I was rereading (for about the tenth time) the must own design book, STYLE by SALADINO by my all time favorite designer, John Saladino. Here are a few quotes from his book that I think are worthwhile considerations for any one working through the design process whether you are a design professional or a do-it-yourselfer.

“I challenge my clients to stop thinking about design as having to do with merchandise and furniture and, instead, hope that they will come to believe, as I do, that a room should be like a walk-in still life. By that I mean the space should demonstrate an orchestration of shapes in harmony with each other. At every step, decisions of shape and space must be made that will add or subtract from the overall design harmony: Is the chair beautiful to look at from the back as you walk into the room? Should it be open-backed because the room is small and you do not want it to steal space? Every decision narrows the options.”

I think this thought process will make planning your space easier if you have the conviction to stick to it.

I LOVE THIS NEXT QUOTE:

“One of the crucial roles of the designer and architect is to bring discipline and selectivity to bear, so that clients do not fill their houses all at once with everything that they own. We need to make our visual strainers finer and sift through the plethora of our possessions. After all, a discerning woman does not wear all her jewelry at the same time.”

AND LASTLY, THIS TELLING QUOTE:

“I agree with Frank Lloyd Wright’s dictum: first buy the luxuries, the necessities will take care of themselves. At the end of a project, you will always find enough funds to buy the washer and the dryer but will forgo the antiques, the works of art, and the large shade tree. I believe that it is better to feed your soul from the beginning”

Now you really just have to borrow or buy the book so you can enjoy fully the wisdom and experience of the master, John Saladino.