Personal space

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 - 10:45am

My sister, Theresa, gave me a great book for Christmas – “The World of Muriel Brandolini Interiors”, published by Rizzoli (New York). Muriel Brandolini has been much in the ‘design news’ lately for her eclectic style, her lack of any formal design training, and “romantic artisinal edge”. She is recently listed in the Top 100 Talents in Architecture and Design (Architectural Digest, Jan. 2012). She started “decorating” in 1993 after becoming well-known as a fashion stylist doing modern interiors for her friends. Her style is whimsical, dramatic, and filled with different textures, period pieces mixed with modern, and there just seems to be so much MORE of everything – yet it all comes together in a fresh, wonderful, and beautiful way.

 

I think of my design aesthetic as more clean lines – classic leaning towards modern. But when I look around my own house, I realize that it is a mix of all the things I have collected on my travels to South America and Europe, pattern all around. I am in a constant internal battle not to overly complicate things. I am always struggling for this clean sense of space, but my own space never really seems to reflect my “modern and clean” philosophy, but more my inner complicated and textural personality.

Brandolini’s book has awakened a new sense that this more complex style is okay for me, and that I should take a leap of faith with more patterns and textures in our own company design work. We can go out on the edge sometimes – we can all celebrate our own eclectic tastes. By doing this, we end up with a finished product that truly represents each client, and that is what it’s all about!

Let’s challenge ourselves in 2012 – with fresh new ideas, more textures and patterns, and ethnically inspired design. Design that is organic to each of us. (And if you want a very spare and clean environment, we’re happy for that as well!).

Our DMI philosophy remains unchanged, just refreshed for 2012: When your job is complete, we want you to feel that it reflects your own personal style and that you did it – with just a little consultation and help along the way from the designers at DMI.

Happy New Year!

P.S. Thank you, Theresa, for again providing the right inspiration and support at the perfect time – you are a fantastic sister!