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 Yesteryear’s suburbs taught us two true things about today: that nobody wants to live like everybody else, and that ahome should be a natural habitat for those who dwell therein. Ever since cookie-cutter houses first sprang up to meet post-war demands, America has been struggling for design independence. In apparel fashions, too. Clothing designers may come and go, shunting hemlines down or up, lapels in or out, but nobody pays much attention anymore. We wear what we—repeat, WE—decide to wear.  So do our homes. No one tries to keep up with the Joneses these days. We want our own style, our own highly personal spaces, and we’re more than willing to paint, wallpaper and plant to make them uniquely US. Even the ubiquitous cloned office cubical couldn’t cool our collective ardor for individuality. Up went family photos, meaningful mementos, souvenirs and such, until the officially faceless space finally gave up to the personality within.Such self-expression is necessary, say the psychologists. And it’s easy, say the design professionals. We asked a pair of  New York area pros to share their insights on individuality and how to achieve it. |
THREE DESIGNER TIPS THAT ADD INSTANT PERSONALITY Interior designer John Buscarello, ASID, seems especially at home in the kitchen, where he’s known for creating unusual—and very personal—“living kitchens” that reflect clients’ tastes in much more than food. His work has been featured in a number of top design publications and leading designer showhouses. (John Buscarello Designs, 27 West 20th St., Suite 1206, New York, NY, 10011, 212-691-5881.) “I always urge my clients to express themselves in their rooms. There are three ways that always seem to work: l. Color. I think you should go with your favorite colors, usually the colors you like to wear. 2. Personal photos. Photos of family and friends add instant personality to any space, even the bath and kitchen. 3. Souvenirs. I urge my clients to buy things every time they travel: antiques, arts and crafts, even furniture and fabric—I recently framed a piece of Egyptian fabric a client had brought back from a trip. And postcards: I have a bunch of antique postcards I found on a trip framed in my own foyer.” Take our lifestyle quiz to find the look you love Designer Rosemary Niklaus (Motley Fama, 21 Vose Ave., South Orange, NJ, 07079, 973-727-1859) prefers to work with home decorators who are quick to define and express their personal likes and dislikes. An alumnae of Bloomingdale’s famed design studio in Short Hills, New Jersey, Rosemary has developed what she calls a “lifestyle quiz” to help clients decide what they really want to achieve through design. “Ask yourself questions about the way you live—and want to live: How do you entertain? Where do the children do their homework? What are your own hobbies? Are you interested in the new technology (personal computers, entertainment centers for adults or for the whole family)?, questions like that. “Magazine photos can be a great help in combining your lifestyle goals with the look you want. Go through several months’ worth of your favorite magazines and clip out every photo that shows anything you like... a color, a chair, anything. Once you’ve got a great pile of pictures, edit them down to workable numbers and present them to your interior designer. It’s a great shortcut to your design goals.” |
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