Kenneth Brown Talks Design
7 Mar
Fun with flat screens
One of the biggest design trends today is driven by technology, says Kenneth Brown. TV is a big part of people’s lives, but the big armoire in the living room is no longer needed thanks to flat-screen TVs. “Something as simple as flat-screen technology has made a big difference in design.”
Bathroom as sanctuary
“We’re treating the bathroom as if it’s another living room by bringing in furniture pieces and getting rid of the clinical feeling,” Brown says. Mirrors are framed with wood, tile is stone instead of ceramic, light switches are on dimmers, there’s color on the walls and a comfortable place to sit. “It’s more of a spa environment—a sacred space or oasis where you can escape,” he says. “You should be able to close the door and feel free.”
Regardless of what room you spend a lot of time in, you need to treat that room with a lot of respect, says Brown. Even if it’s the laundry room. “We’re taking rooms that are utilitarian and making them special. If you have a lot of kids and spend a lot of time doing laundry, then make that room a refuge. Paint it a color you like, put up photos of your kids, consider adding a small fountain so you can hear the soothing sound of water.”
The smaller kitchen
The days when a kitchen was the size of two rooms are over, says Brown. “It was just too big and people were having to run all around just to use it.” Instead today’s kitchens are better conceived and use space efficiently, he says. “More than ever the kitchen is the gathering space of the home, but the space has been reappropriated so that the actual functioning part is smaller and the rest of it may be a combined living room/den space.” Cool kitchens >>
Social responsibility
Part of the move to smaller spaces is fueled by an increased sense of social responsibility, Brown says. “We’re turning away from the big McMansions with a kajillion feet of space because it’s a waste of space and resources,” he says. “As designers and homeowners we have to be socially responsible and look at the millions of dollars involved for finishes and carpet and paint. For something to be special it doesn’t have to be huge.”
Color trends
Brown’s favorite colors are of the moment. “It’s always about testing color combinations and the feeling that creates,” he says. “Right now I love chocolate brown and teal blue. The chocolate is a warm color you can sink into, like a candy bar, and the teal is a refreshing punch of life.” Brown’s advice for adding a trendy color to your home: do it in the small ways. “You don’t have to put the season’s orange on a wall. Think about vases or pillows so that when the orange trend is over you haven’t invested too much money.”
Understand your space before you design it. “I’m not just talking about the walls and the floor and where a window is, but everything. The volume of the space, the light and where it comes from,” Brown says. The biggest design mistake is thinking that you, or a designer, can walk into a place and really know what needs to be done, he says. “It’s like a very good paint job. The best paint job is always about spending more time with the prep. I’ve found that the more I prep myself on the space and the homeowners’ vision and what they want, the more able I am to give them that good paint job, which is the room they want.”
Comfort is key. A Kenneth Brown room isn’t a success unless it’s comfortable and someplace the homeowners want to be. Like his own home (see “At Home With Kenneth Brown,” at left), gracious environments are meant to be beautiful but totally livable, he says. “Combine that couch you sink into with pieces you love that give the room smash or personality.”
It’s more about taking out than putting in. “A problem people have is that they see things that they like and believe they have to have all of it,” says Brown. “But it’s not filling up space that is important; it’s about putting up things that mean something to you. If there’s a blank wall it’s OK to have it empty until you find that piece that speaks to you. Editing a room so that it’s not cluttered will help keep your mind at peace.”
By Ann Krueger, HGTV.com
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