“Happy February! We’re Waxahachie natives, Emily Barnard Myers and Stacie Caffey of Revival Living Interiors and we’re delighted to be joining you to talk about interior design! Since love is in the air, we thought we’d share with you not just what we love, but what we think is one of the key ingredients of love -balance!”
Just a little about us – we adore what we do! We started out as friends who liked design and one thing led to another and now we run a successful remodel and design business!
We’re deeply grateful for all the people who have invited us into their homes and offices and trusted us in designing their spaces.
It might be easy to assume that two friends who have so much in common are identical, that we like the same things, that we agree on everything and have the same strengths, but not at all! Emily has a way with words and Stacie is the meticulous numbers boss. Emily’s discernment sees all the issues to be considered and Stacie’s boldness embraces a new challenge. We know that what each of us brings to the table is important in balancing our team.
“In design, balance means harmony. It doesn’t mean matching. We all know it’s easy to throw together a room that matches.”
Leather couch, leather chair, leather ottoman – it might all match, but it doesn’t feel good, right? It just isn’t what it COULD be. It’s missing out on what makes life beautiful. It’s missing richness. It’s missing texture. It’s missing depth.
So, how do we create that richness? Part of that richness lies in playing with symmetry and asymmetry. Our brains gravitate toward symmetry. Symmetry is familiar. When we bring symmetry into a room, we know it will instill a sense of calm. Our brains will find it soothing – even if you couldn’t put your fin er on exactly what elicited that sense of peace.
1. REVIVAL RECOMMENDS: MIRROR, NOT MATCH
When we first saw this lovely room, with its sky high ceilings and vast windows, it was in chaos. It wasn’t the chaos of clutter, but the chaos of balance and scale. The homeowner had a few key pieces she wanted to use, but otherwise the sheer size of the room was overwhelming. Anything diminutive simply got swallowed up. This room demanded a boldness in scale. We began to build our design employing a mirroring design, seen here in the twin couches facing each other and the pair of lovely chandeliers. We brought balance not just to the floors and walls, but the ceiling as well. The result was a cozy, sophisticated elegance.
2. REVIVAL RECOMMENDS: CLEAN LINES, CLEAN MIND
On a smaller scale, we love the calm, cool sophistication of this bedroom. You can’t help but take a deep breath and relax as you enter in. The calm isn’t just the hues of white, grey and black. The two wall sconces speak a subtle balance, but the real showstopper is the bed frame. It is deceptively simple but makes a clean and bold statement. The spare lines of the frame are a celebration of symmetry. There’s no fuss, no anxiety allowed into this space. This room says we are calm, we will rest.
Of course, a totally symmetrical world would be flat and boring! We love to play with touches of asymmetry. Asymmetry can draw attention to a special piece; it can bring cohesiveness; it can lift the heaviness of a design.
3. REVIVAL RECOMMENDS: THE POWER OF ONE
This wonderful buffet was an heirloom piece a client wanted to celebrate. We knew that it would be easy for a piece like this to trap a client into feeling like everything surrounding the buffet also had to be old – a variation on matching that would obscure the beauty of the buffet and make the space feel antiquated. By incorporating asymmetry, with the offset mirrors and the single floral, we could bypass the pull to make it a dusty museum piece. The asymmetry of the design brings the buffet into a modern conversation and allows it to be seen for its enduring beauty, not just its sentimental value.
Thanks for letting us share a little bit of our world with you. We hope you can see your favorite spaces with a fresh eye and a little inspiration. Here’s to a February filled with balance – in life and in design! We’ve got many design ideas we can’t wait to share with you.
