Making any kind of interior design change is usually easier said than done—especially if you haven’t taken stock of the things you already own. The truth of the matter is you may start to feel overwhelmed by the whole process.
Probably the best and easiest way to improve the interest value of your space is by adding a little more spice in the way of textures, colors and patterns—as if you were starting over with each new piece or accessory.
Texture Adds Spice
For a trendy look, pair up geometric prints and bold floral patterns found in rugs, pillows or lampshades, according to design experts at “Inspired Spaces” on shadesoflight.com. Try ethnic prints and bold, bright colors or silhouette prints (a dark design on a light background or white on a one-color background) for a fresh perspective, they advise. Also dominating the scene, they say, is contemporary furniture that is not only clever in design but also serves a purpose. Look for the bike desk, Post-it table, bookcase levitating sofa and more at freshhome.com.
Romantic Pottery
For a touch of femininity, look for embellished handmade pottery with delicate lace patterns by Margie Fitz. Her work is so intricate that she is limited in the number of pieces she makes—about 35 to 40 per year.
Margie, who is 69 years old, began dabbling in clay 12 years ago in North Carolina at a gallery that offered classes in pottery, she says. After she moved back to Berks County, she continued her hobby and began specializing in lace to make impressions in clay bowls. Margie is currently using vintage doilies that belonged to her mother, but she is always searching for other pretty patterns at flea markets and garage sales, she says.
Her very first piece was a “pinch pot” made by opening a ball of clay in the center and pushing the sides out from the inside to form a small round dish. It is the only piece that she has kept (other than rejects and dishes that come out of the kiln broken). The green wear (or first firing) and the second firing (after the glaze is put on the pottery) are all done at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading. “It is a great place to get extra hints and supervision,” she says.
Margie’s pottery bowls—available in various sizes, colors and designs—are signed, and they are food and dishwasher safe.
Playful Layers
Born with an expert eye and a talented hand, Dorian Cola of Sinking Spring has been creative in the arts since her childhood, or as long as she can remember, she says. Her specialty is fabric collages, but she also dabbles in other media such as wooden “spirit” boxes, jewelry and repurposed furniture.
Dorian, 64, who holds a bachelor of fine arts from the University of Wisconsin, spends a few hours each day perfecting her craft in a studio in her home. She credits old fabric, objects she has been collecting since her childhood and her mother as the main inspirations behind her art.
To start a collage, Dorian selects a piece or pieces of fabric and then pairs her choices with small objects to create a theme. From there, she fills in the canvas with ribbons, beads, torn papers and pictures. Her creations often have written poems or messages about nature or family and friendships. “They are an everyday reminder to us all that art mirrors life,” she says about her work.
Chris Kimmel, owner of Five & Divine in Wernersville, is thrilled to have Dorian’s art. “She is a great artist when it comes to texture in the home,” Chris says. “She makes beautiful collages with a wide range of colors and textures, using fabrics, yarns, wood and vintage items. The end results are very unique and really add warmth and interest to any space.”
Fabric Baskets
Fabric artist Gail Burford, who joined Five & Divine in June, has been making her coiled creations for close to 20 years, she says. These colorful fabric baskets, made with clothesline rope for durability, are the perfect choice for holding jewelry, keys, or even loose coins that would otherwise end up on top of a dresser or table in your home. Display the baskets in a mudroom or laundry area where they can be used for their practicality and admired for their warmth and charm in what might otherwise be considered a boring or sterile environment.
Gail also crafts purses and other useful items such as chair pads, coasters, placemats and cozies for casseroles and pies. “I let the fabric tell me what it wants to be…I just guide it,” she says about her designs. Her pieces are dated and come with a care tag.
A Little of This, A Little of That
Love to shop? Five & Divine in Wernersville is a wonderful place to start your search for texture in the way of handcrafted pieces made by local artists. This delightful store was opened by Chris and her husband in June of 2004. According to Chris, it has really progressed over the years.
“The interior was actually a little sparse when I look back on it,” says Chris, who is now running out of showroom space on the inside and on the front porch where she displays garden art made from depression glass, wind charms, metal sculptures, furniture and more. “I have to be very selective to the things I can or cannot take because space is at a premium,” she shares. And she isn’t kidding one bit.
To see in person the vast array of ever-changing unique and whimsical art in the way of hand painted furniture, floor cloths, vintage-inspired jewelry, pottery, fabric art, mosaics, paintings and prints, recycled glass bowls and more spilling over table tops and onto the floor and walls is the only way to believe it.
This plethora of art is the result of close to 100 artists and vendors who also bring in soaps, lotions, vintage stuff and antiques. Look around and you will also find new items, too, such as baby toys and blankets, stationery, cards, books and all sorts of home decor for sale.
The Perfect Color Scheme
Chris, who studied interior design at Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science (now Philadelphia University), knows firsthand the importance of layering colors for texture. She starts by coming up with a color scheme for her entire house. As she works on a room, she matches its accessories (rugs, pillows, blankets or even picture frames) in a similar color. In other rooms, she will use a particular accent color and repeat it in different textures and shapes throughout the space.
If a piece of vintage furniture or other accessory does not fit into her scheme, she makes it work with Chalk Paint™. “I love taking an old piece and giving it a new life,” she says about the dressers, tables, sideboards and other interesting pieces she sells in her shop. Chris discovered the paint, created by author and designer Annie Sloan of England, and its velvety matte finish last year while she was on vacation. “I fell in love with it almost immediately,” she says. The paint, according to Chris, is so easy to use that it can be applied to wood, plastic, metal and laminate without having to sand or prime the surface beforehand. “It’s really nice to work with and easy to clean up,” she says. “The end results are beautiful and environmentally friendly.”
And because the paint is so versatile, Chris now holds special technique classes in a charming work studio in the back of her shop. These classes are perfect for do-it -yourselfers who want a certain look but who are unsure how to achieve it.
When it comes to texture, let your eyes be your guide and your heart be your compass as it leads the way in your quest for the perfect room.
FIVE & DIVINE | 27 E. Penn Ave. | Wernersville | 610.670.9700 | fiveanddivine.com | Hours: Tues.-Sat., 10am-6pm
BY MARCIA WEIDNER-SUTPHEN | PHOTOS BY JOHN SECOGES
