According to DIY design expert Jennifer Dion, "Decorating is a piece of cake. All you do is start with the right paint color, use your imagination and go from there!" Today's first celebrity guest, model and lifestyle decorator Kathy Ireland, has a design style that is in keeping with Dion's philosophy: drawing her color inspiration from nature, she then approaches room decor with the common sense you'd expect from a mother of small children. In 1993 Ireland -- already a successful model -- launched the next phase of her career with the launch of a collection of designer socks; over the past decade she has expanded her offerings to sportswear, swimwear, jewelry and home furnishings. Now living with her family in a large, inviting home in California, she follows a simple philosophy in decorating: "Life is messy, and instead of being afraid of those messes, we need to embrace them. And we need our home and our furnishings to work with us." Ireland suggests thinking about colors, how they make you feel and what kind of mood you want to create. For instance, in her living room (figure A), she wanted a warm, inviting feel, so she used a lot of earth tones and rich colors. She also advocates using lots of fresh flowers in the home to add warmth to the interior as well as the exterior. Much of what she has learned has come from personal experience: because this home is the largest she's ever lived in, she has made worked hard to make sure that it isn't in any way austere but instead warm and inviting from the walls to the furnishings and accessories.
RESOURCES :
Home Design With Feng Shui
Model: 1561707880
Author: Terah Kathryn Collins
Hayhouse 2001
Fresh Flowers: Home Decorating Workbooks with 20 Step-by-Step Projects
Model: 0823023273
Author: Nikki Tibbles
Decorating with Flowers: Flowers for Every Occasion and Season
Model: 1855854600
Author: Jenny Raworth
Affordable Decorating: 72 Projects and Ideas to Save You Money
Model: 0865733775
Author: Home Decorating Institute
Creative Publishing International, Inc.
Website: www.creativepub.com
Colors for Your Every Mood : Discover Your True Decorating Colors
Model: 189212338X
Author: Leatrice Eiseman
Capital Books Inc, September 2000
The New Decorating Book
Model: 0696213818
Author: Better Homes and Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens Books, May 2001
Better Homes and Gardens Books
Website: www.bhglive.com
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