A European designer at heart, Alessandra Branca incorporates antique designs into a mix of modern day elements for new takes on old world elegance. The 16th through the 18th century is where she draws her inspiration, as she is an avid reader always looking for an opportunity for a new direction. Her keen eye for color and a willingness to take risks on dramatic style is what is so interesting about her. Drawn to classic looks, her intuition kicks it up a notch with bold color palettes and contrasting designs.
"If you don’t love your things, it’s much better to live in a white box.” Says Alessandra Branca.
It is very true advice to anyone attempting to decorate their home. Fill your home with items you love is always a good starting point when debating what to do when decorating. I always find that if a couple can pick out their favorite items in their home, there is always a design direction present. Design around your favorites, and your design will always fall into place.
“You should always figure out the way you want a room to feel,”
What kind of design do you lean towards? Do you tend to decorate contemporary when you really feel more formal? Go for what you love to look at, but are afraid of trying.
"...........a wall isn't only a wall, it's an opportunity to create depth."
She hits this right on the mark. Most decorators don't put the energy into the basic elements, such as the floor, ceiling, and walls, but instead they focus on filling it up with things. Good design is more than decorating. As she goes on saying........
"It's about layering. I love to see beyond the beautiful furniture in a room. And each room here has a vista into the next room, so you're always dying to see what's around the corner."
Layer your design, so that the little items you do put in a room have purpose and are masterpieces of their own. Great design is about putting the effort into the architectural details and layering in the details of the pictures, textures, textiles, furniture and accessories
"Red is sort of a signature of mine. But I use only touches, so it's not too harsh. That's very important"
I totally agree with her. Everyone needs to try painting one room red to experence its overpowering nature. Red works well on all walls if you can cover most of it up with pictures. Red works the very best in punches of color and spotlight accessories. Red does have to be thought out well to pull off a great design.
Alessandra Branca's New Classic Interiors
