Steal a Great Interior Decorating Idea from a Famous Spa
by Wendy Croixwendy.croix@interiordesignschoolreview.com
Interior Design School Review Columnist
For a few years short of a century, red has been the signature color of New York's Elizabeth Arden salon. Now, red appears in new and surprising touches in the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon and Spa, thanks to the interior decorating and design of Brennan Beer Gorman Monk/ Interiors partner Christina Hart. Hart chose red quartzite tile for the reception area and lipstick red vinyl coverings for furnishings. Imitate Hart's spa decor, and you'll have a great bathroom home decorating idea: use a signature color.
Create zones in your home bathroom decorating.
Another interior decorating idea you can steal from the spas is to use your signature color to define a space within your bath. Spas often contrast one clean, uncluttered wall displaying a single work of art with a "busy" wall where products are shown. You can do the same in your bathroom decoration. Just remember the feng shui idea that everything you need should be in plain sight--not hidden away. Open a closet; find order, not chaos in its contents. This is the Zen of the spa zone.Use unexpected materials to create spa style for your bathroom interior.
Christina Hart used resin walls embedded with reeds when decorating the Arden spa. The idea is to create an oasis. If serenity, balance and calm are your home decorating goals, be consistent in your palette. See the home shower or bath as a mini-spa waiting to happen. Whether it's a single candle, or a back brush or bath mitt, add a spot of your signature interior decorating color inside the shower or tub. The bath pillow is a terrific spa touch that says luxury, though it costs very little.There's no reason you can't do what the designers do in interior decorating your bath. A single scented candle or bowl of sachet creates instant aroma therapy, giving you the "intimate, sensual, boutique experience" professional designers like Harry Christakis of HCA create for serene spots like the Kara spa at the Park Hyatt Los Angeles hotel.
Sources:
"Bath & spa," by Deanna Kizis. Interior Design 75.12 (Oct 2004).
"Behind the red door," by Sheila Kim-Jamet. Interior Design 75.12 (Oct 2004).
Brennan Beer Gorman Monk/ Interiors
"The royal treatment," by Laura Fisher Kaiser. Interior Design 75.12 (Oct 2004).
The Author
Wendy Croix, Ph.D. is a freelance writer, cultural critic and university professor. In her twenty years as a professional educator, Wendy has guided hundreds of students toward the careers of their dreams.
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