Design Details from the 2010 Decorator Showcase: Wick Design
Author:Abigail StoneNot many of us can afford a top-notch team of designers to give our home a decorative overhaul. And while that’s perfectly fine by me (who’d want to pass off all that fun to someone else, anyway?) it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t very much appreciate some professional design tips and tricks of the trade for my own decorating dilemmas.
Rather than haunt Craigslist’s ‘Strictly Platonic’ section for a new Interior Designer BFF, I’d think of the $30 admission price for this year’s San Francisco Decorator Showcase (which, by the way, benefits San Francisco University High School) as your ticket to the industry secrets of the city’s top design professionals.
Yes, the entire house is filled with ingenious details that work just as well in a giant Pac Heights mansion as they will in your own home. This week I’ll share a few of them that caught my eye. First off, I’ve got to start with Will Wick’s room, Guest Quarters at Mongibello, which is definitely a must-see at the showcase this year.
Nicole gave us a peek at the room last week, but I just have share a bit more. Using simple plaster walls and neutral tones, Wick instantly imparts a feeling of calm to the space, which he dubs a “minimalist retreat”. Stick to a similar palette of whites and light grays to bring that same calming effect to your own home.
Okay, so I suppose not many people are ready to install a swing in the bedroom (or maybe…?), but no to worry, there are plenty of other details here to cull. White curtains let in plenty of light, which adds to the airy and open feel of the room. And artwork inspired by nature (here, lapping waves) further instills a calm, organic quality.
Wick keeps superfluous items to a minimum, but the flow of the room is also enhanced by furniture that literally floats off of the floor. Aside from the swing, you can also mount larger items–like the console shown here–to the wall to keep a room from feeling bogged down with stuff.
By following Wick’s tricks for adding natural light, increasing flow, and sticking to a neutral palette for a room, you can recreate the feel of his Guest Quarters at Mongibello in your own home.
*Resources and further information on this room can be found in the guidebook of the 2010 Decorator Showcase, available with purchase of entry.
