Ruling Out Rules in Decorating

Rose Gilbert
Sun, 24 Aug 2014 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Q: We have a lot of space in our new loft. A lot! What are the rules about arranging furniture? And what about colors? Everything we have is slick, modern, beige-ish (and boring).

A: Much as I hate to break it to you, there are no rules about arranging furniture, no rules about using color, no rules about decorating, period. I know you'd be happier if someone would tell you what works and what's verboten. But those days went out with antimacassars.

Listen to Los Angeles designer Ryan White, a Millennial who's quickly made a name for himself decorating for other Millennials (that's the marketing industry's label for anyone born between l982-2004):
Updated: Mon Aug 25, 2014

Q: We have a lot of space in our new loft. A lot! What are the rules about arranging furniture? And what about colors? Everything we have is slick, modern, beige-ish (and boring).

A: Much as I hate to break it to you, there are no rules about arranging furniture, no rules about using color, no rules about decorating, period. I know you'd be happier if someone would tell you what works and what's verboten. But those days went out with antimacassars.

Listen to Los Angeles designer Ryan White, a Millennial who's quickly made a name for himself decorating for other Millennials (that's the marketing industry's label for anyone born between l982-2004):

"I don't follow a lot of what would be called common rules," Ryan told survey-takers from Hunter Douglas, the window fashions company, who were trying to identify what the new generation of Millennials wants in their homes.

It's sure not the same old, same old. "A new attitude has been set," the survey found. "Why play by the rules?"

Why, indeed, when so much else is changing in the hands of the Millennials, some 95 million of them?

Take traditional furniture, for example. It's still with us — good design is forever — but it's being used out of context. Expect camelback loveseats next to the glass-topped dining table, outdoor fabrics in the living room, formal windows dressed in textured roller shades, antiques juxtaposed with drop-dead contemporary.

The "rules" have gone out the window and anything goes today, thanks in large part to the Millennials' new fervor for individual expression.

Study the loft we show here, decorated by Ryan White with a mix of high style and high imagination. Traditional paneled walls meet exuberant modern art. Chairs come in idiosyncratic pairs. Overall, the furniture arrangement is symmetrical and formal, yet the net effect is fresh, even fun, and highly individualistic.

Also note: The color scheme is all about neutrals, but they're anchored by the deep-hued rug and relieved by the dark, imposing sofa. This room might have struck earlier generations as, well, accumulated, rather than planned, but it embodies the Millennials' idea of "eclecticism" — comfortable, quirky and merrily on-trend.

Q: We're planning our new kitchen. The contractor wants to run the cabinets all the way to the ceiling. Is that the fashion? I've always had space on top to display things.

A: Depends on your priorities. Taller cabinets obviously offer more storage space. Add a wide moulding right up to the ceiling, and they will look built-in, that is, custom-made and more expensive.

Open soffits are more usually found in stock cabinet installations. But if you want to show off your collection of Quimper ware or stuffed chickens — and don't mind the dusting — it's no design faux pas to leave that space open.

Who's playing by the rules? Not us, say the Millennials, who like to mix things up their own way. Photo: Courtesy Hunter Douglas Window Fashions.

Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Manhattan Style" and six other books on interior design. To find out more about Rose Bennett Gilbert and read features by Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website and www.CREATORS.com.