INDESIGN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT… & DECORATING BY DANN FOLEY
Each year we at The Standard like to celebrate the Arts and Entertainment. This year I want to approach the theme in a different way. I see Arts & Entertainment as a celebration. It is a time laugh, cry, be inspired…a time to escape. So, I ask you, why can’t that excitement and escape be found in your own home? As a design and lifestyle “expert” I love writing to you each month about style, creativity and how to do-it-yourself. I often start with simple ideas, lists and suggestions on how to approach the myriad of issues and problems one faces when trying to design your own. But, I don’t often have the opportunity to write about the joy and pure fantasy that you can indulge in when creating your own personal space. In other words, your home should be a celebration of who you are and who you want to be when you leave the outside world behind. Design is a celebration. It can be and is meant to be a fantasy of the way you choose to live. I am not going to go off on a tangent of feeling and spiritual fulfillment. I’m talking about letting your imagination go. Design with abandon! Do what you really want! If the old proverb is right and your home is your castle, should it not be grand? Should it not entertain? Should it not be filled with
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art? All of these terms are relative to your own personal style, scale and budget, but they should all be considered when envisioning and implementing you own home. Fantasy is easily inspired by art, film and stage. Some of my greatest inspirations come from old films, great stage sets and even the characters portrayed on screens both large and small. Fantasy does not have to be overblown or so fantastical that you feel like you are living in a cartoon. The same rules of being true to yourself and who you are still apply. “Fantasy Decorating” can be as minimal as you like, or as detailed. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A favorite saying of mine to all clients is, “it is my job to listen to your desires and then expand on that vision, to help you to remove your blinders and show you just how big a single design style can be.” What I am really trying to convey is that no matter your overall style my wish for my clients is that we personalize your interior so that it is not an ode to a specific decorating look. I want your home to reflect who you are and your interests and I also want it to be warm and inviting and comfortable for you and everyone lucky enough to be invited. Style and comfort are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to have both in one space!