In-N-Out
One of the fundamental principles of Feng Shui involves bringing nature (plants, branches, fountains) inside the home to promote balance and vitality. While those health benefits are awesome, my proclivity for this commingling of environments has more to do with the visual interest it adds to a space. For example, taking a saddle and making it into a bar stool intrigues the eye; using swings as seating at an countertop is fun and novel; an indoor water feature distinguishes a home. We can warm up the exterior of a home by decorating it with upholstery and lighting, just as we can add dimension inside by layering it with unexpected elements not originally intended for the interior, or even intended to be decorative.
The same thrill comes over me when I see a commercial element used in a residential space. This is especially effective in a kitchen where commercial kitchen doors (8th photo in my reel below) or a commercial refrigerator makes a big statement in a single family home, even a clock from a diner adds this element of surprise. A signature move of mine is putting signage usually reserved for chic restaurant bathrooms on the door of a client's powder room. It makes people smile or at the very least surprises guests to see "The Loo" or "Dames" illustrated on a sign in family's home.
The first "antique" I purchased was a life preserver with the Moet champagne logo on it - I thought I struck gold when I found it. To me, putting a life preserver on a wall in a NYC apartment was artistic and novel - nevermind that it was utterly irrelevant. Fortunately, the Moet life preserver didn't survive (ironic?) my last move, but my point is, there is something about bringing the outside in and the inside out that is captivating and enriches the room with a sense of allure.
The first photograph of this reel is by Victoria Hagan and I ripped it out of Architectural Digest upon sight, emailed my resume to their office, and referenced it more than once during my interview. I. Love. It. Again, a lawnmower on the entry stairs? No comprendo. But it works (aesthetically, not physically).
Takeaway: Think outside the box - or think outside the box planter. Bringing the outside inside is so IN right now.
