At home with fresh fall accents
Local design maven Kristine Irving encourages clients to approach their living spaces like a French woman approaches her wardrobe: Buy a few fabulous classics that have staying power.
"Be judicious on what you allow into your space," she says. "I'm amazed that people will settle for things that aren't beautiful, comfortable, or functional."
There's no shortage of beautiful, funky, and hip home accessories and furniture in Irving's Beacon Hill boutique, Koo de Kir. Now, Irving's also started a full-service design studio around the corner from the Chestnut Street store, after years of working with clients on a referral-only basis. On her to-do list? She's designing the new Wellesley location of chic shoe store Moxie, redesigning two eateries - Pomodoro in the North End and Matt Murphy's in Brookline Village - and working on several residential projects, including one in Bahrain.
We asked Irving about her five favorite ways to update your home this fall and present a few fresh and affordable options.
Black and white accessories
"I just got back from the gift show in New York," Irving said, "and there was black and white dinnerware, pottery, and furniture. Ikea's going all black and white for 2009. It's super-graphic, but still very neutral. It's neutral with a punch. You may be thinking 'porn star,' but black accessories can be really cool. How about mirrors and lamps? Add a few to a room and you get a staccato feeling - your eyes will bounce around the room, gently, not jarringly."
Woven textures
"Think Bottega Veneta handbags," she said. "I've seen woven leather in barstools, ottomans, little side tables - particularly in chocolate brown. A woven chocolate brown ottoman can be a grounding element in a room. Woven textures go from the high, high end to West Elm. . . . There is something elegant about it." (Irving said she's using brown woven leather and linen banquettes in Pomodoro's new design.)
Middle Eastern patterns
"We're talking Turkish, Moorish, Celtic, stylized patterns," Irving said. "Think of a boring space, like a guy's apartment full of leather furniture. This is a dude right out of college. Add an ethnically inspired print for some personality. Get one fabulous rug with an over-the-top pattern, and make everything else neutral and solid. These patterns hearken to an ancient culture."
Environmentally neutral/ friendly housewares
"I'm seeing a lot of LED fixtures. San Francisco designer Pablo Pardo is introducing many new designs. The bulbs have a long life span. Also, people are opening stores based solely around recycled products. It's become a whole design category. People want to know who is manufacturing their products."
Everything old is new again
"This includes both real and created vintage pieces. . . . They give a warm feeling to a modern space. They look old; they give a new house 'age' and history." One of Irving's newest offerings, a "created vintage" chair, has been a hit with customers. "It looks very Louis XIV, but it isn't gilded or crazily ornate," she says. "It's done with really nice neutral linen and a wood frame made from raw recycled oak, which makes it modern." 