Luxury of Simplicity

I recently did a shoot with a well known photographer, Tim Street Porter at a house that I did down in Newport Beach, California. I was going through the images, which will be seen in an upcoming issue of The Robb Report, and thinking how calm and tranquil they looked, and it gave me the idea for today's posting....The Luxury of Simplicity.

In many of the homes that I design there seems to be a rush to fill the space, and this is not always a good thing, sometimes the magic happens in what is left out, not in what is put in. In the image above, a small Sitting Room is turned into a charming nook, by a single, simple gesture, of a curving sofa that follows the shape of the room.

I have heard my women friends say that the key to successfully accessorising an out fit, is to dress and then take one item of jewellery off, I think that interior design would be well served by the same approach, here are some ideas:

• Take one of those decorative pillows off the bed, keep it open light and simple
• Find a fabulous fabric that is simple and timeless and use it on the upholstery, and the window treatments, simple color palettes create lightness and air
• Don't overdo the drapes with valances and tiebacks, let them hang and move with the breeze, it will bring your senses alive.
• Treat yourself to one great indulgence in a room, it will look more special, and raise the feeling of quality of all that is around it.