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Design Perspectives

Flight of Fancy
Designers have the power to color clients’ homes, hearts and minds.

by Karla Nielson, Allied Member, ASID; WCAA

After 31 years as a design professional, I am still amazed at the power that interior design has over the minds and attitudes of the occupants of a given space. Once when I was lecturing in Florida to a group of interior designers and decorators on the subject of Color Psychology, a woman told an interesting story. She was visiting her parents when her uncle also came to visit. He had just returned from a convention of the American Medical Association and had taken a course on the healing power of color. In the conversation with this designer and her parents he said, “I learned that color has such incredible power to help and heal, or to hinder and hurt, that I do not want anything to do with it!” As she concluded her story in the seminar we all laughed and agreed that the implications are that we as the design community have essentially become a type of medical or psychiatric advisor to our clients or customers. It is up to us to make the interior suitable for their psychological and physical needs. What a responsibility!

The Great Escape
What are the psychological needs of today’s customer? They are closely tied to the overall condition of cultural and economic society. This has been the case ever since the Renaissance and throughout each historic period. There was always a “spirit of the times” that dictated the fashions for interiors. Today we can also evaluate our own socio-political and economic climate. We are now recovering from a time of great stress in the United States, which has spilled over into the economics of other developed countries. The stock market took a nose dive in the latter part of 2000 and hit bottom in January and February of 2001. Still struggling, September 11, 2003 caused not only a severe downturn in the stock market, close to a crash, but it also affected other parts of our collective psyche. There was first a feeling of anger and disbelief, followed by grief and mourning, and then by fear and precautions, then by assertive remedy. Now we are at a point where healing is beginning to take place. The stock market is showing signs of recovery and the economic outlook is more optimistic than it has been for three years. These facts do have an impact on interior design.

As an outgrowth of the intense emotions and real life dilemmas our country has faced, many people have sought to escape some of the harshness of reality and to protect loved ones from it. What better way to do this than to create a fanciful, cheerful world inside a room? It costs a lot less than an extravagant vacation, is much safer than travel, and can be enjoyed year-round. That is what we see in this portfolio—decorating that is whimsical and delightful, and is fully capable of sweeping us off our feet with a bit of tongue-and-cheek fun into a world of imagination.

Where To Go?
The first big decision when considering a flight of fancy into the sidewalk chalk world of Mary Poppins, is “Where shall I go when I am in this room?” So here are a few delightful ideas for taking off into a world of fantasy, and some ways to accomplish the journey:

• An Old Fashioned Flower Garden—A theme that never seems to grow old is the idea of a romantic flower garden. Indeed, there are more floral designs in wallcoverings and fabrics than any other type of design, even now that the floral trend is less popular than it was during the last part of the 20th century. To create a flower garden, utilize printed or woven fabrics on upholstery, bedding and at the window. Consider some of the great wallcoverings with borders, fences and flower gardens of every possible kind. Custom painted garden themes are a favorite and accessories including everything from seed packets to pots to gardening tools make a completed look. Other related themes include those from storybooks, which are perfect for children’s rooms. Peter Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland and The Secret Garden are beginning possibilities. The ceiling can be painted to look like a bright blue sky, and the climbing vines from wallcoverings or custom paint need not stop at the top of the wall—let them climb—with our without a trellis—onto the ceiling, too. Add birds, butterflies, butterfly nets, and even picnic decor, and you’ve escaped!

• Vacation on the Beach—If you asked 100 people where they would like to vacation, it’s quite probable that 50 or more would list a vacation near or on water, with an isolated beach in a tropical climate near the top of the list. This sun-soaked, escape-it-all theme can be accomplished in many ways—with beach blanket or chair stripes (even the real thing) fabrics, or lots of neutral textures on furnishings; wide plantation shutters or wide blinds are a perfect window treatment to keep out that tropical sun; a beach mural beach scene or one custom painted can sweep the occupant away each time the room is entered. Much more economical than the real vacation, this theme is a virtual escape with never-ending frequent flier miles—each time you walk in, you’re there! Consider accessories that are light and breezy, such as mosquito netting over the bed, a café table with chilled drinks (imitation ones are fine), seashells and starfish, sand castle building tools and personal beach needs—sunless tanner, perhaps?

Another vacation on the beach could reflect the New England landscape, complete with craggy rocks and lighthouse designs, oars as window treatment rods or hung on the walls, fishing nets and lobster traps, for example.

• The Country Life—Country themes are endless—the farm country is one with implements, rows of cornfields with blackbirds and sunflowers, all things country-Americana, right down to the pieced quilts and the stenciled borders with gingham or calico accessories and shirred top treatments. American Heartland themes are dear to the hearts of thousands of Americans, whether in the city or in the country, many people relate to this theme. Find items that are personal to your client to make this a bit more unique. Is there an heirloom or two? Would they like to purchase some antiques? Which region of America speaks most closely to their longings?

Another idea that speaks of the rural American countryside is the One-Room-School House theme. This might include motifs such as real black boards or slates, antique books, pads and inkwells vintage desks, lunch pails, rulers and yardsticks, even a potbelly stove. Fabrics include simple stripes, checks and plaids, homespun natural textures with rag rugs underfoot, for example.

• The Great Outdoors is another theme with loads of possibilities. These might include a hunting or fishing theme with murals, painted walls, or wall coverings and boarders of mountains, meadows or lakes and streams, fishing boats and fishing gear—rods, reels, and nets, hip-wader boots, even tied flies (with or without the hat) could make fun accessory motifs. Or in the case of the wild animal search, hunting equipment and maybe even animal “skins” (fake ones, for those who don’t want real dead animals in the house).

The Naturalist would be another great outdoors theme, where conservation is the direction for design. This means protecting endangered species where their native habitat becomes a utopia; for example, the perfect Savannah, the most beautiful, clean ocean or lake, the clearest blue sky, the most pristine wetland or meadow. Colors can be taken from the colors of the nature-setting, and window treatments can support that regional theme.

• The Wild West—Cowboys and Indians? Certainly, but much more—why not create a real wild west frontier town complete with false-front, stepped-gable establishments. Everything from the barbershop to the hotel to the saloon to the bank, each with its possibilities for motifs and accessories. How about a hitching post for the window treatment, the throw blanket stand, or for tying up a hobby horse. Indian blankets and sagebrush might be another direction, with a home on the range real cowboy experience—chaps and saddles and cowboy boots and hats, neckerchiefs and bandanas are all possibilities for fun application. Many fabrics have these wild-west themes from plaid shirt to denim to Indian blanket- type designs. Even a pine tree or a cactus plant might be the perfect accessory.

• Flight into Space—Flight into space conjures up two images. The first is that of outer space and sci-fi characters, space craft and glow-in-the dark stars on a navy-blue ceiling. This world can be furnished like the desert of Star Wars or the forbidden world of aliens, or the inside of a starship bound for the outer reaches of the galaxy. Space helmets, laser guns and stars, moon and sun are apt motifs.

The other direction that deals with flight is a look over the shoulder to the Kittyhawk days of bi-planes and World War I flying ace dog fights. Clouds on a bright blue sky could adorn the ceiling and walls. Accessories might include a telescope, a globe and bright, primary colors. This is a perfect setting for boys whose wanderlust takes them flying high with imagination and thrilling dare. In this illustration, note the creative window treatment with its multicolored tabs and buttons and window seat pillows taken from the colors of the airplanes, along with the crisp and clean white quality of fabric and woodwork. Elements of precision are appropriate for instrument controlled airplanes and flights of fancy into the wild blue yonder.

• To the Movies—Let the direction be toward the silver screen. Here is a great escape direction that will not ever run out of inspiration. Consider the delight of a yellow-brick road sponged on walls with rainbow curtains from the Wizard of Oz. Or the English countryside holiday of Mary Poppins with its merry-go-round carousel horses prancing across the hills and valleys. What about a Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang car with its own Bavarian castle in the distance, or fanciful underwater scene from the Little Mermaid or Finding Nemo, complete with their humorous and unforgettable characters? Disney and MGM themes provide an inexhaustible source of delightful escape from reality. Or maybe they become their own type of surreal reality.

• The European Parlor—This theme can make expert use of trompe l’oeil, the fool-the-eye trickery of painting (or a mural) that appears to be real, but of course, is decidedly not. A great trompe l’oeil scene is fun, humorous, but also has elements of longing—I’d like to be there, I’d like that view, or I’d like to have that item. Here a delightful French Rococo hutch filled with dishes and accessorized with a lamp and writing elements and a bouquet on the floor adds a touch of delightful humor to an otherwise serious room. One cannot help but smile at the credenza door open and revealing a cupboard stuffed to overflowing.

These flights of fancy are just the beginning of delight—whatever your creative mind can cook up, you can offer to the client who really does want to get away from it all into their own land of imagination!