There are also homes that radiate happiness and sunshine. When you step inside, there is a sense of joy and happiness and you instantly feel at home. It’s not always easy to pinpoint the whys and hows, but a combination of good home design and thoughtful interior design is a strong starting point.
There’s no secret formula for an uplifting home, but like a master mixologist, designer Kate Figler blends rich colors and patterns at home, creating sweet and tangy flavors in delicious cocktails for her interiors. Creates a bright blend of flavors. We visited her family home in Nashville, Tennessee, where she shared 11 tips for using color and pattern to create a beautiful, happy home.
1. Create a pleasant first impression from the front door
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
First impressions are lasting impressions, and your entryway ideas are an important way to set the tone and character of your interior. Although the space is small, as is often the case with period properties of this type, designer Kate is not one to shy away from warm tones and bright finishes.
“The house was built in 1945, and the entryway, with its stunning original leaded windows, called for punchy wallpaper to coordinate with Logan Redford’s abstract paintings,” she says. “The delicate details of Rupture & Light’s cloud garden felt like a perfect fit. We think this room will give our guests a truly delightful first impression of our home.”
2. Adopt a quirky layout with harmonious colors and patterns
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
There are many ways to overcome or minimize difficult floorplanning. Kate chose to accept and embrace the original layout of the house and successfully avoided layout mistakes. Designed by noted Nashville architect Edwin Keeble, the building has a traditional cottage-type feel with several small rooms typical of mid-century design, rather than the open-plan style of newer homes. have.
A harmonious palette of warm pastel pinks, soft greens, and pale blues connects the rooms beyond the hallway and sightlines of the original curved staircase. This allows the separate rooms to maintain their own identity while still being part of the overall color scheme of the home. Note the arched door to the powder room at the bottom of the stairs (more on this later). “You almost have to bend down to enter the room, and I love quirky, fun and original details like this,” says Kate.
“We incorporated color and pattern to bring the home to life,” she adds. “While I’m drawn to classic designs, I also strive to incorporate modern, quirky touches into each space. I wanted to make sure every space was utilized, so I designed a versatile floor plan throughout. We created several rooms with multiple functions.
Kate Figler
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Founder and President of Kate Figler Interiors
Kate Figler was born and raised in New England and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Her Kate Figler interior designs combine both Northeastern charm and Southern tradition. Her work is full of color and pattern using luxurious fabrics, elegant antiques, natural textures, and a fusion of traditional and modern elements. The mother of three understands the importance of combining beautiful design with functionality, and here in her family home she has achieved the perfect compromise.
3. Use soft colors and patterns to create a calming space in your busy home
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
Even in a busy family home, it’s important to incorporate occasional oases of calm, spaces for quiet moments, and places to appreciate the contrast between light and shadow, pattern and solid color. The living room ideas here embrace a more gentle and tranquil palette, providing a breathing space that allows you to better appreciate the stronger color combinations and patterns in the rest of the home.
“The color palette throughout our home is so fun and feels like it truly represents our family,” says designer Kate. “Each room is bright, comfortable, and inviting. All are intended for living together. The living room has perhaps the most beautiful natural light in the house, enhanced by Farrow & Ball’s pale mint walls. This is my favorite because it is “powder”. ‘
Of course, the pattern remains here, but it is concentrated around the windows, where the leaf print blends the space with the natural greenery outside and adds tranquility. “To give it a dressy feel, I specified a relaxed tail of Roman shades,” Kate explains. “The art in this room by Lynn Sanders is another special piece that ties the room together.”
4. Enjoy bold furniture placement
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
This house does not have a dining kitchen. You might think the corner bench seat in the photo above belongs in the kitchen, but it’s actually part of the living room of the house. Thanks to Fermoy’s fabric choice of pink abbey stripes, it offers unexpected moments of style and impact.
Kate explains the thinking behind her unusual living room layout and why she was convinced incorporating a banquette was the best bet: “As it’s a long, narrow room, we knew we needed several different seating areas, each with their own appeal,” she says.
“I love the chaise lounge and its versatility. It’s the perfect place to work from home, play board games, or have a quick meal. This piece of furniture creates so much space. Formal living rooms tend to get a bad rap for being difficult to use, but often all you need is some creative thinking about furniture placement and overall layout. Between the sofas by the fireplace, there are many ways to use this space.”
5. Use pattern and color to add gentle highlights to your white kitchen
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
Looking for new kitchen ideas or inspiration to update your white kitchen? Take a cue from Kate, who made targeted changes to bring this space to life.
“I always prefer a crisp white kitchen, but it can’t be completely flat and devoid of color,” she says. “A pantry door with a shirred panel (in Quadrille’s Carlo II fabric) introduces just the right amount of pattern into the space, while a pendant from Lauren Padian’s Art and Visual Comfort also breaks up all the white. This brings layers and warmth to the space’s needs.
6. Incorporate textures to add interest to your kitchen
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
Although the kitchen is white, it is by no means a sterile space. There’s plenty of textural interest here, thanks to the warm tones of the wicker bar stools and the room’s wooden floors, as well as an unusual structural detail at the end of the kitchen island.
7. Make practical and beautiful choices for family life
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
Comfort is paramount in a family living room, but the key is not to sacrifice style for practicality. Looking at the beautiful room above, complete with exquisite wallpaper, plush velvet sectionals, and a white, yes, white ottoman, you’d never guess this room would withstand the wear and tear of life with a young family. You probably can’t. But don’t worry, looks can be deceiving. As Kate explains, this elegant and cozy setup is a fully functional family room designed to last.
“Charles Stewart’s custom sectional is upholstered in one of my go-to Pindler performance velvets,” she says. “The ottoman is covered in Perennials synthetic leather, so any spills can be wiped up easily.”
As for the beautiful details? “Lee Jofa’s Althea (one of my all-time favorite fabrics) was the first pattern I wanted to use in this space (above the floral cushions) and the rest of the scheme The Papavero grass wallpaper from Casa Blanca added further texture to the space,” says Kate.
8. Turn your everyday dining space into an eye candy
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
Due to the constraints of the dining room in this cottage style home, this space must serve as both a space for entertaining and a space for everyday living. It looks upscale enough for a dinner party, yet relaxed and cozy for a family meal.
“The combination of whimsical floral wallpaper with casual woven chairs and white oak tables creates a sense of balance and just the right amount of interplay between formal and informal, which is what I woven throughout the design. That’s the goal we’re trying to reach,” Kate says.
“The Harris House Mural wallpaper was the starting point for this room and dictated much of the color story for the rest of the house. I love the purple, coral, green, and blue accents throughout the paper. The dining table is from Dunes & Duchess, a wonderful husband and wife team located not far from my hometown in Connecticut.
9. Mix cocktails with fresh colors and textures in your compact home bar
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
Honestly, all home bar ideas are good ideas. So finding a corner to incorporate a dedicated wet bar, even if small, already shows your commitment to luxury and fun. “I’m looking for an excuse to incorporate whiplash into a room, and our bar furniture provided a great opportunity to do so,” says Kate. “Sister Parish wallpaper and blue paint (Farrow & Ball’s Parma Gray) make this a perfect little space to enjoy a drink after a long day.”
A happy space for a true mixologist of color and texture? That’s definitely the purpose of this whole house.
10. Experiment with large-scale patterns in small spaces
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
There’s no need to be afraid of statement patterns and color schemes, even if you have a small room. “Go big or go home” is the mantra that this powder room embodies. Accessed through a low arched doorway at the bottom of the stairs, the store has an ornate design that belies its size.
“We wanted to make this half-bath even more glamorous and special,” says Kate. “The Sandburg Rafael wallpaper gives the space an almost treehouse-like feel.The pendant is a Solera Glen lampshade converted into a ceiling fixture, and this little pop of lavender and lilac D. porthole. I love To’s hand towels.
With its small arched entrance and lush bower wallpaper, you can’t help but think this special powder room has the feel of a magical fairy door.
11. Fill your bedroom with rich patterns
(Image credit: Alison Elefante)
A dream bedroom with a calming color palette and exquisite wallpaper. “I never tire of blue and green, and Peter Dunham’s Samarkand is so classic,” Kate says of the beautiful paisley print at the center of her master bedroom plan.
“The casual texture of the furniture keeps the space from becoming too serious,” she added. “Wallpaper with a Solera Glen shade and a stunning Arteria lamp can be the focal point of this space.”
Every part of this home comes alive with color and pattern, from the front door up the stairs to the bedrooms. “Private homes are truly a testing ground for designers, and we push the envelope and pursue the more color-heavy, pattern-heavy schemes we usually try to convince our clients to accept. ,” she says. Some interior designers experience what she calls “analysis paralysis” when designing their own homes, where too much expertise leaves them confused and unable to make choices. It was quite the opposite. She never questioned the design decisions she made for her parents’ home.
“A friend told me the other day that our house felt like summer, and I thought that was the best compliment,” she added. “Summer is easy and fun for me. What better feeling than spending time at someone’s home?”
Interior design: Kate Figler Interiors
Photo by Alison Elefante
