Interior Designer Brigette Romanek Teaches Us How to Set the Scene in a Living Room

It’s not a competition. The most important thing is that pieces in a room are harmonious. Maybe I’m starting with a rug that I have found or a carpet. And I think about why it’s interesting to me, and that’s how I view the pieces that I bring in to complement it. So it’s all part and parcel of the same meal, if you will. You have a lot of different ingredients, but you come away with a delicious meal. It’s one ingredient after the other. When my brain is sort of at rest about it, I’m not waking up in the middle of the night and thinking, "Oh my god, a lamp should go there." Then I back off. I know I’m done.

If you’re going to introduce a new furnishing into an existing room, obviously there are some logistics and things that come into it. You have to make sure what you’re going to put in is going to fit in terms of size and that you know how you want to use it. But then you have to think about the story of that room. Does the story behind the piece fit into the story of the room? If you don’t think about that, you can end up with a bunch of things in your garage that you’re going to sell later online. I liken interiors to a movie. There are different scenes. But as you move through the space, you come away with a complete picture.

Turning a Corner

Recently released sofas match rounded rectangular shapes with rich hues that show that color doesn't have to be loud to pop.

Pukka Sofa and Ottoman by Yabu Pushelberg for Ligne Roset