Art is design, and it can take an unlimited number of forms. Anything you can imagine can be designed… from the smallest details in a pair of earrings to a full-sized mural on the side of an old brick building.

Art is not only what someone sketches, paints, decorates, arranges, cooks, molds in clay, photographs, prints, or sculpts… to mention a few.

Designing an event can also be an art…

Wedding Receptions, as well as Anniversary, Birthday, & Religious celebrations such as bar/bat mitzvahs; and even solemn occasions like post-funeral gatherings; are all opportunities to express creativity & an ability to design & plan a special event for family members, friends, colleagues, and other people in our lives. The time and effort that is spent coming up with an idea, searching for an appropriate venue, choosing materials that create a desired theme & ambiance, or the elements necessary to achieve a truly impressive & professionally executed presentation for an company function; will be reflected in the final product.

What really makes a successful event, after planning the important items such as; finding & reserving the location, knowing how many will attend, determining whether you will be providing food & refreshments, (including wine, or other alcoholic beverages such as champagne in the case of an anniversary or engagement party, a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception); is the attention paid to the details. This is where you have a chance to express your creativity and style, and bring all the elements together to make an event special; or a professionally executed business affair, a success.

Some of the details that require attention, in order to make the designated room or area look complete; include, using a color scheme or ‘palette’ that reflects the nature of the event & consider the time of year in which it is being held. Also, choosing colors that compliment & work with one another, as well as ones that evoke a certain mood or the personality of the person or persons you are providing the event for; will portray the effect you are trying to convey.

For example…

with wedding receptions or events;  there are many elements & details involved in even a small, intimate gathering. Wedding events usually have several traditional components, such as:

• Meals (which could be either a full-course dinner, formal luncheon, or a more casual buffet).
• Dancing, which means you need to address where to have a designated area for this activity & in the case of an outdoor wedding, how you want to have it styled with options of different materials, such as parquet flooring; or an already existing area, such as a wooden deck, stone or gravel patio.

For a child’s birthday…

you would either be using bright colors, (possibly in the primary spectrum; or colors that are intrinsic to the type of theme chosen. This would of course depend on whether it’s being held for a boy or a girl, however; it is also important to keep in mind the type of personality of the child, when deciding on a theme and the choice of colors.

Want to have the look…

of many of the rooms you see on TV shows, but have a small budget? There are many ways to cut costs, by using many of the things you already have in your home right now… or you can purchase either at thrift stores or on sale at your local discount store, to use as the inspiration for a new look & design.

Look With ‘New Eyes’…

Curtains, towels, and other fabric colors & patterns, that you already have or have seen somewhere; are a great starting point to begin a re-design of a room that isn’t working for you.  You can design an entire room around the style & colors contained in different fabrics; such as these or others such as pillows, rugs, comforters… even in a fabric or paper napkin! Design is everywhere, and with a little research & creativity; you can find it at stores, online, or in magazines. If you really look carefully, you can find an array of design elements in unexpected places. Using the colors in one of these elements as your inspiration will help you to choose the major parts of your re-design, such as wall & trim paint, & will provide a new, fresh background for other elements you’ll be adding later.

Painting is an inexpensive way to make a big impact on the look of a room. Walls & trim are not the only elements that benefit from a change of color, especially if the surface is not aesthetically pleasing;such as dark-stained or damaged finishes which have water stains, scratches, or worn-out areas, In fact, painting these surfaces; using the same or similar colors from a particular color-family, can help to blend & give a cohesive look to the room.

You can bring other elements into the room, as long as you follow the concept of making sure that the colors match the palette that is contained in whatever pattern you used for your room’s inspiration. If you have an artistic background or some understanding of color theory, then you could add additional colors & textures that ‘compliment’ the ones that are evident in the existing design to add more interest.

The right rug can really finish a room, as well as offer comfort under foot. Rugs come in many different styles, colors, and textures; and as with fabrics, educating yourself about the different types that are available; can save you a lot of time and money; as well as insure that you are satisfied with your choice.

Rugs come in numerous style options to fit into many different types of decor. They can be matched with one particular style, such as combining an oriental rug with traditional colonial or mission-style furniture, an abstract or graphically patterned rug with contemporary furniture pieces, or they can be mixed with several different furniture styles in an eclectic mix. As with fabrics, the colors should be of the same ‘family’; and the patterns share some elements of form with other objects in the room. Rugs can be wall-to-wall, area, or for hallways and high-traffic areas…a runner.

Rugs are also available in materials suitable for outdoor use, in beautiful styles; and they are not the indoor-outdoor ‘astro-turf’ type of the past. Many people are using them to enhance their outdoor spaces, which are becoming a popular place to decorate as you would your indoor living room or family room.

Some of the different styles of rug include: Traditional classics, such as Oriental, Braided, and Hooked; as well as Contemporary designs, available in Jute, Berber, Chenille, and even Shag; (a popular choice that was commmonly used in the 1960’s & 70’s). Rugs can be fabricated of hand-tufted wool, cotton, or synthetic fibers. The type of material the rug is made of will dictate whether it is in the expensive vs. the more affordable range. This applies to the quality; as well; which will also depend on which material you choose. Pure wool, and whether it is done by hand, fit into the higher-priced category; where as synthetics are less costly. You can usually find a large array of affordable choices online, at discounted prices at one of the auction-based websites such as Ebay, or at sites like Amazon.com which offer products from a multitude of merchants. As with fabrics, the colors in a rug can be the inspiration for other elements of color and patterns in the room.

Don’t Be Afraid To Use Different Patterns…

Using two or more patterns in the same room is something many people are wary of doing. The key is to use different-sized patterns which contain the same colors… or in some cases as long as the colors compliment each other; using the same pattern in different colors can work too!

A Word About Textures…

Textures & surfaces can play a major role in the look of a re-design, and to the extent that they can add interest they can also detract from the overall result; if not addressed. The best chance of using textures & surfaces successfully, is to have several of the same elements of a certain texture or surface in the room. Some examples of these are: metal, leather, glass, woven, or wood components; such as ones making up seat cushions & backs, found on furniture legs or arms, lamp bases or shades, as well as other accent pieces. As mentioned earlier, painted surfaces can be found on or can be applied to furniture, picture frames, & even floor or wall tiles with interesting patterns & colors  , to bring the colors from the palette you’ve chosen together; which are contained in your inspiration fabric.

Lastly…

Be creative!  Some of the best ideas become evident to you when you’re not expecting them.