ATHENA CALDERONE JUST RELEASED HER SECRETS ON HOW TO LIVE BEAUTIFUL(LY)

LIVE BEAUTIFUL, a new book by celebrated design expert Athena Calderone, gives us a look into how interior designers and creatives decorate their spaces.

TEXT Logan Verlaque IMAGES nicole franzen

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ATHENA CALDERONE IS WHAT ONE MAY CALL A LIFESTYLE GODDESS. THE BROOKLYN-BASED BEAUTY BEHIND EYESWOON IS OUR GO-TO SOURCE FOR AN THOUGHTFULLY MINIMAL AESTHETIC, WHETHER IT COMES TO COOKING OR DESIGN.

CALDERONE , just released her new book, LIVE BEAUTIFULLY, giving us a look into how interior designers and creatives decorate their spaces. Here, the celebrated design expert shared some of her tips and tricks to creating a beautiful space.

*NATE BERKUS AND JEREMIAH BRENT’S KITCHEN*

ATHENA’S 5 RULES FOR DESIGNING A SUCCESSFUL ROOM

Trust your instincts — lead with what you love as a starting point.
Allow design magic to take you by surprise — let design unfold piece by piece, material by materiel.
Engage contrast, opposition causes intrigue and curiosity.
Let your home be a personal reflection of you — collect things that hold both meaning and memories and retain a narrative.
Be sure to engage a variety of textures, finishes, patinas and heights — be sure to think about verticality, you want the eye to move about the space and land on a variety of things.

ON HOW SHE CHOSE WHO TO FEATURE IN “LIVE BEAUTIFUL”

I love to dissect any creative journey. I am always so curious about how someone’s process is ignited, what that first point of inspiration is, and how a design dialog is born piece by piece. For my own design work, I can always trace it back to that initial spark and I wanted to document and dissect the alchemy of other designers' homes. I chose the homes based on who inspires me — I am such a visual person and I have learned from studying images and being curious so I really selected designers who I felt would be open enough to unpack for the reader how beautiful design is born.

ON HER DESIGN PROCESS, FROM FIRST SEEING A ROOM TO ADDING THE FINISHING TOUCHES

As far as how I style and pair objects and furniture — I love how successful design is a conversation not only between shape and form, but also an interplay of the silent notes between each object. It’s composition, texture and color at play. It’s an expression of your innate sensibilities in how you pair one piece next to its cohesive or opposing counterpart. It’s a study in opposition which somehow ends in harmony. I love to pair objects that polarize one another in some capacity -- I believe there is a certain level of voltage that happens when you combine an item that is feminine, soft, tactile and curvaceous next to a more masculine, hard-lined, and bold in its material or tone. Form and scale are everything – I am always thinking about how items play off of one another.

“I am such a visual person and I have learned from studying images and being curious.”

ATHENA’S TIPS ON REDESIGNING IN AN ECO-CONSCIOUS, SUSTAINABLE WAY

I LOVE the hunt more than anything. If you collect vintage items that already have a rich unknown history, they will always retain a story but you are giving it new life, a new narrative and thus it will be timeless, never trendy, and eco conscious. These items will evolve with you over time as you find new ways to tinker with and display them — styling for me is the best part. 90% of the furniture in my home is actually vintage and that was certainly intentional. I desired that a clash of cultures in the décor -- from lighting to furniture, was essential for this home. A vintage template is rooted in sustainability.

Also find new ways to use pieces — the bench behind my living room sofa is what I would consider design magic. When two random objects find their way to one another unintentionally and yet, so perfectly. It is also the kind of alchemy that is rooted in sustainability. Both vintage to the core — the wood benchtop was the reclaimed shelving from my former kitchen and the travertine bases came from a glass top cocktail table hailing from the 70’s.

Unifying these two vintage and vastly different materials was a reminder that beautiful design only requires creativity and perhaps a little scrappy ingenuity. It’s not always about acquiring, but rather repurposing. With our homes being our constant these days, perhaps we can find ways to also make it our canvas. Rummage through your things and take on a project!

ATHENA’S 3 ESSENTIALS THAT CAN ELEVATE ANY ROOM

Practice restraint and don’t let a blank wall trick you into unnecessarily filling it. Negative space allows your eye to breathe and concentrates your attention on the quiet, personal vignettes within a room.

Allow color and materiality to repeat throughout the home for a cohesive narrative.

If you are fortunate enough to have a historic home, celebrate it. Amplify original details like weathered old beams by leaving them raw and untouched. Don’t whitewash the beauty of patina.