Designer's Q&A: The Art of Design

The ability to look at a room with an artist’s eye can help even novice designers see differently. "It’s part of what we do. Not consciously, but it’s always there," says Charalambous, principal architect of Forma Design in Washington, D.C. "We are not decorators who come in and focus on the color of a sofa or a swatch of fabric. The first thing we do is look at what the house is all about and what’s appropriate to the house. The architecture is already telling you what it needs to see happen."
Here, some insight from Charalambous on redesigning spaces with an artist’s eye:

1. See what your room really needs. Look at a room the way a sculptor looks at a block of marble, trying to envision what lies beneath. On one project, the clients wanted a streamlined, zen feel to their traditional Colonial home. Charalambous removed the crown molding throughout the house except in the living and dining areas, where the crown molding, tailored furniture and fabric window coverings gave the rooms the more formal feeling they demanded.

2. Layer your room the way an artist layers paint on a canvas. First, make sure the architecture works. Then, focus on the interior design. "Choose furniture so the scale is correct," Charalambous says, "laying it out so you have views, and flow. Then choose the finishes on the furniture, then the art and accessories. After that, choose the paint colors. Design is a process."