Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Designer's Eye ( Wide Open )

All fabrics in this post are Clarence House ( which I love, love, love )

Fabric can be tricky, you can dislike a fabric when looking at a sample so you avoid it. You discard the possibilities of that particular fabric tying things together , simply because you do not like it for some reason.

BUNRAKU
An interesting print and colors, and I can only say that because I am seeing it with an open design (mind) eye. The Designer's Eye.
KILIM sku-34305 rep: 47 " H rep: 27" - Clarence House

This is what got me all excited . How great is this ???

Maybe it is not itchy . That would be awesome.

ANZIO PAISLEY

Some people really hate paisley. I love PAISLEY. I always have .

People react to pattern much like they react to color.

Take the FLAME-STITCH ( flamestitch ) for instance.
You like it , you can tolerate it , or you HATE IT. I have seen so many reactions from clients who don't know the name of the pattern, but they know how they feel about it with just one glance. I have had clients say things like ; " I hate it, my grandmother had something like that ", blah , blah ,blah....whatever......

Some just say; " I don't want that in my house", some say; " it's okay, but let's keep looking ", and I have yet to hear the words; " OOOHHH , I love that ! "

The Flame-Stitch ( or flamestitch )is a really funny one. Just for fun , carry a memo ( sample) around with you and show it to your clients . Watch their reactions, it is funny.

More of them will dislike it , than like it.

The reason for this segue :

When in a jam finding a pattern with all the right colors that you are working with, you will always be able to find the infamous FLAMESTITCH. And in a small dose, even I, who really dislikes it, can tolerate it.
And in the end, when everything is all pulled together it actually looks great. It is really a LIFE SAVER.
Give it a chance, you will be pleased.
Especially if you are like me who who layers pattern, upon pattern,upon pattern.

*And never forgo your trims, they are the secret to using multiple patterns ( or pulling in another color ). When you have a pattern that does not have all the colors that you need in it, ADD A TRIM, and voila !!!!
Suddenly, everything comes together, and you are a genius!!!

MILHAUD VELVET

(Deco Anyone ????)
Being objective with patterns is a must, it's a difficult thing , but it improves your work.
Otherwise , you can end up doing what you love over and over. And that's not great, and that's not designing.

Just learn to stretch open the designer's eye inside you .

ZAZA - silk

Clarence House


( enlarge any picture for more info and a closer look )

Renee Finberg 'TELLS ALL' in her blog of her Adventures in Design

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