Big Love

Rita Konig says that interior design is all about tables, lamps, and chairs. A chair to sit in, a lamp to see by, and a table for your drink.

So, is is truly as simple as tables, lamps, and chairs? No. But on closer examination, starting there is pretty good advice. At least you will have functional places to sit an enjoy a drink and a book.

In Konig’s (website here: https://ritakonig.com) design she forgoes big box stores for older furniture and textiles. Living in England, she has many antique stores to go to and other places to source goods and now makes many of her own too.

I recently took her Create Academy class The Ultimate Guide to Interior Design, with an eye towards learning her interior design secrets and principles so that I could apply these to decorating my new place. As someone who recently moved, settling in for me includes making the space feel like my own, and a challenge is to create a space that feels both inviting and comfortable for me and my children.

Sometimes I also fantasize about what it would be like to be an interior designer. My college roommate studied design and at the time it seemed a bit dry, at least the little bits here and there I saw, which in truth were mostly fabric swatches. But, Konig grew up in the design world, with her mother Nina Campbell (https://shop.ninacampbell.com) also a designer and shop owner. She went on to study design, wrote about it for the Wall Street Journal, and then built her interior design studio in London.

Though I enjoy the images and style depicted in say Architectural Digest or Dwell Magazines, Konig’s spaces seem worlds away, and usually a lot more comfortable and practical. Minimalism, no. Rather well placed and beautiful furniture with color and fabrics, and an altogether interesting space. No all white this or all black that. I appreciate her definition of beauty in space, what makes it that way.

For me, for now, I’ve learned some things I hope to apply. I’m going to visit more antique shops. I’m going to keep an eye out for tables, lamps, and chairs. And I’m going to aim to be a bit more adventurous with color and whimsy in what I decorate with.