Designer's Guide To Implementing Contrast To Lend Oomph To Your Apartment

Since ancient man once scribbled intimate thoughts on the walls of his home in a

deep cave he has implemented the principle of contrast in order to create visual interest, excitement and drama to his masterpiece. Today, the principle of arranging opposite elements to bring out a desired effect remains: light versus dark, heavy versus light, coarse versus smooth, large versus small, old versus new. It does not need to cost an arm and a leg to transform an apartment from a ho-hum space into one that exudes class. There has never been as many possibilities when decorating, and all you need is some chutzpah and common sense. Here is how one might use contrast to work magic to his apartment.

Tip #1 Display bold and contrasting images in your living area using size and color.

The object is to immediately grab the attention and interest of anyone coming in through your door, and to hold it. An almost floor-to-ceiling mural, or perhaps birch metal tree wall art, is a good idea for achieving this feat. The black and white color of the tree contrasted with that of the mural background, and repeated, for instance, in the contrast of the mural with your 14-foot long minimalist white sofa provides an exciting counterpoint.

Think about a wall mirror if you do not particularly like murals. Anything not indigenous to the place where you are provides instant contrast, as what would happen when, for instance, you are in New York, but your tropical wall art is obviously a bamboo tree.

Round off the look by using shadow and light provided by soft recessed light that beams down on the object.

Tip #2 Implement the same principle in your dining area.

Let us look at one example: heavy versus light. How can you achieve this contrast in your dining room? Well, you might have a magnificent stone table sanded to perfect smoothness to contrast with faux wicker chairs. The visual weight that is construed by heavy stone is a nice contrast to the visual lightness that is suggested by the faux wicker chairs. There are other nice contrasts as well. In its normal setting, stone is rarely smooth, but here you have a perfectly smooth stone table. Then again, the smoothness of the table contrasts with the weave of the faux wicker chairs a very nice tactile and visual touch. Add substantial decorative wall grilles to a focal wall to balance the heft of the table.

Tip # 3 Complete the visual and tactile feast in your bedroom.

You might consider having Japanese rush pillows with your minimalist bed. The sight of something not indigenous to where you are, in this case Japanese rush pillows, provides an exciting counterpoint. You might add to the excitement an Egyptian stool at the foot of the bed, introducing another element of contrast. You can complete the eye-catching visual feast by adding a pair of Japanese sandals to one corner.

Outfitting ones apartment to give it pizzazz or even chutzpah, need not be an overwhelming task. All that is required by the DIY decorator is a bit of common sense and knowledge of the use of contrast.

by: Michael Sullivan

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