those pieces don’t necessarily have to be new. Designer David Barden of David Barden Interior Design, who also spoke at the event, said this is a good time to incorporate family pieces and collections. “Sometimes people don’t even realize they have a collection until I come in and we take everything out,” he said. Collections can be displayed on mantels, tabletops, and in out-of-the-box ways, like the saddles he hung on the wall of a converted barn for a statement display.
The designers agreed that artwork is another important component of personalizing a space. Barden said that when choosing art, he believes it should “stand on its own,” chosen for its own merits rather than to match something in the room. And please, don’t hang it too high, he urged. Jamieson offered this tip: Hang art 60 inches from the floor to the center of the piece.
Family photos, the ultimate expression of what’s important, can make a decorative statement by employing a unifying factor — like displaying only black-and-white photos, or using a single color for all photo frames. Hollins, who is also a photographer, suggested displaying “artsy” shots and blowing them up to a larger scale to make a standout piece.
When it comes to accessories, Barden said he’s “all about scale”: “I like larger pieces with smaller pieces, and odd numbers,” he said. “I like to use books to give weight to a display, and something living, like a plant or flowers.”
Hollins emphasized quality accessories over quantity. “Use something that means something to you, or something that gets people to talk,” she said. Traveling is a great source for home accessories, because not only will pieces be unique, but they’ll recall good memories, she said.
Jamieson, as host and moderator, helped characterize that elusive finished feeling: “I know a space is done when it feels right, when I feel good in a room.”
Selecting the right paint color for your home is next up at Bridget Beari Home Store, 1528 W. Cary St., on Saturday, July 21, from 11 a.m. to noon. Made in Virginia Artisan Day will be held all day July 26 at the store.
