{"id":993,"date":"2019-08-16T00:35:55","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T04:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/?p=993"},"modified":"2023-08-04T17:33:01","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T21:33:01","slug":"sarah-storms-tips-for-abandoning-the-design-rulebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/sarah-storms-tips-for-abandoning-the-design-rulebook\/","title":{"rendered":"Style Guides: Sarah Storms\u2019 Tips for Abandoning the Design Rulebook"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In college, creative consultant Sarah Storms<\/a> had the opportunity to live in Dakar, Senegal\u00a0for a short time.\u00a0There, she found endless inspiration in the way traditional African garb and modern fashion coexist,\u00a0collecting bolts of local fabrics she still has today.<\/p>\n

Sarah has carried this inspiration with her throughout her career, blending timeless beauty with contemporary ideas. She\u2019s worked as a magazine editor for\u00a0Travel + Leisure, Lonny, Elle Decor, Veranda\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0House Beautiful<\/em>, as well as written for\u00a0The Wall Street Journal<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Architectural Digest<\/em>. She\u2019s also styled shoots for Christie\u2019s auction house and Sotheby\u2019s International Realty.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Sarah\u2019s love of all things old and new led her to form SGBMade<\/a>, a creative studio specializing in consulting and artful product styling for small-batch artisan brands. That\u2019s when she discovered Marigold Living<\/a> and fell in love with our\u00a0Roza Collection<\/a>. In luscious pink and teal, these linens have become Sarah\u2019s go-to pieces for dreamy end-of-summer entertaining.<\/p>\n

In this newest installment of our\u00a0Style Guides series<\/strong>, Sarah was kind enough to share tips for finding inspiration and unique products\u2014and for crafting a photo-worthy outdoor tablescape.<\/p>\n

Big Style Doesn\u2019t Have to Mean Spending Big<\/b><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cI rely on flea market treasure-hunting for hard furniture and d\u00e9cor, and approachable, artisan-championing textile makers like Marigold Living<\/a> for those all-important moveable feasts of color and print.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Roza<\/a><\/p>\n

Q: How would you describe your design sensibility?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I like a good mix of European rusticity, glossy colors and bold print. I\u2019m really drawn to intense tones and distinctive patterns, and shapes that hark to tradition but feel simple enough to stand up to a modern eye.\u00a0I\u2019m committed to debunking\u00a0the idea that to have big style, you have to spend big. I think my design taste can sometimes appear highbrow, but I don\u2019t often have the budget\u2014for my own home or on styling jobs\u2014to have things custom made or upholstered.<\/p>\n

I rely on flea market treasure-hunting for hard furniture and d\u00e9cor, and approachable, artisan-championing textile makers like Marigold Living<\/a> for those all-important moveable feasts of color and print: pillows<\/a>, throws<\/a>, tablecloths<\/a> used as tapestries. I\u2019m all about filling your home with things you can shift from room to room as your mood changes. Sometimes you need a hit of happiness from a cheery pillow<\/a> in the bedroom\u2014sometimes it\u2019ll lift your mood in the living room.<\/p>\n

Q: What inspires you when styling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Natural light. Nothing makes me more excited to set up a vignette than a beam of late-afternoon sun streaming through a window or morning sunrise moodiness. Whether fabric, glass, a great chair\u2014everything looks better when it\u2019s bathed in real light and shadow.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Be Afraid to Move D\u00e9cor Between the Garden and the House<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201c<\/em>While the textiles warmed up [my backyard] view, they\u2019re really well suited inside my home, as well. I\u2019ve repurposed the tablecloth<\/a> as a makeshift upholstery.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Q: Why did you choose our Roza pieces<\/a> for this garden party look? Do you feel as though our Roza pieces could translate just as easily into your home?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: As soon as I saw the\u00a0<\/a>Roza Collection<\/a>\u00a0and its very particular pink hue, I was instantly reminded of the roses I grow in my front yard. I do not have a green thumb whatsoever, but I am inexplicably, desperately enslaved to these four bushes of English garden roses. No other of our under-nurtured plants seem to inspire me this way\u2014I go so far as to individually paint\u00a0these roses\u00a0with soapy water to stave off the Japanese beetles\u00a0that prey on them. My backyard is a green expanse with lots of beautiful flowers, but no such roses, so I immediately imagined the Roza pink popping in that void.<\/p>\n

While I loved the way the pink textiles warmed up that view, they\u2019re really well suited inside my home, as well. I\u2019ve already used the napkins<\/a> on several occasions to accent the simple natural linen tablecloth that\u2019s forever the base of my dining table. I\u2019ve also re-purposed the pink tablecloth<\/a> as a makeshift upholstery on a settee that needed a fresh look. I\u2019m thinking it will stay there until my baby begins walking (and inevitably smearing things all over anything at hand level).<\/p>\n

Q: What’s your method for creating a tablescape for an outdoor gathering? Do you like to go more casual and keep it simpler when throwing a garden party or sunset soiree, or do you feel it can go as formal and layered as something you would host in your dining room?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Casual<\/em>\u00a0is a relative term in my house. I sometimes think a swath of velvet should be a tablecloth\u2014and if all I have to do is unroll it from a bin in the potting shed and lay it on the table in one swoosh, that feels like a pretty chill gesture to me.<\/p>\n

Q: We love how even our finer pieces, like the silk-cotton\u00a0<\/strong>Roza table linens<\/a>\u00a0you styled with, add an extra-special touch to even the most casual of\u00a0<\/strong>gatherings. How do you get comfortable using nicer linens for casual indoor and outdoor events?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: You\u2019ll probably have to launder your table linens after a dinner party because of a guest who gets swishy with a drink or overzealously serves themselves seconds. Accidents happen whether you\u2019re indoors or out, so you may as well bring\u00a0the things you love outside. I say spring for the good linens for outdoors\u2014though I do think there\u2019s a fine line between setting a thoughtful tablescape regardless of location and dragging your grandmother\u2019s crystal into your backyard. Sturdy glassware should do the trick.<\/p>\n

Add Height to Your Table with Candles and Flowers<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cI like to set a pretty loose table\u2014I\u2019m always game for mixing textures, patterns and colors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Roza<\/a><\/p>\n

Q: Do you prefer matching table linens or do you like to mix it up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I like to set a pretty loose table, meaning I\u2019m always game for mixing textures, patterns<\/a> and colors<\/a>. I always lean towards thicker textiles that can be machine washed and look good even if they haven\u2019t been ironed.<\/p>\n

Q: Any easy tricks or hard-and-fast rules you can offer for taking your table look to the next level?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Candlelight! Colorful tapers add happiness, drama and a skin-flattering glow. Candlesticks also add such good height, which is a visual must on a table where everything else is on a low plane. I love a big flower arrangement in most contexts, but for a functional and beautiful table setting, I often use small bud vases spread over the table with different flowers in each. That way, you\u2019re not beholden to one style of arrangement, and you\u2019re also adding freshness without impeding guests\u2019 views of each other.<\/p>\n

Abandon the Idea That You Must Stick to a Single Pattern or Theme<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a great lover of Indian textiles and use them liberally throughout my own home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Q: What kinds of things do you like to use in your home d\u00e9cor? When it comes to textiles, do you have a specific style that you particularly love, or do you let the color and pattern catch your eye?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: As a former shelter magazine editor, I forever live in the mentality of\u00a0\u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d<\/em>\u00a0For years, I was charged with spotting a trend before it became a trend and staying ahead of the curve when it came to shifting design appetites. But as much as parts of my house act like a decorating test lab, like the old potting shed that I\u2019ve transformed into a photo studio for my company, SGBMade<\/a>, my home is really an ode to the fact that I like what I like. I can\u2019t be tempted into any real theme other than that.<\/p>\n

As far as textiles, my favorites will always include a heavy dose of florals, whether watercolor and painterly, embroidered <\/a>and folky, block printed<\/a> and restained, or chintzy and proper. Otherwise, I\u2019m turning to stripes, colorful linen and animal prints.<\/p>\n

Q:\u00a0<\/strong>How best do you think colors and patterns in Indian textiles with heritage designs can be incorporated in an American home?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: I\u2019m a great lover of Indian textiles and use them liberally throughout my own home\u2014especially anything with a Mughal motif<\/a>. And traditional embroidery<\/a>\u2026\u00a0Be still my heart<\/em>.<\/p>\n

While they look beautiful on their own in an otherwise muted environment, I am a big proponent of mixing striking patterns with other patterns\u2014which means they\u2019d fit in with most existing decor styles! So many American homes have that quintessential family sofa that shows signs of love and wear. I\u2019d love to see an Indian textile folded over it, with a few colorful Indian pillows <\/a>nestled in there to change up the look. If the sofa happens to be upholstered in a contrasting print, all the better!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In college, creative consultant Sarah Storms had the opportunity to live in Dakar, Senegal\u00a0for a short time.\u00a0There, she found endless inspiration in the way traditional African garb and modern fashion coexist,\u00a0collecting bolts of local fabrics she still has today. Sarah has carried this inspiration with her throughout her career, blending timeless beauty with contemporary ideas. She\u2019s worked as a magazine editor for\u00a0Travel + Leisure, Lonny, Elle Decor, Veranda\u00a0and\u00a0House Beautiful, as well as written for\u00a0The Wall Street Journal\u00a0and\u00a0Architectural Digest. She\u2019s also … Continue reading Style Guides: Sarah Storms\u2019 Tips for Abandoning the Design Rulebook<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[29,45,5,4,46,43,44,42,40,41,28],"class_list":["post-993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dinner-table-decor","tag-garden-party","tag-hand-block-printed-textiles","tag-handcrafted-indian-textiles","tag-outdoor-tablescape","tag-roza-block-printed-linens","tag-roza-silk-cotton-block-printed-linens","tag-roza-table-linens","tag-sarah-storms","tag-sgbmade","tag-tablescape"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=993"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2241,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993\/revisions\/2241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marigoldliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}