“I had three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.”

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I am here to help us move past the hollow façade of much of decorating being done today and to reconnect our lives to our home in a more fundamental, deeper way.

We can’t get no satisfaction (sorry) the way most of us are going about the process today.

Where to start? Needs. What do we need our space to do for/ with/to us?

Here are 10 important needs to deal with when planning a rich, connected space. I borrow the first three from Thoreau.

1.       Solitude. A place for simplicity, calmness and repose.

2      Friendship.

3      Society. Public rooms must work for groups.

4.      At Home. We need to live in deeply personal spaces, Spaces that       nurture, ground, protect, inspire, warm the heart. We need to be at home.

5.     Functional needs. A place to sit, work, eat. How will the room used. Multiple answers to this question are best.

6.     Space, Proportion and light. We need to optimize what we’ve got to work with here.

7.     Skeletal Needs.  The big wood pieces (cabinets, desks, commodes, tables, shelves) are structure of the space. The upholstery, window treatments hang on this like skin. My living room again. (See yesterday’s blog for details)

                        The twelve-foot English Gothic Revival console is the backbone of   the room. (See yesterday’s blog for details)

                        The Russian Empire Demy-Lune commode is the hot ballerina. Brought down to earth a bit with the simple 50”s mirror above.

                        The large glass/mahogany 50”s store fixture grounds the room in a with it’s simple structural form.

8.     Needs for textural richness and variety. My simple 20-year-old ecru tumbled earthenware lamp and perfect craft shade ground me each time I roll the switch.

9.     Evidence of life. One of the most common mistakes in interior design is trying to disguise evidence that a living breathing person or family inhabits the space.

10.  Whole house. Whole Earth. Who wants a great chair in a toxic room on a shitty planet?

Take the pledge right now. I solemnly swear to better connect to my personal spaces today. I bet you feel better already. 

The idea of decoration and décor can overwhelm the best room. This whole concept has spread too widely and it’s messing up our houses and dulling down our lives. Who wants to live in a set, a décor, a pretty shell? We should all demand more.Don’t get angry, I’m all for good looking rooms. But I want more. I want pieces of furniture that I love, that speak to me, that damn it, are me. Things that connect me to my rooms and anchor me the way décor without substance cannot.

 What are the things we really want around us for our life?

Here’s how I do it for myself and how our Safavieh design team works at it for clients who let us get in deep enough to the hard work it takes.

            1|            I like to fill the room with interesting, special wooden furniture items – chests, tables, cabinets, shelves - and I like to mix periods. Relax!  Great rooms can be done with little mixing – it’s just not me.

                        Right now in my small living room I’ve got a antique Gothic Revival 12  foot oak console table (very English country), a more formal but also simple and iconic Russian Empire reproduction demi-lune commode with a 1950’s modern mirror above, a 5 foot by 5 foot mahogany and glass store fixture/bookcase for the TV and books. You get the idea….

                        Each piece is more than the décor; each grounds me and brings richness to my daily live.

            2|            I calm the mixed wood pieces with upholstery with simple lines and subtle patterns. Remember the upholstery moves in and out of a  room over time – recover it, slipcover it, replace the pillows and ottoman, or just get some new stuff (at Safavieh of course!). Chill out about the upholstery.

            3|            I keep the window treatments simple, crisp and in the background. Nothing leaps at you off of the walls.

            4|            Bare floors, sisal or great Oriental rugs all work. (I’m the buyer @  Safavieh. I could get fired for this blasphemy!)

            5|            Again, we are trying to connect on a deeper level here. We need evidence of a personal history, a family, a life. Share a little with your buds.

            6|            Put it where you would like to have it. Place it where you’ll use it or need it. No “Happy Homeowner Magazine” crap in this room.

Of course, you can’t just pile any old stuff together. But, if you are sincere, stick with simple forms, you’ll be okay. Our design staff would be happy to help and I’ll pitch in too, if you’d like.

Joe Murphy
Senior Designer
joe.murphy@safaviehhome.com