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Educated Elegance in Decor for Your Home
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Elegance is really not relegated to the very rich. Over the next couple articles, we'll talk about how to claim elegance for.jpg)
your own decor—without the rich price tag.
Educate your eye
Taste is very subjective. And you don't have to have a bushelful of money to "get the look." We've known wealthy people with horrible taste, but there are the rich who have a discerning eye. The key words here will be: timeless, heritage, and quality balanced with the right scale and harmony.
Reproductions are so good nowadays, there's no reason to not expect them to look just as fine (or sometimes better) than the original. Skilled and tasteful copies can be found for just about every decor item you can think of.
Distinctive features
If you learn the hallmarks of the opulent style, you're half way there. With creative shopping, even some paint or creativity, you can duplicate them on a budget. Imagination has been said to be more powerful than money, so you just need to exercise your options.
Rich decor items and furniture don't necessarily mean new. Rich people don't trash a sturdy chenille-covered sofa if it's slightly worn. The slightly tattered look can bespeak heritage and exude an air of old money.
Examples would be
The king of rich interior landscapes, Ralph Lauren. A dissection of one of his magazine advertisements is a trip worth taking. Study a setting depicted in a magazine and you will see: worn riding boots parked at the end of a bed, a weathered copper pot holding fresh flowers or a silver trophy cup filled with croquet balls—it's all about image. He also peppers rooms with many different fabrics in multiple patterns and almost always uses a traditional dark "family plaid," an intricate paisley, or a faded floral chintz pattern in muted, dreamy and slightly worn hues. All are in the same color ways, but the patterns and scale are relative: that is to say a large plaid, a small paisley, and a medium-sized floral—justaposed one against the other.
Shopping tips
Look for bargains everywhere, not just at the retail furniture store (you may never find them). You can order Persian rugs of very good quality from a catalog; I've seen wonderful decorative objects at Factory Showcase outlets, Pier One (on sale), Bombay Company, and even Sam's Club. Tuesday Morning stores send out fliers if you subscribe, and I often see bargains on lamps, small oil paintings and occasional chairs. Better still, think about making a lamp from a found object or converted vessel. Old silver trophy cups make great lamps, as do china tea cups stacked and turned one against the other to build a tower; beautiful reproduction vases, Buddha heads, rooster figurines and any number of objects are great bases for lamps. The light kits run about $12.-14. from Lowe's and are really easy to assemble, it just requires drilling a hole in the base and top to run the wire up 
through and gluing felt on the bottom. You can even learn to make lamp shades or embellish plain ones with braid, ribbon, and trims. This month's Country Living magazine has a great example of how to embellish a lamp shade using >twine< and pinecones! (See link below).
Attune your senses
Rich, good taste can be acquired. The eye can be "tricked" into seeing high-end things where bargains once existed. In the next few columns we will talk about specific room elements and classic styles and show you how to obtain the look—including putting your own stamp on decor—over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for Decorating Like the Rich.
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