A little known design secret - Home & Garden

A little known design secret

By Cheryll Gillespie

Asian cultures traditionally keep things low to the ground and visually light. (Courtesy of Ikea)

Flipping through the pages of your favourite decor magazine you’ll find an increasing number of contemporary interiors keeping it low. Furniture that is barely off the ground and which looks fabulous in these modern spaces.

European cultures love tall, oversized pieces of furniture while Asian cultures traditionally keep things low to the ground and visually light. With all eyes on China this year we will undoubtedly see an even stronger Asian influence in North American homes.

I love the modern aesthetic and choose to live in a very modern environment. For example, in my family room (which is where I have my home theater set up) I opted for a series of low-backed beds instead of theater chairs (yes, like a night club). In the living room my coffee tables are also low to the ground.

In the dining room my dining table is glass. Why do designers do this? Designers generally opt for this low modern look when there is a great view in a room that they do not want to distract from. That’s another reason that you generally see these interiors monochromatic with respect to colour.

So can you live close to the ground? Of course you can!. If you want to optimize a great view and bring a room down you must overhaul and lower the entire space. You can’t surround a barely-off-the-ground coffee table with a standard sofa - it won’t work and it will be as uncomfortable as all heck to sit around with friends enjoying a glass of wine.

Bottom line, you need to be consistent when you downgrade a space. In the bedroom you must lower the bed, the head board, the night stands, the dresser and any other furniture in the room. In the family room you must lower the sofa, chairs and all tables. You can get away with a standard height armoire but it may be best to choose a wider but lower style. Even the art work in these spaces should be hung closer to the floor.

One note about monochromatic spaces - whenever you have a lack of colour, you must compensate for this with an abundance of diverse and interesting textures. Without colour a space can become blah or boring, it will be the texture that steps up to the plate and creates that visual drama and excitement. Open that magazine again and take a peek at all the textures being used: wood, metal, sheep skin, rattan, suede, glass, bamboo, and wool to name a few.

When redecorating this spring consider bring your rooms down a notch to help you enjoy the view and to reward yourself with a fabulous modern interior.