Shannon Fricke - How to Decorate An Inspiring and Practical Handbook

Copyright 2012 by Shannon Fricke
Photographs copyright 2012 Prue Ruscoe

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Potter Style, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com

POTTER STYLE and colophon is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

Originally published in Australia by Lantern, an imprint of the Penguin Group, Australia, Melbourne, in 2012.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Fricke, Shannon.
How to decorate/Shannon Fricke; photographs by Prue Ruscoe.
Includes index.
1. Interior decoration. I. Title

NK2115.F69 2013
747--dc23 2012050818

eBook ISBN 978-0-385-34515-6
Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-385-34507-1

Design and illustrations by Emily ONeill Penguin Group (Australia)
Cover design and illustrations by Emily ONeill

v3.1

LAYER ONE
DISCOVERING YOUR DECORATING STORY

LAYER TWO
CREATING YOUR CONCEPT

LAYER THREE
WORKING WITH SPACE

LAYER FOUR
SHAPING YOUR BACKDROP

LAYER FIVE
BECOMING FRIENDS WITH COLOUR

LAYER SIX
BRINGING IN THE FURNITURE

LAYER SEVEN
CHOOSING FABRICS

LAYER EIGHT
LIGHT EXACTLY WHERE YOU NEED IT

LAYER NINE
ACCESSORISING THE KEY TO INDIVIDUALITY

LAYER TEN
STYLING IT ALL TOGETHER

We cant always change the wrapping of a building but we do have control over the look and feel of what goes on within its four walls. If you want to create a home you love living in, one that reflects you, your life and your passions, but you dont know how to begin, then this book is for you.

I was inspired to write this book by the decorating workshops I run in my studio in country Australia. These workshops draw women (men are also very welcome but never seem to come!) from all walks of life, from places near and far, with different ways of living and different points of view. At the heart of the workshop days lies a common goal shared by every woman who steps through the front door to be creative.

Decorating is a form of creativity, an opportunity to express our unique style of seeing things in a legitimate way. I say legitimate because sometimes the world can look upon the act of being creative as a pastime, an indulgence of sorts, for those who have too much time on their hands and little else in the way of real work. What a shame, I say, that we dont give the act of being creative the credit it so definitely deserves. Creativity in any form is a clear window into our soul, into who we are and how we see things. It inspires us to know ourselves from our head all the way through to our heart. The experience of using our minds, our hands and our inner spirit in tandem is an opportunity to achieve a kind of peace. To just be How lovely to have such a chance in this crazy, fast-moving, ever-evolving world!

The lovely thing about engaging with decorating as a form of creativity is that the outcome can be both functional and beautiful. Its easier to navigate the footprint of a well-decorated house, and all who live among its virtues feel its influence on an aesthetic and spiritual level. And on top of all this, good decoration adds value to the property, which for some people is reason enough. For me, however, the true joy of decorating, the heart of the experience, will always lie in the act of creativity itself.