A very sweet friend of mine knows how fascinated I am with interior design, and in particular, with Candice Olson. So when an opportunity arose to meet her in person, my sweet friend was kind enough to ask me to be her guest.
Candice unveiled her new line of furniture tonight, which I didn't get to see very much of as most of us were sitting on it during the lecture she gave. And her lecture was incredibly informative.
I learned many things, including the importance of lighting. If you've seen Divine Design, you know that Candice uses a lot of recessed lighting, mostly around the perimeter of the room. She emphasized the fact that lighting is what sets the tone in the room and using it in layers (recessed, ceiling fixtures and lamps).
An example she gave is buying a $3/yard fabric and making a window treatment, and with recessed lighting draping down on it will make it look as good as a $300/yard fabric. If you were to take a $300/yard fabric with no lighting to accent it, it will look like a $3/yard fabric. Lighting makes a big difference.
And although her style is on the line of contemporary, she discussed how incorporating the unexpected can add an element of surprise. For instance, she decorated a room in a french country style but added a very contemporary ceiling light. It looked amazing. I would have never imagined doing such a thing.
Candice also mentioned that contrast is very key to her style of decorating. And I am in awe over how she pulls it off. Her slide presentation of examples mentioned in her lecture were incredible. Many of the photos were from some of the shows we have seen but it was intriguing to hear her discuss the background on these projects
She is a great designer and I enjoyed her very educating presentation on design and some of her tricks of the trade.
Candice inspired me tremendously. And boy, is she tall!
