Room themes can be anything from a French theme, to a Star Wars theme. Picking a theme is usually very easy because the theme is usually something that is important to you. These themes can also be very subtle by taking the idea and creating a room that depicts certain aspects of that theme. For example, if one was to do a SUBTLE Star Wars theme, you might want to include ultra modern furniture, and colours of uniforms worn by the crew, without displaying your memorabilia on every surface, unless that is what you really want .
Brainstorming
In honour of my other half being accepted into the Canadian Military, I have put together a design board showing a Military themed living room. While I was trying to brainstorm what I would put into this living room, I wrote out a list of everything I associated with the Military. The list helped me get a better understanding of the theme and it was easier to see the theme when it was written down in front of me.
Here is the list I came up with:
Ø Army Green camouflage
Ø Gun Metal and armoured machinery
Ø Sand
Ø Canadian Flag
Ø Black Leather boots
Ø World War II nostalgia
Ø Raw materials such as brick and wood (used in housing)
Translate the list
Once you have the list, it is time to translate it into what you can do with the room. Getting creative with this is fun and sourcing items is very important. While sourcing, it is wise to choose peices that don’t ‘scream’ the theme. For example, I wouldn’t choose a camouflage sofa; I would choose a sofa that is covered in a fabric that takes one of the colours from the camouflage. I would also choose a more tailored looking sofa to show a more uniform look. The gun metal and machinery can be symbolized by using a coffee table made of metal. The Canadian flag can be represented with accents of red and white and so on. Materials that have similar texture as some of the associated ideas and also colours are a great place to start when picking pieces.
Putting it together
Gather fabric swatches, pictures, hardware, and anything else you need to convey the proper image to yourself of how this room will look. Gather enough to be able to understand the theme, this doesn’t mean you have to find everything at this stage. I placed all my samples and pictures on a bulletin board so I could see the collection all together and to get an idea of how the room will feel; the ambience. I used a fabric as the base of everything that I was looking for. It is a dark sage green microfiber on a tailored sofa and I paired it with two black leather tufted chairs. I also chose my paint colour too. Here is what they look like:
The sofa |
The Leather Chairs |
The sofa fabric and the leather |
Then I added some accessories, paint, and some comfort under foot and here is what I got:
This is what I have translated the Military Concept into.
From the top left corner:
Ø The sofa with the ‘army’ green fabric
Ø Red Accessories representing the Canadian flag and war nostalgia
o Red and white pattern toss pillows for the sofa
o Red English clock- bringing the British Monarch into the idea
o Four panel piece of art of an old plane
o An old record player- showing the idea of the 40’s
o The red star used as art work on the wall
Ø Black trim that will be used in the room around window frames and door frames
Ø A soft clay colour used on the walls to complements all aspects of the room without distracting the eye from the other peices.
Ø Natural brick will also be a complementary architectural element in the room, lending to the raw, rough idea
Ø Seagrass area rug would be used to define the conversation area and placed under the sofa, chairs, and coffee table. It also lends to the ‘sand’ idea stated earlier.
Ø The coffee table is a heavy metal table with a wrought iron texture with faux bolt detailing around the edges, resembling machinery. This table was painted a rough white to lighten up the space and create visual space.
Ø The chairs would be done in black leather with button tufting detail added to the back cushions. The black leather would mimic the leather boots, both polished and in perfect condition
Themes are fun to do and easy to implement. With accurate visions of the theme and properly sourced furniture and accessories, anyone could do it and have fun.
good luck Corbin, I love you
Love the Idea! I think it would be hot!
ReplyDeleteDo you think a seagrass rug would go in our dining room... I need your advice!
yes, it would be perfect actually
ReplyDeleteGreat job a very sweet blog! I love reading your blogs... You aspire me to do more..
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the military one and i look forward to all your ideas for new rooms!
ReplyDeleteI Love You too!