Learn to artfully mix styles, transform cluttered spaces & dress up those naked windows
Award-winning decorator’s new book “Love Where You Live” shows how virtually anyone can turn a dream home into reality
Kinnelon, NJ (MMD Newswire) November 12, 2015 – Classical Traditional is making a big comeback in home décor, and can coexist beautifully with “Transitional” furnishings that gracefully walk the line between the traditional and ultra-contemporary. Creating a dream living space often involves foregoing the “matchy-matchy” look and bringing diverse elements together in sometimes surprising ways, using pieces that truly “speak to you.” But functionality is just as important as style, and the good news is that it’s possible to have both. These are just a few of the points strikingly made in a new book, “Love Where You Live: Dream Homes Made Real” by award-winning interior designer Heather McManus.
McManus, the owner, creative director and principal decorator of the boutique interior design company, Artistry Interiors, LLC, says her book’s title reflects her design philosophy: “Love where you live, because your environment affects how you feel.” The book is filled with photos from homes whose residents, with McManus’ help, did indeed learn to love where they live, and the message on every page is that creating one’s dream home is doable, no matter how large or how small the space.
For most people, “loving where you live” begins with awareness of what they really love and sticking to it. McManus frequently advises that if a person is drawn to certain colors they will probably always be attracted to those colors. “In a sense they are ‘your colors’,” she explains. “Staying with what you have liked means you’ll continue to like your choices.” People who throw out everything they love just for the sake of starting anew often end up regretting their decision and never feeling truly at home in their new setting.
Very often, aspects that many people normally don’t consider can make all the difference between a space that’s loved and one that’s only marginally acceptable. The floor plan is a good example: the right arrangement of furniture and other elements can transform an awkwardly large and impersonal space into a warm and welcoming one, or a tiny cluttered room into a cozy sanctuary. (Even a large room can look cluttered if the elements are poorly arranged.) McManus likes to show her clients all of their options – even the choices she doesn’t think will work well – so they can weigh the pros and cons of each one. “Understanding the ‘why’ in your decisions gives you confidence to know you’re making the best choice,” she explains.
Window treatments are perhaps the most neglected design aspect; McManus says the impact that window treatments have on a room is amazing. They add color and pattern, soften the room and complete it. “Don’t let your windows go naked,” she emphasizes.
“Love Where You Live” is filled with dazzling photographs that include satisfying before-and-after views of a variety of rooms. The text is packed with practical advice and sprinkled with gratifying anecdotes of clients who learned how to create living spaces they truly love.
McManus says, “I wrote this book to give people plenty of design ideas and get them excited and inspired. I can’t stress enough how important it is to ‘Love Where You Live,’ because your environment truly does make a difference in how you feel about yourself and your life.”
For more information visit the Artistry Interiors web site: www.artistry-interiors.com
“Love Where You Live” is available at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Where-You-Live-Dream/dp/1494962969
Heather McManus
Artistry Interiors, LLC
