When we lived in Seattle I made it a point to attend the Street of Dreams Show House tour every year. Yes I went to see what it would be like to live in a multi-million dollar home but I also went to get design ideas. I also made it a point to tour builders model homes on the weekends to seek out even more design ideas. Show houses and models homes can be a great source of design inspiration and product sourcing (and buying) if you know how to look beyond the beauty of a space and learn to analyze how a space was put together. Want to know what you can learn about design from show houses and model homes? Well follow along and I’ll tell you.
First let me say that most show house designs push the envelope with style and are decorated to the hilt. The designers that do these homes are challenged to make the rooms stand out and have drama and impact. You’ll often see bolder colors, more elaborate mill work, exotic finishes and over accessorized spaces in a show house.
When it comes to model homes, builders have a completely different agenda when it come to decorating. Builders want to make the home feel as large as possible and decorate it so that it will appeal to a range of people. The decor of model homes can sometimes seem sparse and the design details can come off as elementary but there are still a few things you can learn from these model homes.
WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM DESIGNER SHOW HOUSES
Designer show houses are filled with all kinds of amazing design ideas, from the latest furniture and accessory trends, unique wall-covering and paint options to custom details that you may not have seen before. These show houses can also give you an expert lesson in accessorizing and styling a room.
Want to learn the art of coffee table décor, then check out the table arrangements in a show house. You’ll see how different accessories are grouped together for impact and to achieve a balanced arrangement.
There will be lots of vignettes in a show house so analyze how they are styled and layered for new ideas.
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