S@H: What are the biggest challenges to having a stylish home with kids? VH: I don't want my kids to remember me as the mom who worried constantly about the furniture. I think you have to make a conscious effort to change the dial to "relaxed." That means making practical choices. Say goodbye to your white carpets. In fact, roll up all of your carpets for the summer -- it's easier, and it feels lighter and airier. Keep the window treatments minimal and use shades or sheers, so you can see the view. Sunshine is free, so let it pour in. There's nothing more beautiful than light reflecting off a bare wood floor -- and what could be easier to maintain?
S@H: I notice that despite having twin boys you often employ a light colour palette in your own homes. Are you courageous or just crazy?
VH: The shade of a fabric is less important than what it's made of and its weight and texture. A pale cotton, for example, is much more practical than a dark silk. (I tell my clients that if they have to have silk, use it on a throw cushion.) There are so many fabulous durable fabrics out there, so choosing a light, bright palette for summer is very achievable. But forget about grape juice! Every other spill comes out of these fabrics, but not grape juice. If you can live without it, your life will be so much simpler.
S@H: Simple is a great word to describe the ambience of your own designs. Why is simplicity so important to you?
VH: Simplicity is key. But simple doesn't have to mean boring. It just means beautiful things with ample space around them. You gain serenity from organizing a room with lots of breathing space. That means creating an easy floor plan that you can move around in. I always walk through a room after I've placed the furniture to make sure I don't walk into anything or have to squeeze around something. You want to be able to travel from the patio to the kitchen unimpeded by obstacles. I also tend to keep the palette in a house simplified. I just finished designing a client's home, and we used a pale blue and white in one room, the same blue with a soft green in an adjoining room, and a softer blue and periwinkle upstairs. I don't like creating rainbows in rooms, especially in the summer. It's too jarring. I find it much more pleasing to stay within one colour family -- it feels more harmonious. In the summer, you live outside, so I always try to bring that outside feeling inside -- to capture the essence of the out of doors, whether in the choice of palette or by simply clipping a single green branch and putting it in a vase.
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